Sage Outdoor Designs » landscape design

I have been stalking Kornegay Designs online for sometime now. I love their oversized, geometric concrete planters. Many of their designs are inspired by plant forms and nature, with the lines minimalized and modernized. I found these lovely examples in a strip mall off of Black Mountain Road! I’m so happy to have gotten to see them in real life. Now, I just need a client to fall in love with them as much as I have.

I am super excited to have a project done in collaboration with Nan Sterman of Plant Soup in a feature article on Houzz.com! And better yet, they are talking about great ideas for a water conscious yard and are using this project as an example of how outdoor living can be a perfect way to use space without using water. We couldn’t agree more!

Have an old fountain that you’d like to breathe new life into? Take inspiration from the guys at Cordova Gardens in Encinitas. They are masterful at arranging succulents! You can try your hand at it- they have a huge selection of succulents of all sizes- or you can take home one of their ready-made arrangemts.        

Did you know that morning glories can grow a foot a day? Yes, they are absolute stunners, but with growth like that, they just don’t make sense in a residential setting. So don’t be fooled by their beautiful blossoms, stay away from this one! 

I spend a lot of time telling people that a low-water use garden does not have to be only succulents and cacti. And it doesn’t! In San Diego we are lucky to be able to grow waterwise plants from Mediterranean climates around the world: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Spain, Italy, the south of France.    In fact, I think a really great succulent and cactus garden is one of the most difficult to design! Many amateurs who try end up with a messy looking hodgepodge polka-dotted with dozens of different types of plants. The result is anything but beautiful – instead it is often a random, busy, and overwhelming collection of plants, gravel, and rocks. 

Here is an example of one done very well. I found this one in Scripps Ranch but I’m afraid I don’t know the designer. I wish I did! This is one designer I’d definitely like to know.