Gardens are always in sway—day to day, season to season, year to year.
Spring is alive with the vibrant colors of wildflowers, hum of bees, and swaying blonde stalks of deer grass that will provide food for birds in the summer months.
Summer heat intensifies the color of sage, its scent carried on the breeze like the Monarch butterflies in search of milkweed as western fence lizards bask on warm rocks below.
In Fall the late-summer blooms of buckwheat turn from delicate cream to a rich rust color, complimenting the bright red orange of California fuchsia that draws in hummingbirds.
Winter brings the earliest soft pink blooms of manzanita and bold blue flowers of ceanothus as birds harvest red toyon berries.
As the year ends and another begins, the rains prepare the plants and soil for new growth and more changes. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem that is beautiful and unique to Southern California.
What We Do
Sway pairs native and climate-appropriate non-native plants with natural and sustainable materials to create beautiful landscapes in harmony with the sun, water, soil, and fauna of Los Angeles.
Each urban garden is a unique opportunity to create a calming retreat that also provides sanctuary for local wildlife, reestablishes pollinator corridors, and reconnects with our natural habitat.
Projects
Pasadena Project
Backyard of a beautiful hillside mid-century modern home. The client's goal was to incorporate California native plants to bring in color and compliment the existing mature citrus trees with a spot to watch the raucous basketball games on the adjoining court.
Silver Lake I
Once an unusable steep side yard, now a peaceful connection from the front yard to the back. Terraced planter beds were built by repurposing bricks from another part of the yard. California natives bring texture and lushness to the existing succulents while stacked timber stairs navigate the rocky slope.
Silver Lake II
A flat portion of a larger hillside property that once held a thirsty patch of lawn and a trampoline for a young child. Now with that child grown, the clients wanted to update the space into a quiet lounge area to enjoy all the life that native plants can bring.
Santa Monica Traditional
Coming soon...
Silver Lake III
Coming soon...
Contact
Chloe Monahan
917-449-1147
info@swaylandscape.com
About Chloe
After 25 years in the music business, a love of home renovation and design, both inside and out, culminated in a desire to work with the land. When I moved from the east coast to Los Angeles over 20 years ago, I was immediately struck by the beauty and diversity of California’s plants and wildlife. That love and deep appreciation for the local flora and fauna brought me to study horticulture through the UCLA post-graduate program as well as becoming a Certified California Native Plant Landscaper through the California Native Plant Society and Theodore Payne Foundation.
