Designer Expert Series

Designing Stunning Low-Water Native Gardens

Beat the drought with a water saving landscape! The landscape professionals we work with in our Designer in Residence program have partnered with us for the past two years to provide their much-needed design services to the  public as they seek to install beautiful and responsible low water use California native plant landscapes. In addition to their Designer in Residence consultations this May, we’ve asked them to also speak about specific areas of design knowledge in workshop form as a new Expert Series at Tree of Life Nursery. Come glean from their combined knowledge representing at least 40 years of design and planning experience!

Presenting and planning easy to implement sustainable ideas, landscape designer Aron Nussbaum will present. As we are enter a period of severe drought, water conservation has become a more imperative term than ever. In this presentation we will discuss different ideas on how to conserve, store, recycle and recharge our water in the garden using various techniques both beautiful and technical. Ideas we will discuss include greywater systems, rain barrels and cisterns, permeable paving, recycled materials, rain gardens including swales and detention basins, and other interesting ideas of how to contain and use your water on site.

May 10, 2014 – 9:30 am
California Native Landscape Design: Rob Moore
Fundamentals of Establishing a Native Garden

Landscape designer Rob Moore has installed and consulted on countless projects in Orange County. His enthusiasm and experience are contagious as he will cover the fundamentals of establishing a native garden. Having a basic understanding of plant choice, placement, installation, irrigation, and pruning are critical components in ensuring a healthy, mature native garden. Always an insightful and practical presentation, please come and enjoy Rob’s presentation.

May 17, 2014 – 9:30 am
Ecotone Studios: Joshua Link
Subtle Seasons: Celebrating Abundance and Dormancy in the Southern California Garden

Landscape architect and gifted presenter Joshua Link brings us this hands-on applicable design talk: For decades, people from across the country have been drawn to the mild Mediterranean climate of coastal Southern California. Lured by the seemingly perpetual sunshine, they arrive to find cultivated landscapes that reflect a static, everlasting season of green palms and green lawns. It is a false impression that requires obscene inputs to maintain and it belies the true, subtle character of our region. From the rustic browns of summer to the myriad colors of spring after fall and winter rains, learn how our gardens can provide an opportunity to connect to the exquisite seasonal rhythms of authentic California.

May 24, 2014 – 9:30 am *Date Change*
Artemisia Landcape Architecture: Jeremy Sison
Ocean-Friendly Landscpes – CPR and the Native Garden

Jeremy has been active in the Surfrider Ocean Friendly Garden (OFG) initiative in the San Diego area for years, and helped build this garden. Given his background as a landscape architect Jeremy will speak about the important design elements to include when building an OFG. The mission of Ocean Friendly Gardens program is to educate, train and support Surfrider members and the general public to prevent urban runoff and help restore urban watersheds by applying CPR© to their landscapes: Conserving water and energy, Permeating water into the soil, and Retaining rainwater on site.

May 31, 2014 – 9:30 am *Date Change*
Creations Landscape Design: Rama Nayeri
Native and Edible Gardens

Landscape designer Rama Nayeri will integrate her years of design expertise and take you on a tour of the retail area to show you edible native plant varieties and how to design with them. These versatile and attractive selections include groundcovers, shrubs and trees that will work in all residential applications. Ms. Nayeri will describe how to use these plants in design and the benefit of each plant for your garden and the environment.