This project was for a client located in the North Clairemont area of San Diego. The original finalized design proposed some interesting avant-garde layout elements such as a large 36’ diameter circular grass area with a walkway dissecting it a little off center. a flat / ground level 21’ diameter circular deck that the aforementioned walkway led to which was on the other end of this grand main patio area that included an extra-large overhead solid patio cover with horizontal wood paneling and recessed lighting, a new modern style stucco faced fireplace with a TV on top and a sculptural rustic style water feature.

A few other highlights included a semi-private firepit area tucked in the back corner of the yard, a new Trex deck around their existing spa and also highlighting the existing naturalistic-organic pathways of the yard with brand new gold decomposed granite and other complimentary rock such as silver decomposed granite and black Mexican beach pebble.

The planting style included a classic California-Mediterranean palette with a few modern touches: Iceberg roses, Ficus nitida, Spanish lavenders, Cape rush, Mexican Bush Sage, Gold Lantanas, Agaves and Leucadendrons just to name a few. All the plantings and walkways are accentuated with beautiful uplights, path lights, and step lights (for the spa).

Upon implementation, the client who was also very construction and design savvy, decided to do a square shaped patio cover vs. an ‘L’ shaped, added a bar style firepit, a new built-in BBQ with a sink, beer taps, refrigerator, and the final cherry on the cake is the multi-color option accent lighting under the patio cover as well as for the new fireplace and firepit bar which are all changeable by remote control.

The results are really outstanding, and this project came out to be one of the best projects I’ve ever been a part of.

This project was for a client in the Ocean Beach / Sunset Cliffs area of San Diego who had a beautiful modern newly remodeled house and was seeking a new landscape design to match. The concept meetings went harmoniously and smooth, and we decided on topcast concrete with multi-size squares / rectangles for the hardscape along with an avant-garde staggered floating step stairwell in the front yard and semi-modern style planting complimenting synthetic turf areas, a crushed stone Zen area on the North side, and black mexican beach pebble in most of the planters.

Cape Rush, 'Sunburst' Echeverias, Sticks on Fire, Iceberg Roses and Red Yucca were a few plantings we utilized along with a few more select drought-tolerant others and the results came out beautifully.

The clients are very happy with their brand new modern style landscape and the project is a success.

This project was for a special residence on Coronado island. From start to finish, everything went very smoothly and came out great. The client is very happy with the results. (3) new overhead shade pergolas, a large BBQ/Bar area with a flatscreen TV, a grand paver area with a new firepit and dining table seating, new lawn, and all new luscious semi-tropical / California style planting make this backyard wonderland nearly perfect.

This project was for a client in Poway who wanted a new patio, overhead patio cover, firepit, new retaining walls and a zen type area all with a modern style.

We ended up using a beautiful gray tone paver from Belgard Pavers with a matching modern looking retaining wall block. 2’ square steppers were strategically placed coming off the new main patio and meandering into a firepit seating area with a built-in wood bench.

All new synthetic turf was used for very low maintenance as well as low water plantings such as purple sage, lion’s tail, snake plant, ‘Alphonse Karr’ bamboo & echeverias just to name a few.

Around the corner is a DG rock zen area for meditation or just a nice quiet open seating space for relaxation with a possibility for a future phase house expansion. A couple of fruit trees were included along the West fence as well as a staircase up the wall for access.

This was a unique design done for a client who desired a colorful drought-tolerant and low-maintenance landscape with a subtle Japanese theme integrated. The design included a new paver patio with a modern style firepit, organic shaped areas and small pocket areas of cobble stone were strategically placed around a meandering dry river bed separating a decomposed granite path and a mix of pebble and smaller cobble stone areas with boulders decorated around the yard were all laid out to successfully capture this theme.

Colorful plants such as a Palo Verde Tree, Purple Orchid Tree, ‘Maki’ Podocarpus, 'Electric Pink' Cordyline, 'Sticks on Fire' Euphorbia, ‘Amazing Red’ Flax, Blue Fescue, and 'Kiwi' Aeoniums among a few other colorful plants all bring out the vibrance of this design.

