Children Are So Wise

Children hold quite a different viewpoint than most adults. They can see the most amazing things and value priorities that are invisible (sometimes) to adults. I've observed this in children of garden design clients when they attend our meetings. One eight year old girl referred to a shrub in their garden as her "oldest friend". One five year old was distraught and crying after she saw demolition work completed and asked that the missing tree be brought back to the garden.

Listen to your children, they have important things to say.

The Natural World

Landscape Designers and Garden Designers are interpreting client's desires and needs and imprinting them on (mostly) postage stamp size lots. I giggled to myself when I imagined a client going into their garden and finding a juvenile Bard Owl.


Most clients are afraid of nature, afraid of fungus, afraid of insects, afraid of mold, moss and maggots. I have evolved to enjoy more of my weekend time in natural places. I am curious to see how this affects my design practice. I see a transition to calm, muted, and hidden details, to be enjoyed by contemplative and quiet observers.

Detroit is full of potential

A Native Son’s Point of View ~ Detroit is full of POTENTIAL

As a landscape designer, I use the word POTENTIAL to calm a client who thinks he has more liabilities than assets. I use the word POTENTIAL to encourage a client to be open-minded about the many opportunities that the development of their garden has to offer. Detroit’s downtown core is still beautiful. My aunts’ and uncle’s modest income suburbs of Clawson and Royal Oak are exactly as they were 20 years ago. Mainly red brick homes with white trim, they are neat as a pin. The prominent suburbs of Grosse Pointe and Bloomfield Hills are elegant as ever. The ghetto is full of POTENTIAL. Look at the following photos to see the opportunities that have been realized or are yet to be.