Monthly Archives: June 2021

On-Line Design—If “George Jetson” had a garden.

California Style, Design Ideas, General, Patio Design, Water Conservation, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

During the Pandemic we had to figure out how to work without being onsite.  With the magic of Google Earth and County records we have been able to continue designing landscape gardens from Los Angeles.  We began by helping friends from around the country create social distancing spaces in their garden.  That turned into being shared to their friends.  This opened up designing for people in other States.  We’ve worked on projects in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Louisiana, Wisconsin, California, and Washington. Before the Pandemic we accepted projects out of state, but we would actually go to the client in person.  We were surprised at how well on-line designed worked.  I think the biggest benefit has been talking more to clients about their landscape needs and dreams which has made for better projects.  We turned working in isolation into talking more to our clients.  It not only helped our friends and clients, but helped us.  That extra time going over details made for better projects.    Today, we work on full landscape plans and also small areas using video technology.  Here’s how it works.

Once we are contacted, we have a video discussion about your project to see if we all get along before any commitments are made by a potential client.    We learn about the area(s) that needs our help and offer a few general ideas. There is no charge for this initial video conference.  After we all agree on a direction; then, we use their input to start organizing the space.  One of the obvious issues is not being there in person, which normally would be essential.  With technology and input from the owners, we can use Google Earth for an overview, street view, what the neighborhood looks like and the county-at-large (to look at the lay of the land).  We also look at public County records to see if a property map is available online.  Most Counties now have property maps on their websites.  A few times we have called in a surveyor for a more accurate property map, but this depends on the scale and scope of the project and the accuracy of the County Maps.  Once we have the property map and locate North, we ask for specific photos of the site.  It’s not the same as being there, but it really has worked well, especially for small projects that need professional organization and ideas.  

Once we are familiar with the property, we look at the climate, locate your hardiness zone, and how the Sun moves through the garden in order to  create an organized preliminary design to discuss options in another video meeting.  (A preliminary design is a rough layout of what you have asked for, plus our ideas in plan view.)  As we discuss the ideas in the preliminary design we expect changes based on your feedback before we prepare the Master Plan.  Since we’ll most likely be hiring a landscape contractor to install the garden, the amount you want to spend on the project is good to know.  This amount is private between landscape architect and client.  Knowing a ball park figure helps us design within your budget.  The preliminary design meeting could be repeated a few times, until we are all comfortable with the plan.  We’ll also want to talk about a plant palette; colors, art, and any furnishings, so this may require a few meetings.  By using video conference, we are able to share our screen and show you the drawings and photos of plants in real time to make alterations to the preliminary plan in real time.  We want you to feel comfortable with the every aspect of the garden before we start preparing the Master Plan.  Most clients are not blue print savvy, which is normal.  We take the time to orient our clients with the plans, so they can understand what is being presented.  

We’ve had a few clients that want to install the landscape themselves; in this case, we create features that can be built in the DIY mode.   We also provide on-going consultations during the construction.  Now that the pandemic is not as critical, we could also come to you to help layout the garden.  It’s a good idea to have a plan for future work, so when it’s time to do a project, we know it will fit into the greater property design;  thus, some want a plan for the whole property… a guide for the years coming. 

After we have agreed on the preliminary design, we refine the design based on our discussions with you.  From this point, we prepare a Master Plan.  A Master Plan is a series of drawn documents based on what you have requested and approved in the Preliminary Plan.  One page is the general overview of the property and what will be done.  All features are presented in context to one another.   After the Overall Master Plan, pages are organized by planting, lighting, irrigation, hardscape, electrical needs, and details.  Some will only want a planting plan and that is fine, too.  It’s a flexible system based on what is required to build the landscape.  The whole process could take as little as a few weeks—it’s all up to our client and how involved they want to be in this process.  It’s really a modern living process that is actually kinda fun.  This is all possible  because of technology and the Internet.   For us, it has been a terrific result of the Pandemic as it gives us an opportunity to help folks in other areas and States, before we had a few projects out of California, but most of our projects were/are here in Los Angeles.  I love it!

After we present the full set of plans based on what you require, we can help you find a landscape contractor, source materials, furnishings, and plants.  We’ll walk you through the whole process and be there for you during the project.  We are a small business, and we offer personal attention, our designs come from our minds and experience not computer cookie cutter designs.   We can make a site visit on any item that is critical and requires our advice.  

We charge by the hour.  Our normal fee is $175 per hour, but for online design it is $135 per hour.    Typically a plan costs between $3,000 – $5,000 for a full garden, it could me more or less based on your needs.

Post Note: For those of us who like to be different, hiring someone from another area or State is probably the best way to achieve that with your garden. Typically in a city or town there is a “look” that is fine in most cases, but those us who strive to be unique, the sameness is boring. A landscape garden should reflect those who use it and not necessarily what is typically done. There are just too many wonder inspirations out there to conform to the norms just because they are normal. Though good design shines no matter what.

Here are a few of the project we have created using this new fangled technology.  

