Back in the early 2000’s I stumbled across a two things that changed the way I designed, installed, managed and maintained my landscape projects. I had the good fortune of meeting Alan York from Benziger Vineyards in Sonoma. Many of you may have seen Alan in the acclaimed film, “Biggest Little Farm.” I met Alan after reading an article about him in the Wine Spectator Magazine. I was particularly interested in what he had to say about his biodynamic compost.
My journey to Sonoma to meet Alan changed the way I viewed landscape design and build forever. I began to see soil as a living organism, not just dirt, or filler, or something that I planted billable units into. I had an awakening in Sonoma that the soil biology, the microbes were the key to healthy and thriving plant growth. I learned from Alan how he suppressed disease and even pests by incorporating biology into the vineyard and the amazing landscapes that he designed and installed all throughout his vineyard. I must tell you when I say amazing, I mean not just throwing out an adjective, his landscapes were stunning, vibrant and flourishing… all without pesticides, herbicides or fertilizer. But how?
What was it that Alan York shared with me that changed it all? Two things: Compost and Compost Teas. He showed me what real, organic compost actually looked, felt and smelled like and how by using small frequent amounts of this magical stuff, I too could have the healthiest, most beautiful landscapes and gardens that I, or anyone else had ever seen. He was right. I was the first landscape designer and builder in Los Angeles to incorporate these two things into all of my landscapes.
I learned how to make the biodynamic compost that he showed me that day, and I taught my crew how to incorporate small, potent doses of the farm-made, one hundred percent finished, real organic compost into our planting and maintenance. The result was life-changing. My jobs became alive! It was obvious to my clients, other landscapers, designers and architects that I was using something different than the traditional N-P-K fertilizer to install my plant pallets. My crew was blown away at how quickly the compost tea regimens we we're using and creating changed the complexity of a landscape.
Compost and Compost Tea became and still are my two biggest allies in the landscape and garden. If we are the designers and installers creating spaces that glorify and mimic nature, then shouldn’t we be also doing that in the way we feed, fertilize and facilitate our landscapes to grow? Make your projects, your landscapes, your designs stand out in a way that befits the beautiful spaces that they are. Book your Consultation on Transitioning Your Landscapes to Real Organic today and learn in depth what and how to use compost and compost tea on your projects, and what other important allies we use that are Real Organic. See the results for yourself!
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