Deziner

Thanks for having my small slice of paradise on the daily inspiration page.
The plants hanging on the wall are a staghorn fern mixed with a variety of succulents, mostly echiverias and sedums.

Debra Lee,
Thank you very much for pointing out who were the artisans and creators of this succulent wall piece, Kevin Smith and Robin Stockwell.
Robin Stockwell of Succulent Gardens has spent a lot of time developing this art form as well as sharing his step by step construction methods with the public.
It's important to know who were the creative genius's behind that actual work of art and to thank Flora Grubb nursery for hanging it in her nursery.
Thanks,
Michelle Derviss

Put me in the running for the book.
Though I have been growing succulents in pots for several years now, my sisters would sure appreciate having an expert book to turn to for their questions.
Nothing like sending them a box of succulent cuttings from my garden to theirs and having a great book along side to help them with designing their compositions.

Cozy, embracing, eclectic, and warm.
Love it.

A pig and a poke
A Jack Russell Terrorist and a concrete pig checking out the action.

Another perspective on the Christmas tree debate from an urban Northern Californian.
The christmas tree that we use is going to have it's 50th birthday party this holiday. It was made in the United States and has been recycled since the the early 60's. How's that for being sustainable ?

The christmas tree farm that I lived next to about 20 years ago rarely replanted its stock because it cost too much in resources (water) and chemicals to maintain.

Most of the christmas trees that are found in the lots across California have been trucked down from Oregon and Seattle. So much for that carbon foot print saved.

Plastic is a recycled resource in my neck of the woods. Plastics are reincarnated into engineered lumber, shoes, long lasting shopping bags and more.

For those who can't afford a live tree , which is about $ 40 per for a 6 foot tree , you can find a lot of great recycled and 2nd hand christmas trees at your local salvation army and on Craigslist for around 20 to 30 dollar.
Not everyone has the luxury to drive out to the country, cut their own christmas tree and then pay for it to be hauled away.

I design both on paper and out in the field.
When in the office it starts with acknowledging the architecture and site.
The second step is requesting the current plant availability list from the nursery who I plan on using ( preferably San Marcos Growers) for the project. It's always best to design with plants that you know are available.
I start layering with form, shape , texture and foliage color.

After the basic concept is developed I will often go to the nursery and set up a mock planting in the nursery isle. Often times I will discover a plant that was not on the nursery availability list and works in perfectly with the developing chartette.

That is my basic plant design process. It starts out on paper, moves to the nursery and eventually to the job site, where it usually is tweeked a little bit here and a little bit there.

I'm in the same dry boat as you Billy.
Not a drop here in N. California and there won't be for several more months.
At my house we are conserving. The tiny patch of lawn ( if you could call it that) in the front yard is now a tiny patch of dead parched earth. What little water I use is directed to the most needed.
I'm considering installing a permeable faux lawn to cut down on water use and mowing.
On a professional level I've been doing water audits for clients to help them use their water more conservatively and lower their water bills.
Some of the options we are implementing are : faux lawns, more mulch coverage, irrigation system renovation, plant removal, shade tree installation, hardscape installation to eliminate softscape, soil polymers and more.

I haven't installed any grey water systems on a professional level but utilize my own grey water usage in my own garden. It's a rinky dink system that is fine for me but wouldn't pass professional muster.

I need more instruction from both a code compliance perspective and a long term professional construction perspective.

I think landscape designers have an opportunity , not to mention the responsibility to design environmentally conscience land systems , and water conservation is at the top of the list for us who live in arid regions.

I'd like to see a cross section elevation view complete with installation notes.
Lots has been photographed and written on these wonderful hydroponic wall systems but I'd like to see the "beef".

I'm on a man hunt for manihot.
I can't seem to find this plant anywhere in Northern Cal.
Do you winter this plant over in a greenhouse ?

Love your combos !

Absolutely Fantastic !!!
Excellent weaving of textural diversity.
Beautiful color coordination.
Sensational compositions.

I hope someone from Roberta's college has had some real working experience in garden design so that they can impart the realities of performing this job so that she can make a living at it.

As Susan Cohan succinctly said, plants are the least of it.

Truth be told, if you look at the body of work from successful designers you'll notice a common thread: that many are in their middle ages when they start producing their finest work.
This is because it takes years of education, internships and putting in dedicated long hours under other professional landscape designers before they can really understand what is required to design and build a successful project.

Ask me what I did today on the job and I'll tell you it had nothing to do with plants. Grading, drainage, pipe and steel sizes, hydroment additives vs. polymer mixes, transformers and cable run and size.

Realities of this job.