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LANDSCAPES
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I love water.
Up until the time we moved away from my first home, I grew up living with water nearby.
A creek ran across our property and every spare moment I had
I could be found down there; building dams and playing with the water's currents,
watching the reflection of the trees above wiggle and stretch on the still,
flat water that rose up behind the rocks I moved in its way,
and hypnotized by the sound it made as it left them behind.
When I am asked to create a private, peaceful garden space for someone,
I love using the same elements I grew up with; water, rocks,
and the relaxing sound they make together.
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VIGNETTES
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SANTA CLARA MARIOTT
SANTA CLARA, CA.
I was hired to oversee the installation of the new landscape at the Santa Clara Mariott. There was a rough plan indicating general placement of boulders and grasses, but when I arrived I was greeted by a parking lot with 40+ boulders, workmen, cranes and forklifts, and a pressing need to complete the project in less than a week.
As you can see, when I arrived there was nothing in this space except for the large Japanese Maples and a lot of mud, thanks to the winter's storm we were experiencing during the installation.
After getting a feel for the space and finding the boulder I call "Half Dome", I proceeded to create this space at the entryway of this very busy hotel. |
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Above - The space was muddy and a complete mess when I arrived.
It took a lot of imagination to "see" what was to become of this space.
The photo to the left shows the water feature in the courtyard with "Half Dome" in the center.
Below, the view is from inside the hotel, looking out from the reception area.
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This waterfall was created in Scotts Valley, CA. on a hillside overlooking a new patio and is planted with grasses, ferns, and native mosses.
It was this bit of landscaping that caught the eye of the Landscape Architect next door, which led to my job overseeing the installation at the Santa Clara Mariott (see above).
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Rough redwood gate and fence create privacy surrounding the newly planted pond area for this Santa Cruz, California home.River rock of varying sizes continue to other side of existing deck to hot tub area.
Through the gate at the left , the rocks extend out from the house to the street in front where they mix with newly formed "hills" that will be planted with native plants and herbs |
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SAN FRANCISCO
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In the Glen Park area of San Francisco, I was asked to figure out what to do with a narrow back yard area that fit between two houses. They didn't have much time for gardening, but they wanted a nice, pleasant place to spend time with their growing toddler. What was created was a two-level deck that stepped down through a custom-made gate to the street. Built-in seating is found at each end's planter box. A seat is also provided along the larger, middle planter that is home to a small pond and rock garden. Rather than a pool of water, safety for the toddler was provided for by having the water "disappear" from sight through a bed of rock.
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Rear view. Owner's door is at the far left.
Facing the street, the wall is extended up and over the gate reached by two cutaway steps. |
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