This project was for a client in Del Mar who had a very large property and desired a design with a main viewing deck area to capture their glimpse of the ocean a few miles West, removal of around 5,000 square feet of grass to be replaced with drought tolerant planting & drip irrigation, and a large size bocce ball court (60’ x 12’) with adjacent social areas all tied together with Mediterranean Spanish / Tuscan style landscaping.

Buff colored concrete that matched the existing hardscape was incorporated as well as existing flagstone on-site used for the new viewing deck patio integrated with decomposed granite, a new serpentine retaining wall, and also for stepping stones connecting a couple of key areas. The original design layout changed multiple times and evolved as the project was being implemented with significant input & collaboration from the homeowners, the contractor Navid Mostatabi and his wife Jen. Plants such as Purple Hopseed, Fruitless Olive & Eastern Redbud trees, Globe Amaranths, Senecio, Agaves, Rosemary, Kangaroo Paws, Red Iceberg Roses and many other varieties of plants grace the immense rolling property enhancing the Mediterranean Spanish / Tuscan theme.

This project was for a client in Solana Beach who wanted an avant-garde / Dr. Seuss / art showcase / succulent painting type of landscape design for her North facing fenced in front yard. She hired me for a same-day sketch service which was extended to a few weeks. She was very open to creative ideas (my favorite type of client) and what came through was this blooming butterfly form with one of it’s wings as a succulent painting including an arc of colored glass.

The rest of the design revolved around finding the right shade /partial-sun plants to accentuate the succulent painting she requested & what was existing on-site which included the meandering dry river bed, flagstone steppers, large ficus trees in the center and privacy hedge along the East side property line. I’m really grateful how it came out and hope to be invited to do more creative design work like this project of which I especially love~

This project was for a client in North County that wanted a modern type design including a pool (designed by pool co.), spa, BBQ, firepit, and lawn areas with stepping stones. The panoramic views from the backyard are spectacular so we didn’t place any tall plants along the glass perimeter that may have taken away from it. The hardscape lines were mostly linear, fitting this modern theme and the planting style was a mix of semi-tropical & California drought tolerant. The install was coordinated by Ken Paddock with The Landscape Company and the actual install was done by Everardo Lara with Lara Landscape & Design.

This project was for a family in the Clairemont area of San Diego. They wanted a toddler and dog friendly landscape design that included some privacy in their front yard with fencing, a new driveway, new side gates, and a full backyard design as well.

The front yard included redwood horizontal fencing, a synthetic turf area, (2) raised planter seat walls with Strawberry trees, and new parkway walkable stabilized-decomposed granite (DG) with low-maintenance succulent planting. The backyard encompassed a new modern style modular paver patio with 2’ sq. steppers coming off of it that leads to both side yards. The East side yard included steppers through a larger stabilized DG area for a shed / storage. The West side yard included a bamboo screening hedge and steppers set in stabilized DG again for access all the way around the house. Also included was open cable fencing along the back property line to capture their beautiful hilltop panoramic views, a new large grass area, and a new play area with rubber mulch for their young son. The planting included all low-maintenance colorful shrubs, grasses, & succulents.

This was a large project in the Poway area of San Diego for a client that wanted a complete front, back, and side yard makeover. They desired minimal maintenance and water usage so we went with all crushed stone and drought tolerant plants in the front yard with a paver walkway and upgraded paver driveway.

The design went through a few renditions until finalized and included (2) colors of crushed stone (silver & gold) with a dry river bed that stretched throughout the entire front yard that split like a wishbone and crossed over the main paver walkway that also split. We also used areas of senecio groundcover (mulch shown currently until it grows in) and small groupings of plants throughout the front yard to add additional interest and dynamic. For the backyard, they wanted a mid-size paver patio for entertaining and lounging, and a large synthetic turf area flanked with trees and shrubbery to maximize privacy. The gazebo was added later (post-design) and was a nice finishing touch.

The clients are more than happy with the design and they’ve shared that they have had numerous passersby that continually stop to take pictures and inquire about the project.