  • A plan for plant relocation.
  • A new color scheme diagram.
  • A preliminary plan in Memphis
  • A courtyard for Condos in Tennessee
  • A preliminary plan for a project in Mississippi
  • A diagram illustrating the photos we need.

Defining Indah Bulan Style….

Design Ideas, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indah Bulan

Stephen Swafford

21 June 2021

  • Indah Bulan Trellis (Climber Rosa Banksiae)

Over the years we have designed and installed dozens of gardens.  As I look back on them, a few things pop out to me that helps identify what we do best.  The first thing is organization.  It is perhaps our  greatest skill and I think the most important part of designing a garden.   Designing the orientation of a garden is essential to how well it flows.  It’s also crucial to know how the sun moves through your property at different times of the year.  For instance, if the garden is geared for summer activities, we’ll want to have plenty of sun, but also an escape from the sun. Using a strategically placed tree will provide some shade, but also if a deciduous tree is used, we have winter sun and warmth.  This will extend the outdoor season by a month or two in warm climates, and by a few weeks in cooler areas.  This is planning—solving multiple issues with one solution.  The garden will be vastly different in the Summer and Winter.  Not only are temperatures different but the sunshine is polar-opposite.  Organizing plants is another key issue.  Some plants like winter sun and summer shade, these are typically the plants that boom in the Spring.  Understanding the space and what goes in it and where is key to garden organization.  

So, why is organizing a space important?  It is the one thing no one can identify, but can feel.  It’s that notable feeling of being somewhere special…. We’ve all been in a place that just feels right, that is a sign that someone has thought about how you as a guest would feel while in that very space.    A well organized space determines if a space is usable or just something to look at.  A space needs to feel right to keep people coming back.  That feeling starts with an organized space.  

There are plenty of people who create landscapes for people, few of us create gardens.  A garden is a place that has serenity because it is designed especially for those who live there and their guests. The gardens we create are comforting and comfortable spaces built on organization.  We’ve discussed organizing the space as a whole, looking further we organize individual spaces within the property at large.   We think of the garden as an extension to the indoor living spaces.  In most cases we divide the future garden into outdoor rooms based on what our clients enjoy doing while outdoors and the relationship with the indoor rooms.  For example, an outdoor dinning room should be associated with the Kitchen.  For the outdoor dinning room to be successful, it must have easy access to the place the food is prepared.  With the proper location, we can begin to create a room that feels like an outdoor home and is functionally easy to use.  After the area is selected we start by finding the table that will be the center piece.  We could use an an existing table, or buy another one.  We also think about how you and your guests will move about the space considering what defines the room.  Having a table that fits like a glove is key.  In addition we use plants and/or simple structures to complete the scene.  Lighting is also important as it brings the space alive at night.  

If a client calls us, they are typically looking for a unique garden.  We use thoughtfully selected plants; plus decorative arts to define these spaces.  There are so many options for a garden, it’s all about listening to our clients then organizing their wishes so it works best.  Creating a collection of furnishings and decorative arts says more about the owner than a suite of furniture especially as we start with what the owner has already.  Suites of furniture tend to work better in ultra-modern spaces.  We like to incorporate something vintage in modern spaces.   It gives the space resonance—it gives life to the space.  Starting with what is available and incorporating that into a space will always have a resonance for the owner and their guests.   Selecting hand made pieces tend to have a quality that manufactured pieces don’t have. We find many of our pieces at Flea Markets.  When pieces are made by a craftsperson, they anchor their own spirit in the piece.  This is the resonance I am talking about.  When there is a collection of pieces we rely on that resonance to create a unified spirit-filled living space with character.  We think there is magic created when the garden comes together using pieces that have been selected by their spirit instead of a manufactured look. 


Plants are also an integral part of a garden.  There is no such thing as a “no maintenance” garden, though with proper selection plants are much less maintenance. For instance, a common mistake is buying a small plant that grows too big for the space.  If there is a 3’ wide space, there is no reason to plant that matures at 4’ wide(unless a manicured hedge is required).  This creates a space that requires maintenance.  There is also the amount of sun at any given time of the year that must be considered.  This is perhaps the most important part of a planting design because a plant that requires sun will not grow in the shade… and vice versa.  Knowing plants and where they belong comes naturally to us.  We have been hired for larger projects just for that reason alone.  One other important factor are the soils.  We typically look first at any existing large trees in a space to determine what the soil is like.  There are two extremes in soils—acid or alkaline and there is middle ground, too.  For instance, if you have Pine trees living in your garden your soil is Acid.  Large trees tend to terraform the soil around them.  So we’d want to plant acid loving plants because plants that prefer a sweeter (alkaline) soil will not grow well.  These are the keys to minimal garden maintenance.    This is a complicated process, but these factors determine if you have a lush gorgeous garden or one that is a constant struggle to keep beautiful.  

All these components are what make our gardens special places.  We do our best to imagine how a space will work and bring these components into the design.  Every one of our garden designs is different and I am so proud of that.  If you decide to call on us for help, then I know you want something functional, stylish, and exceptional.