Water is always a focus of landscapes here in California. So why not utilize the amazingly beautiful native plants that grow right here and thrive in our sunny climate! They can handle the long dry year with almost no maintenance once established. And they play vital roles in the life cycles of many of our native and migratory critters.
How do we do this? ~
We focus on creating plant designs that mimic nature. We consider where plants naturally grow and the relationship they have with the land and other plants. In doing so, it is important to understand the many different types of landscapes that exist in/around California (e.g. Oak woodlands, meadows, grasslands, wetlands, etc.).
When we look at a person’s home, we don’t just look within the confines of the property line. We look all around at what trees naturally grow there, the soil, the geology, nearby waterways, and the micro-climate (to name a few). These elements help us determine the right plant for that place in the watershed. Of course, many landscapes are so disturbed it’s difficult to determine the natural plant community. We restore damaged and barren landscapes by reintroducing appropriate pioneer and climax plant species while protecting any bare soil with mulch and/or cover-crops until the natural leaf layer and/or canopy comes on.