This project was for a client in the Del Mar area who wanted a drought tolerant and low-maintenance landscape design for their modern home. They were interested in the ‘Same-Day Sketch’ service which we scheduled and was completed in about 5-hours from start to finish.

The design included creating a right-triangular layout for dividing a rectangular area in half with (2) different cobblestone colors and utilizing low-water use plants including a few picked out from the palette in the neighborhood. The side of the house included all rock and shade tolerant planting including star-jasmine, pink flowering camellias & yellow clivias some of which could be seen from their kitchen window.

Finally, the back patio was an intimate setting with partial sun and an existing modernized fountain with a view overlooking the ocean. The same triangular layout with dividing the stones was incorporated here to tie in with the front yard and also added was a fine balance of colorful and interesting plants, a few including ‘Red Sister’ cordylines, ‘Afterglow’ echeverias and a ‘Purple Diamond’ loropetalum.

This client was through a former client referral (See ‘Pythagorean Tones’ Project) in North County San Diego in a very prestigious well known community. The couple wanted a planting revamp mainly for their backyard as well as their side courtyard. We agreed the ‘Same-Day Sketch Service’ was the right path to proceed with and we made it happen.

The design took on a Mediterranean motif with Italian cypress, roses and begonias. One of their main objectives was to screen out the street below their backyard wrought iron fence so we decided to keep the existing hibiscus vines and accentuate the planter with ‘Silver Sheen’ Pittosporum as well as the Italian cypress of which we repeated throughout the design. (3) spiral junipers were a nice accent as well as a few Spanish lavenders and ‘Blue Glow’ agaves in adjacent planting areas.

The side courtyard was well shaded with the main planter and existing fountain behind a 6’ North facing wall so we added a few colorful shade tolerant plants to bring the space to new life. Both the husband & wife are very happy and grateful for the transformation with both the design.

This is a project in the Del Mar area of San Diego for a client who wanted an Asian-esque mixed style garden with low-maintenance plants and minimal upkeep since they travel often. There’s a beautiful view out a few miles West overlooking the ocean from the North edge of the yard so we decided to create an 18” raised platform in that specific location, sized to comfortably fit (2) chairs and a small table to capture this magnificent view.

Unraveling elongated curves of pavers and planters embedded with black & sunburst colored Mexican beach pebble and a semi-Mediterrenean / California style planting palette caress the perimeters of the site while a quiet Zen-like meandering path connects the shaded North East-facing side yard to the front newly developed entrance. Strategically placed silver & gold 12”-18” boulders accentuate planter areas of rock, reinstating a still Zen garden feeling.

This modern cozy sliver of a design was done for a client in North Park with a relatively small backyard and also a few entry planters for their front yard. They wanted something to maximize their privacy in the backyard so we created a columnar hedge and included a fruitless Olive tree to visually screen out the neighbor. Additionally, the client liked to entertain friends & family often so we made sure to include enough patio space created with 3’ square new concrete steppers and as well as ample seating with a custom made wood bench that’s nearly 12’ long. To soften up all the hardscape, we designed an adjacent small synthetic turf area that smoothly fades into the patio with turf strips in between the steppers which makes this space very cozy.

Accent planting including dwarf nandinas, echeverias and flax, which are all semi-shade tolerant plantings were installed since their backyard was North facing. In the front, we went with more drought tolerant low-maintenance planting, added a few more succulents along with the same stepper design to match the backyard while including black cobble stone in between the steppers.

This design was for a client in the university area. They were looking for a budget friendly, drought tolerant, low-maintenance design that included a paver patio outside their back sliding doors, privacy screening from their neighbors and a central grass area. Gold decomposed granite in the backyard, crushed stone in the front yard and heavy curvilinear lines all came together in this design beautifully. Behold, the magic conch shell has awakened.

This project was for a client in Del Mar. The design entailed silver slate flagstone steppers with dymondia groundcover in between, new Belgard pavers, colorful planting for the front yard and a new grass area & more new planting in the backyard. Butterfly bushes and lantana attract butterflies while echeverias, blue fescue & geraniums blast the color spectrum of this rich design.

