Exploring the fascinating world of plants

Plants not only sustain life around us, but create interest, experience and habitat.

My experience as a Landscape Designer has opened my eyes to the ability of plants to transform environments- residential, commercial, or natural landscapes.

This blog focuses on plants for the California region and overall West Coast, but also, best practices, placemaking and planting design tips that can be applied to any region.

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Cool Cacti Facts- Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)
Cool Cacti Facts- Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM)

Cacti, Agave and Yucca are highly adapted to the arid climates they inhabit. They have extensive root systems and even develop “rain roots,” where roots are expanded during rain events to capture as much water as possible. Since there are few opportunities to capture water in the desert ( or other arid climates) it’s important that cacti and other species don’t lose water once it’s captured. Thus, Crassulacean acid metabolism or CAM comes into play.

Plant palettes for the Pacific Northwest
Plant palettes for the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is home to the Woodland Garden landscape style. This planting style can be achieved in different ways, depending on your personal tastes. Traditional and contemporary examples of both are shown below.

Know your Agaves, II
Know your Agaves, II

Welcome back to Know Your Agaves Part II ! Continuing on our adventure through a variety of scale, textures and colors. Agaves create beautiful, sculptural focal plants in the landscape, but chose and place them carefully.

Know your Agaves
Know your Agaves

Agaves are one of the most versatile and beautiful plants for the California landscape, as well as other arid regions where xeric plants thrive (plants that thrive in dry conditions).
Agave varieties offer endless options in color, texture and size. They create striking focal specimens, beautiful mass plantings or are a sculptural addition to gardens.

Plant spotlight- Romneya coulteri
Plant spotlight- Romneya coulteri

This beautiful California native perennial is known for its large white crepe paper like petals and large cluster of yellow stamens, that some say looks like a fried egg. It’s a fantastic low maintenance, low water use perennial, but it only thrives in certain growing conditions.

Landscape Designer + Plant Love

For the past seven years I’ve worked on residential and commercial landscape projects throughout California, as well as the Pacific Northwest, Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. I became fascinated with plant varieties and my specialty became planting design for Southern Californian sites.

Not all landscape architects/ designers like planting design. Odd, right? It’s always been my favorite part of a project. No matter how big or small a site is, plants have the ability to transform space. Plants also have the ability to create place. Placemaking is a big buzzword in design these days, but what can possibly reflect your location and create an experience better than plants?

*Note, that the majority of my experience is in California, USDA hardiness zone 9/ Sunset Zones 22-24. Always check your UDSA hardiness zone and or Sunset Zone before considering plants.