About Lisa

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 Ornamental Gardens by Lisa
 

 

 
  Lisa has a BS in Chemistry and worked in an Environmental Science Department for a large Agricultural Company for nearly 10 years.  In this job she was a Research Scientist who did research on the degradation of chemicals in soils, plants, and other environmental media.

Her hobby of gardening became a second career in 2006 when she started a business helping people design and install their gardens in the San Diego area.  In 2009 she went back to school to obtain her degree in Landscape Design. Lisa has completed all of the Landscape Design courses from the Ornamental Horticulture Department at Cuyamaca College. She will soon obtain her A.S. degree in Landscape Design and plans to further her education by obtaining an A.S. in Sustainable Urban Landscaping.

Lisa attends seminars held by San Diego Master Gardeners as well as seminars sponsored by Pacific Horticulture, and the yearly Sustainable Urban Landscape Seminar held at Cuyamaca College.

She is a member of the San Diego Horticultural Society, the American Society of Landscape Architects (student affiliate), and the California Landscape Contractors Association (student affiliate).

Lisa has designed several landscapes in which front yard lawns were replaced with low water gardens. She helped her clients get "turf replacement" rebates from the city of San Diego. She is also a big proponent of water saving drip irrigation and smart timers.

 

  

 

 "My emphasis is on creating beautiful landscapes that are sustainable. Designing patios and walkways with permeable paving allows water to percolate into the soil instead of running off into the storm drain (and ultimately our ocean). I recommend recycling materials in the landscape whenever possible and suggest products that have the least impact on the environment. I design different genres (Mediterranean, Japanese, Cottage, Tropical etc.) for different style houses. Yes, there are tropical looking plants that are low water! My designs are complementary to the architecture of the house and don't compete with it. The front yard style should match the house while the back yard is for the pure pleasure of the owners and does not need to do this. I tend to focus on foliage color contrasts so that the garden is beautiful even when it is not in bloom. For example, putting burgundy leaved plants next to grey ones, or lime green next to blue green plants. I also focus on texture contrasts between plants. I try and incorporate plants into the landscape that I have personal experience with, or that have been reported to be sturdy healthy plants for the San Diego climate. I recommend organic gardening almost exclusively for my landscapes. I also provide clients with personal care plans for their landscapes so that when the contractor or homeowner is finished installing my design, they will know how to best care for their yard."

"I also enjoy doing consultations for clients who just need help with their current landscapes. They may need to amend their soil, move a plant, troubleshoot their irrigation system, identify their plants, or just need some ideas to freshen up their yard. I love working with people to better their landscapes".