Highlighting the period details of this Storybook style house, simple and romantic form the basis for this design. Blue on blue plantings pair well with the deep mahogany branches of the Manzanita, while small surprises greet visitors on the path. The plantings were selected to maximize habitat, with multiple bee species, butterflies, small birds and reptiles counted as guests. Photos 1-6 by Chelsea Dier

What fun! Combining elegance and exuberance, with a healthy sprinkle of magic dust, I designed this garden for activity and exploration for an active and crafty family. Apricot, quince and apple trees line the softly curving path leading to the main patio, designed with my signature “ancient abandoned fairy city” aesthetic. Beyond, a meadow of Yerba Buena and native Strawberry guide the way to a veritable fairy den, with mossy boulders and scented violets. Plant selection included endless choices for making bouquets, as well as fruits and herbs to end up on the dinner table or in the jam pot.

Installation by L&L Landscaping

Maintenance by Marcie Kramer of Pretty Bird Gardens

A hidden wonderland perfect for entertaining, this garden began as a shady, cramped and unwelcoming space.  Building off from the existing deck, I moved the stairs to the center of the garden and had reclaimed wood retaining walls built.  A brick and wood patio diverted waste when the house remodel revealed a surprise chimney in the walls.  More importantly, it expanded the usable space of the garden allowing for evening cocktails or lingering Sunday brunches.  Lush native plant selections and an existing row of mature Podocarpos lend a woodsy air to this magical space in the heart of San Francisco.

Do shady ladies have more fun? This garden does! The north-facing garden celebrates contrasts; dark greens and bright gray-blues, grassy textures and wide, wavy leaves, native plants and non-native ornamentals. Seasonal color changes from sophisticated mauve in the winter to bright pops of red, purple and chartreuse in warmer months. Photos by Chelsea Dier

This sporty family needed lots of activity space; space for gathering, space for sports, and space to just spread out and enjoy the outdoors. What started as a sloped lawn with a dilapidated garage and crumbling driveway, transformed into a flowing and cohesive garden. Reusing chunks of concrete from the driveway, we built retaining walls out of “urbanite” squares, along with a herringbone patio with reclaimed brick. The planting plan included Persimmon and Pluot trees, as well as shrubs and perennials to bring all the birds and pollinators to the yard. Designed while working for a landscape design/build company.

Maintained by Marcie Kramer of Pretty Bird Gardens

This charming hillside garden is perpetually blanketed in flowery confetti.  Chosen for nearly year-round color, these natives accentuate the pre-existing hardscape while attracting bees, hummingbirds and happy people!  

This back garden redesign transformed a blank space into an edible wonderland.  Live-edge redwood steps guide through aromatic groundcovers, ever-changing vegetable beds and numerous fruit bearing plants.  The path dissects a native lawn made for napping or picnicking.  Bright, primary colors manifest in numerous ever-blooming perennials selected for their long life in flower arrangements.  Open trellises create flowery walls of green against the exterior walls of the house, with fragrant Jasmine and Honeysuckle lending their sweetness to the air. 

This garden combines some of my favorite things:  substituting an unhealthy lawn with imaginative hardscape and California native plants, and creating a trellis using Japanese joinery techniques.  I began by teasing out the space with a meandering dry stream bed filled with colorful pebbles and playful bits of tumbled glass.  The Arts and Crafts inspired trellis supports a native grape vine, supplying a sculptural backdrop to the flowery foreground.    

Nestled in North Oakland, Peralta Elementary is a small school with a big heart and even bigger garden. It is my joy to volunteer on the Garden Committee, organizing parent volunteers, leading plant tours, advising on garden curriculum, and making jam from the 20 fruit trees that grow there. You can follow the garden’s Instagram account @peraltagarden

Creative explorations of many forms, bound by a love of the natural world.

Construction drawings and sketches are the tangible essences of dreams. It is these documents that transform ideas and desires into real life.