Affordable Curb Appeal

Green Home Builder. By Cassy Aoyagi: Passionate about your impact? Or profits? Consider a new frontier—the landscape. Currently builders landscape to wrap their present – the home. If we instead understand landscapes as integral to the gift, builders can reduce costs, and substantially improve both curb appeal and ecological impact, especially during these strange times. Read More

7 Clever Tiny Yard Ideas

KeepHome.com. August 13, 2020. By Laura Lang: Move over tiny houses, tiny yards are the latest thing. With many of us staying home more than usual due to COVID-19, homeowners with small outdoor spaces are getting creative. Even if you only have a patio or balcony, there are clever ways to make the most of your outdoor space.

How to Be a Good Neighbor

Addition Financial: When you move into a new house, you may feel a little isolated at first. Why? Because you don’t know your new neighbors yet! Here are some suggestions to help you break the ice. Read More

Stop Believing Green Home Myths!

Realtor.com. July 30, 2020. By Larissa Runkle: Have you ever dreamed of buying a bit of land and building your very own green home on it? Maybe you’re already invested in a property, and are just looking for a way to make it a little more Earth-friendly.

Going green, and doing it well, might be a whole lot easier than you think… Read More

Plant a Scent Garden

Realtor.com. July 28, 2020. By Jennifer Kelly Geddes: A scent garden is literally flower beds and bushes that are planted with fragrance in mind. It results in a lawn, patio, and walkways that are infused with pleasant scents all summer long.

Maximize Patio Space

Redfin. July 14, 2020. By Alison Bentley: With the summer season in full swing, you might be wondering what you can do to maximize any outdoor space you have. There are plenty of simple patio ideas you can incorporate to enjoy the great outdoors at home, whether you have a balcony, patio, or small garden. That’s why we’ve reached out to experts.. [to] share their best tips and tricks.

Find Shade in LA

LA Times. June 24, 2020. By Lisa Boone: Trees can solve so many problems.

On the hottest of summer days, their evergreen canopies cool our homes and streets and shelter us from ultraviolet rays.

Anyone who has gotten lost in the intricate details of an ancient African Cape chestnut tree in Elysian Park or the thick bark of a coast live oak in La Cañada Flintridge knows they are magical too.

Sustainable Landscaping

HomeGreenHome Podcast. June 8, 2020. Hosted by Izumi Tanaka: Cassy Aoyagi is a LEED accredited practitioner, a board member of the USGBCLA and president of FormLA Landscaping, a full-service design+build and maintenance firm. She believes LA’s authentic, native beauty can save LA – from drought, fire, flooding and slides, all while improving our health and economic resilience.

“Planting a native garden has endless upward spiral of benefits to homes, schools, communities and environment.“

Try Succession Planning

Realtor.com. June 30, 2020. By Jennifer Kelly Geddes: Want your new vegetable garden to survive—and even thrive? You might need to start thinking hard about succession. And no, we’re not talking about corporate dynasties, or even the buzzy show on HBO. We’re talking about giving your sprouts room to grow.