Shade Gardening The days are getting shorter, the sun is low in the sky, and sunlight is a little harder to come by. The change reminds us of something we consider at any time of year when designing landscapes - those parts of the landscape where sun is always hard to come by!  [...]

Planting Principles As Landscape Architects, we have the privilege of working not only with building materials, but also with living things!  Plants bring life and energy to the landscape, and the incredible variety of aesthetic choices they offer makes designing with them a blast.  What goes into a successful planting design?  Beyond knowing [...]

Ornamental Grasses Ornamental grasses have stolen our hearts.  The grace and movement of grasses can enliven any garden style, from the most traditional to the most contemporary.  Here in California, the trend towards drought-tolerant and native-style gardening is highlighting the usefulness of grasses in our designed landscapes - their incredible variety of forms [...]

Harvest The ultimate reward after tending fruit trees is of course a bountiful harvest!  As designers of Outdoor Living, we love the chance to experience such success in our own yards as well as our clients’.  During the growing season, one can ensure a great harvest with a few clever tricks.  [...]

Backyard Orchards -  Young Fruit Trees The early years of a tree’s life are the most important formative time in its development.  When it comes to fruiting trees, that translates to the long-term health of the trees and the success of future harvests.  Pruning and shaping the young trees is a science.  Here [...]

Backyard Orchards – Planning and Planting Here in the California Bay Area, we are blessed with a Mediterranean climate capable of supporting a wide range of fruiting trees.  From citrus to pomes, the ability to grow our favorite fruit in our own backyards is a unique feature of California outdoor living.  Introducing [...]

Hydrangea Care Hydrangeas are a well-loved favorite in traditional gardens, and when they are in full bloom, they can be completely spectacular!  If you grow Hydrangeas, you probably know that they have particular needs.  Here is our quick guide to Hydrangea care and pruning, which for some varieties is actually a September [...]

Celebrated Herbs Salvia officinalis - Kohler, Medizinal Pflantzen Herbs are a necessity for every gardener, natural-remedy seeker, or farm-to-table chef, and in Landscape Design we often find ourselves planting herbs, either in their own special garden or incorporated into the landscape.  The herbs we may think of as traditional in Western [...]

Grasses in the Landscape Ornamental grasses have stolen our hearts.  The grace and movement of grasses can enliven any garden style, from the most traditional to the most contemporary.  Here in California, the trend towards drought-tolerant and native-style gardening is highlighting the usefulness of grasses in our designed landscapes - their [...]

Planting Inspiration - Remembering Beth Chatto The Beth Chatto Gardens, Essex, England We are passionate about plants - the living element to great landscapes.  When we design planted landscapes, we follow in the footsteps of countless gardeners who understood that the principles inherent in nature could be used to create exquisite works [...]