Imagine waking up in the morning to an orchestra of songbirds. You fill your favorite mug with a steamy beverage while gazing out the kitchen window to see a pair of Western Bluebirds. They have recently set up housekeeping and are splashing in the sculpture fountain selected for its colorful tiles that compliment the garden. Stepping out the door, you take in a breath of the many fragrant foliage plants and flowers, and are delighted to see three new kinds of butterflies. Several other species of beneficial insects are also attracted to this healthy little ecosystem with its diverse native plant selection.

You wander up the path, made from recycled treasures, to sit on the bench within earshot of the trickling water. A breeze rustles the branches above. Shaded and secluded, you feel like a kid again in your favorite hideaway. A toad has taken up residence under the hollow log and is keeping the mosquitoes and other peskies in check. Sun cracks through the leaves as you start back to the house, when a hummingbird whooshes past, hovering long enough to flash his magenta jeweled throat. Sharing this little piece of habitat paradise is a reminder that you are an important part of the rhythm of Earth.

Fortified by a healthy dose of the elegance of nature, you're inspired to face a new day.

From deep in the soil to beyond the leaves that touch the sky, there is an effortless balance in nature when undisturbed by chemical fertilizers and pesticides, gas mowers and blowers. With an understanding of local ecology and the importance of each element, one can recreate a bit of California's natural landscape and return the native food and shelter to indigenous wildlife. Combine this with artistic aesthetic - an eye for design and considerations of how the space is to be used - and the garden becomes your sanctuary, rather than something of a chore to maintain.

I am an artist and a horticulturist who believes that Nature is the greatest masterpiece. I approach the garden/landscape design as an art installation using a living, growing, and evolving medium. As an artist, when choosing a plant palette, I give careful thought to color, form, texture and light, as well as to movement, sound, and fragrance. As a horticulturist, I consider soil, sunlight, wind, moisture, microclimates within the space and plant communities that thrive in the area. I also like to bring in a human element to every garden with original art, such as a sculpture, a fountain, a bench, or an iron-work fence or trellis.

Mission Statement: I am committed to bringing sustainable and artful beauty to your home garden, allowing you spend less time, money and resources on maintenance than on that of a traditional landscape while reducing urban runoff into our fragile bay ecosystem.  You will have more time to enjoy watching nature take care of itself, as it has since the beginning of time, and you will be inspired by nature as you play an important part of the web of life.

Christine has a BFA in studio art from California State University at San Bernardino. She has studied Landscape Horticulture at Cabrillo College in Aptos and Merritt College in Oakland, and continues to expand her knowledge in California's Central Coast ecology, permiculture and horticulture.