Paradise Designs Fall Newsletter!

Happy Fall! Click on the photo to read all the good tips & ideas for fall from Paradise Designs Inc!

Spring is in the air!

“April showers bring May flowers” has never been more of a truism than this year. With the first day of spring behind us, Spring is certainly bursting out all over, judging by my hardy sneezes and Mother Nature’s color show. This is truly a magical time of year in your garden as the selection of seasonal color and other plants (edible, perennial and ornamental) is profuse.

Also blooming this time of year are many garden shows and tours. The OC Register recently ran its yearly listing in their Home and Garden section. I am attaching the link for your perusal. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-294556--.html

The comprehensive and varied listing includes contact info for each of the shows so you can get the particulars. I hope you have some fun attending one or more of these shows, so check it out! If you do attend, take your camera and share your images and ideas.

Artificial turf and Spring flowers make for a cheerful entry.

  

This past weekend I cruised through The OC Spring Home and Garden Show in Anaheim which was not included in the info above. It had a lot of vendors for pavers and artificial turf which continue to be great water saving alternatives. Using pavers instead of traditional concrete for a driveway, for example, allows water to percolate down to the soil rather than washing down into storm drains. And artificial turf is a great alternative to our water thirsty lawns (more about that in an upcoming post), especially for problem areas where regular turf has a hard time surviving due to shade, and great  fun for putting greens.

Tomorrow Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day 2011. 

Check out the Earth Day Organizer’s Guide at www.earthday.org/earth-day-2011

which includes a History of the Movement and Earth Day 2011 Theme: Billion Acts of Green http://www.billionactsofgreen.org/ . Sign on and pledge to plant a garden (think container garden- stay tuned for future posts) or any other act of green, if only for that day. There is also a varied listing of events.

Remember you can make any day or better yet every day, Earth Day!

Locally: Be Part of The Solution @ The Ecology Center – SJC 

949-443-4223, http://www.theecologycenter.org/

Spring Water Workshops: Xeriscaping/Drought –Tolerant Landscaping

More garden, Less Water

May 7 - 1:00pm

What’s Your Solution?

-installing a native landscape

-planting an organic veggie garden

-harvesting rainwater

-using a reusable water bottle and to-go ware

-purchasing local organic food

-riding your bicycle

-composting your kitchen scraps

Just do it and have another great day in Paradise!

We hope to keep you in touch with what is going on in your outdoor spaces.

Love Your Home

This beautifully updated Newport Beach home built in the early 1970’s by Broadmoor  Homes and
designed by architect Ed Lorhbach, well known for his many fine examples of patio homes in Southern Orange County, preserves the lovely horizontal lines of the original one story patio home, and respects its’ organic relationship to the outdoors.

Before

After

The new landscape creates a sense of entry from the street that was lacking in the original design, using washed concrete slabs that incorporate gravel receiving troughs and joints to keep the water on the property and reduce runoff. The design concept was to incorporate low profile, low water, low maintenance, native type plantings to complement the newly remodeled contemporary, ranch style home. Sustainable plant choices such as dracaena dracos, nandina gulf streams, and pennisetums; up to the Swan Hill olive tree create multiple colors of leaf structure and textures that are complemented by the natural colored, washed concrete entry. Re-use of some existing landscape boulders that were moved from the backyard to add a natural contrast to the sharp geometry of the stairs complete the eco-conscious scheme.  It’s California Ranch meets 21st Century Modern!

Entry Detail

Show your home some love this year by investing in lasting changes that will improve its value and inspire your neighbors to do the same. Re-do, re-use and reap the reward. Where’s the love ya all?

Let us help
Paradise Designs Inc.
Beautifying Southern Orange County one home at a time

Happy New Year with Roses!

Happy New Year!  My year begins with roses on the brain.

Those of us who live in Southern California enjoy the comfort of sitting in our pj’s on New Years Day and watching the Tournament of Roses Parade on tv, coffee cup in hand, and relishing in the fact that the rest of the country wishes they lived in our ‘slice of paradise’. This year we ventured out on Jan 2^nd in the atypical cold and rain to view the floats along Sierra Madre and Washington Blvds and despite the elements, enjoyed ourselves immensely. I am astounded at the creativity and bounty of our environment when I see all the beautiful inspiration that nature affords us. We can take a cue from many of this year’s floats and vow to add a little colorful paradise to our homes and yards. This year’s Dole float summed it up with their theme of ”Living Well in Paradise”. 

This year resolve to apply a bit of this pragmatic philosophy to your own home’s exterior by choosing small projects, within your means, that add new sparkle to your existing environs. Create a “Backyard Adventure” and include a bit of “Dream Home” (to further borrow from this year’s float themes) in your own yard. 

Try a colorful tune-up to an existing planter or create a grouping of pots with colorful plants or succulents; or try adding a water feature to your yard such as a rain chain or rain water harvesting system (there’s been plenty of the rain stuff lately to justify either project). Or simply add lighting or warmth to your existing yard by installing a heater or fire element. 

These are all small projects which can easily be incorporated into any yard and add comfort, usability and style to your corner of paradise. Bring in the New Year with a little exterior style. If nothing else, plant roses; Valentines Day is just around the corner!