21 March 2011

My day job

... has nothing to do with quilting.


In my day job I design gardens. One garden I did a lot of work on a couple years ago -- from initial concept to design details and planting -- is featured in the April edition of Sunset magazine, including my hand-drawn plan rendering. I'm really proud of this garden and it's great to see the photo published. It's a tiny garden in an upscale San Francisco neighborhood. Pacific Heights is a cool and foggy space, so it was important that the landscape could be enjoyed when viewing from the three floors of the house above, as much as from within the garden itself.

The  diagonal geometry and strip paving create a sense of depth in the small space, and the architectural plantings reinforce the clean modern feeling of the garden. The design and plantings were all completely new, except for the little saucer magnolia trees in the corners and the diagonal staircase coming off the small terrace above. I worked closely with Vera Gates, one of the owners of Arterra Landscape Architects.

11 comments:

  1. Big congratulations! I think you should make some stickers with your name and stick it (tastefully!) to the page at all the magazine stands. My favorite feature is that firepit!

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  2. It's a beautiful space. The kicker at the end with the thing about your former boss. Groan. Why do people have to suck so much. Still a moment to be proud of!

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  3. For the record, Vera & I worked together on this project, and her stamp is definitely on the project. No worries!

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  4. Congratulations, Dan. That's a big deal!

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  5. Beautiful garden....I can see the quilt side of you in it.

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  6. Congrats! It looks so lovely. Would make a good quilt with all those shapes!

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  7. ahhh, i recognize the signature aesthetic. subtle strength. very balanced. love the small stones filling between the pavers in their rectangular containers.

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  8. congrats Dan!! that is a really beautiful garden!

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  9. This is awesome! I would love to have a space like this at my home.

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  10. I saw, and admired this, in Sunset! Congrats ... that's awesome! We moved to Seattle from Oakland (Liemert area) in 2003 ... fabulous place to be a landscape designer ... and GREAT work!

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  11. I saw this in Sunset, absolutely gorgeous, and since we are in the process of landscaping out backyard we will steal the design of the rocks and bricks, we'll just have to change the plants New Mexico style. Great work!

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