When I was in Landscape Architecture school, success was measured by the scale of your projects. It was considered prestigious to work on parks and large landscapes. No one talked about individual residences.
But as a native Californian, residential projects were always on my mind. My grandmother had been friends with Thomas Church, landscape architect and pioneer of the ‘California Style’. He designed my grandmother’s gardens, my parent’s garden, and many of their friend’s gardens. I am sure that spending time in these gardens shaped my point of view as a designer and inspired me to create my own practice.
Having spent so much of my career on residential projects has allowed me the freedom to practice independently and allows me to build ongoing relationships with my clients, working on large estates and kitchen gardens alike. I find that no matter the acreage of the space, there is something for me to learn from each project. Whether it’s a backyard or a permaculture farm, each project connects me and my clients with the unique presence of their place.
I have recently embarked upon two very different projects: a large farm in Lyons, Colorado and a home-garden on a property that burned in the Louisville, Colorado fire in 2021.
The farm is located in historic orchard country with the complicated water rights typical of our state, since snow-melt belongs to many millions of people downstream on the Colorado River. The owner’s vision is for a diversified farm with livestock as well as crops. The land is also part of a conservation easement, giving me the opportunity to learn about everything from alluvial soils to water law.
The home garden in Louisville also holds new discoveries. Though the home is in town, it sits at the edge of open space. This means it has beautiful views of wild lands, and is exposed to, well, the wildness of the land -- future fire risk and weeds that come creeping in. Like some of the clients I am lucky to work with, these owners are avid gardeners. As I build my relationship with them, I get to listen to their needs and to the needs of the land and the site.
No matter the size of the project, there is a magic of discovery that belongs to every unique square inch of Earth. Throughout my design career, I have found that insights and new approaches can be developed on small and large-scale projects. Home gardens, farms and public parks are all important when it comes to reconnecting us with the land and each other.
