The Client Wanted a English Cottage Garden in Arizona
A client wanted an English cottage garden in Phoenix. I said the roses will fight you and the lawn will hate you. She said she loves Downton Abbey. I designe...
linzhao
Lin Zhao
The Nursery Sold "Drought Tolerant" Lies
A big box nursery labeled tropical plants drought tolerant. They are not. I told the homeowner. She said the tag said so. Tags are not climate science. My jo...
Native Plants in a HOA Desert
A client wanted lawn. I proposed desert sage and gravel. The HOA said no. I fought with photos of water bills. Won partial. Landscaping is politics with soil...
The Wildflower Lie: What's Really in That Pretty Seed Packet
Wildflower seed mixes often contain non-native and invasive species. Here's why "pollinator-friendly" packaging misleads buyers and harms local ecosystems.
Dirt, Faith, and 200 Seedlings: A Defense of Native Planting
A case for native plant restoration: why pollinator gardens look like failure before they look like success, and why that's the point.
Your Lawn Is a Desert. I'll Still Design It.
A landscape designer's honest reckoning with client demand for turfgrass lawns in water-scarce Colorado — and why ecological design requires playing the long game.