This new show on the cable channel HGTV pits three landscape designers/architects against each other for the affection of a client with an particular design problem or project. My design was selected and the installation was completed this spring along with the show's taping. The series premiered in May and our episode aired in September 2002 and is repeated occasionally. Check local listings on the HGTV website.

The homeowners are two gentlemen with a Spanish style home in Altadena, CA on about an acre of property. Their request for a Japanese Strolling Garden was challenging due both to the extremely stylistic requirements and the budgetary constraints as it relates to the size of the space. We decided that we would only be able to landscape 2/3rds of the area. I was most concerned with making their new garden fit within the context of the surrounding landscape both within their yard and outside as well.

In the final installation we created a large pond, stream and waterfall with bridges, islands, and many, many boulders. Almost all of the boulders were "harvested" from the site during grading. As the work progressed, the scope expanded as the owners wanted the area completely finished. I was able to incorporate a larger waterfall element and streambed into the design that was not part of the original scope. The planting, although sparse in some areas, formed the structure of the garden and really made it come alive. I used plants of varying textures, leaf color, and flower to create the visual banquet and the garden has many angles that give a different perspective from different parts. The owners can indeed stroll about their garden and rest or meditate in multiple locations.

You are welcome to browse a collection of the recent photos taken in June 2003. In two or three years as the planting fills in and reaches maturity, the garden will attain its full potential.