I was taking a workshop at Cuyamaca Water Conservation Garden on Water Harvesting back around August of 2019 and mentioned to the coordinator there that I was a landscape designer and open to connecting with new clients if there was an opportunity to do so. She told me about a new educational building that was being built there currently and they were holding a contest among (4) other landscape designers to design the landscape in front of the building and I was welcome to join.

So I decided to join the contest and they ended up liking the preliminary concepts I presented and so I was awarded the contract. The conceptual theme ‘Impressions’ came to me which I found interesting because of it’s multiple meanings that would inspire one to ponder both their impressions on nature and nature’s impressions on oneself (both figuratively & literally). At that time I was also especially fascinated with how patterns and designs of the universe are reflected (or impressed) in humans such as how our nerve patterns look like roots and branches of a tree, circular planets mirror our eyes, our fingerprint spiral pattern is the same pattern of our spiraling galaxy, etc., so that was also integrated into the overall design.

Some of the main ideas I proposed was a flagstone entry (repesented sun rays / powerful source of energy & life radiating out conceptually) that fanned out from the new double doors of the education building with purple & gold groundcover in between the stones and educational facts about water conservation etched onto the stones, curvilinear arcing lines that separated gold & blue-gray crushed stone areas and functioned as drainage swales utilizing natural rainwater to irrigate the new plants (nerve/root pattern), a new overhead pergola extending outside the double doors (originally a half-moon shape with rafters extending out like the sun), a few seating areas, and new interesting types of plants that would all be appealing to new visitors.

The original design went through a few renditions / evolutions as you can see below and was all coordinated alongside the managing representatives there at the garden who had significant input on the final outcome.

This enormous sized project was for a wealthy client in Rancho Santa Fe. It included a whole make-over for the front yard with new planter stone edging and all new plantings.

The backyard consisted of a new firepit in front of the pool area with seating, a grand 3-tiered 6' fountain in front of one of the main large windows that can be seen through the house into the backyard as you walk in the front door, a fruit tree orchard framing a large beautiful coral tree planted within a seatwall planter in the corner, new pergolas outside the master bedroom and adjacent to the spa area, a sizable redesigned lawn area, an art walk labyrinth of stepping stones and cobble stones that spirals out from a sculpture piece and all new tropical-Mediterranean plantings throughout the yard.

This project was for a client in the hipster North Park region of San Diego who very much loves Halloween and decorates their house each and every year with a lot of festive ornamentation. They also completely adore their dog and requested all toxic free plants. They had a raised door threshold elevation 18” off the ground so needed an intermediary new deck design to smoothly blend to meet the grade level of their yard from the back door entrance out. They also appreciate a few modern touches so we utilized 2’ square paver steppers that matched their new beautiful paver patio which complimented the two worlds in between their new patio and synthetic grass areas.

The large undulating curvilinear area of new synthetic turf wraps around almost the entire yard for their dog to run around in openly and play freely. A few golden decomposed granite areas, and colorful drought tolerant & dog friendly plants that bloom at different times of the year accentuate more of their new additions such as their new horizontal fencing on top of their new stacked stone veneer retaining wall which gives them a comfortable amount of privacy they desire from this frequently walked popular neighborhood.

This was a design for a client in Clairemont with a limited budget and a large property covered in weeds and other overgrown invasive plants. Semi-sparse new plantings which included Palo Verde Trees, Olives, Purpleleaf Plums, Jester Leucadendrons, ‘Marjorie Channon’ Pittosporum and many others colored this large empty canvas including (3) key circular galactic pods we did with (3) different colors of crushed stone (Gold, Gray & White) and stepping stones connecting the (3) pods. The install came out great and the client is very happy with it.

Located in University City of San Diego, this backyard design entails curling areas of wide paver bands in between existing refinished concrete areas, a seatwall edge, a new sizable synthetic lawn area, and new curving lines defining planters filled in with a California drought-tolerant plant palette.

This project was for a client who had a semi-clear vision of what they wanted and just needed a master plan and a little expertise to tie it all together. They were interested in tropical plantings and we included many different species such as Elephant ears, Cordylines, Philodendrons and Begonias just to name a few. A very eye catching quartzite flagstone patio was newly installed under an existing pergola adjacent to their new pre-ordered spa and newly designed curvilinear synthetic lawn hugging the rest of the yard. A few luscious palms trees and some suave s-curves for all the planters filled with colorful mixed cobble stone conclude this project as a tropical paradise to retire to.

I had the great honor of assisting Kohei Owatari of Modern Zen Gardens and Gordon Carrier of Carrier Johnson Architects on this project. The grand opening was on May 1st, 2018 where everyone was recognized including myself who contributed. There were horn players to start the ceremony, a few great speakers and they did the whole ribbon cutting with about 200 people who attended.

What I really liked aside from the ultra modern architecture was how the Architect weaved in the concept of ‘The Trinity’ with (3) main sitting nodes in the landscape and also came up with utilizing an Olive tree which has biblical symbolism at the main entry. Kohei replicated this idea again in (3) large groupings of the purple sage on the South end of the building. It was great to be a part of a monumental design that‘s meaningful and symbolic and not just purely about aesthetics.

My contribution involved helping put together the landscape plan set guided by Kohei’s Design and Gordon’s direction and I was also able to pick a few of the plantings such as the Mexican Bush Sage and Gold Lantana. Other key design elements included a large entry fountain, boulder seating areas, DG walkways and stained glass sculpture panels all framing the beautifully new crafted architecture of the Chapel.

This design was for a client who wanted a variety of creative areas within a tropical style landscape. Pavers and concrete interchange harmoniously with the pool, spa, an open grass area, a full built-in BBQ & bar area, a seatwall patio behind the spa, veggie planters on the west side of the house with flagstone steppers set in decomposed granite, and a great new layout for the front yard as well all enhanced with curvilinear planters hugging the perimeter filled with vibrant tropical style plants.

This was a 3-Part Design project for a 122 home gated townhouse community called Alcala De Rancho Santa Fe. Brian Best of Garden Spirit Landscape and I teamed up together and did a redesign for their pool area which included vertical garden planters, a private fountain area on top of a seatwall planter, new pots to accentuate the pool and all new drought tolerant colorful plantings.

A new design was also laid out for the grand entry which included a 6' stone Morroccan style fountain and new classical plantings such as Lavender, White Roses, and 'Little Gem' Magnolias.

Lastly, a new design was drawn for the driveway entrance which included new Date Palms, Strawberry Trees, Cordylines, 'Silver Sheen' Pittosporum and a few others.

This design was for a memorial garden at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Chula Vista. I submitted a free rough hand sketch (see below) for them to consider working with me among a few other designers they were in contact with. About a few weeks later, they contacted me and awarded me the contract. I was honored to be chosen as the designer to work on such a meaningful and unique project.

Initially, I came up with (4) new options with different layouts and presented my ideas to their Church board of about 8 people all led by the priest there. After some push & pull and budget discussion, we concluded on a layout which included the columbarium location, the statue location of St. John The Beloved, the hardscape material which was topcast concrete with score lines at 45d angles, bench locations, the planter designs and all the colorful plants which included a large ‘Little Gem’ Magnolia in the main large center circular planter, Impatiens, Liriope, Fuschias, Day Lilies, King Palms in decorative pots and a few other dynamic selections.

A design for a family in Escondido, San Diego that encompasses a sizable play structure area of resilient surfacing, a raised half-moon sun deck, veggie planters, an extensive Bar/BBQ area underneath an overhead pergola, an organic shaped large lawn area, a generous sized paver circle outside the main backyard entrance, a water feature on-center outside the side entrance doors, a new curvilinear retaining wall upholding a newly planted slope and a new updated front yard design layout as well.

For many of the projects that I was very fortunate to work on, either directly with homeowners / clients or through landscape contractors or landscape architects mainly, and with having completed over 300+ designs, sometimes only (1) or a few pictures out of the dozens taken, I actually ended up liking. And now I wish to share those best ones here, hence the creation of {‘Mixed’} ~

Combining both the 'Tiny Tower' and Regular-Sized Italian Cypress trees for a total of (12) in all, gives this design a royal castle-like style. And softening it up with 'Little Gem' Magnolias, Purple Rosea Ice Plant (vibrant magenta color), a self-planted veggie garden on top of the retaining wall and the green velvet synthetic turf blended smoothly with a new curvilinear paver patio, gives this design a unique artistic finish.

This was a very simplified design across the street from Balboa Park on 6th Avenue in Banker's Hill. I coordinated and supervised this project under Install-it-Direct who was the installation contractor. It included gold colored Stabilized Decomposed Granite, durable plants such as 'Amazing Red' Flax and 'Blue Glow' Agave that were laid out staggered to allow ample spacing for the foot traffic that Balboa Park brings.

This whimsical concept design, a 'labyrinth through time,' was for a winery in North County San Diego. It includes large rolling hills, a few amphitheaters, multiple pavillions, a large pond area, a sun and moon garden, a mini-lake with paddle boats, a spiral labyrinth and some varied meandering paths throughout the vineyard for a magical exploration.

This design was for a Greek family in the El Cajon area. New Mediterranean plantings such as Lavender, Rosemary, Italian Cypress and Purple Fountain Grass, were all filled in the newly designed planter areas. 2 sets of smooth curving 3' high retaining walls dissect the large slope establishing smoother grade tiers for aesthetic and colorful plantings. New half-moon steps between pilasters welcome you from the driveway up to a beautiful gazebo over a 2-tiered fountain and adjacent lawn area with a seatwall backing, to all walk past before coming to the front entry dressed with new colorful plantings.

This was a submittal in 2002 for a national contest for the Pentagon Memorial. Everything designed on plan is very symbolic. The main path that dissects the park is the flight angle that the plane took just before it hit the Pentagon. The main path which represents the walk of life includes (2) low walls on each side that have the engraved 184 portraits (92 on each side) and information of the late victims of the incident.

The walls also encompass a flowing water feature that starts flowing out at the top and pours over the portraits into a small channel at the foot of both walls. The path finally ends at the reflective pond with an 8' high circular wall surrounding and narrow path around the pond. The circular 8' wall has (184) 9" holes through the wall that are symbolic of the passage from life to death. The reflective pond includes high-powered accent lighting shining out that is seen through the holes in the wall at nighttime representing our lost ones will live and shine forever.

Lastly, the colored concrete sporadic lines in the lawn areas abstractly reflect the stripes of the American flag and the 50 trees represent the stars of the flag. This submittal did not win in the contest but it was very fulfilling putting it all together. May all the victims of 911 rest in peace.

This was my final thesis project in getting my Bachelor's Degree in Landscape Architecture at Louisiana State University. I named it GARDENS FOUR YOU. Shown here is just the highlights of what it's about. The actual final project was an extensive PowerPoint presentation and a full 100+ page book that included the proposal, a summary, examples of inspired projects, aerial views, an inventory and analysis, a program, the concept, the final design, detailed design areas and some character sketches.

GARDENS FOUR YOU is basically a creative student apartment complex within a refined area with a variety of living and garden spaces to help a student achieve their highest success. Private, open, rooftop, and spaces designed under the building as well, all were intended to accommodate different types of student preferences for studying and comfort The design reflected the growth and changes students go through in their duration at a university (4 years) from Freshman year to Senior year. GARDENS FOUR YOU offered a variety of interesting spaces that were conducive to studying, inspiration and self-reflection.

This was a conceptual park design with a perimeter walkway shaping it to resemble a tree leaf.

The 3' walkway is lined with random rows (for a positive and negative space dynamic) of 3' high shrubs on the inside and accent planting on the outside with an occasional bench for sitting.

There are (3) large trees along the center spine of the 'leaf' that adds both shade and balance to this hypothetical space.