Los Angeles Times. April 26, 2013. By Craig Nakano and Cassy Aoyagi: You might recall that when a reader wrote about twin rows of Italian cypress — one established and healthy, the other newer and dying — the SoCal Garden Clinic asked a Pasadena nurseryman to tackle the question of why the plants might be struggling for survival. Now, with spring planting upon us and installing privacy hedges a priority, we thought we’d get a second opinion from landscape designer Cassy Aoyagi, co-founder and president of the Tujunga firm FormLA Landscaping.

Los Angeles Times. January 23, 2013. Cassy Aoyagi Answers: Do you have any suggestions for drought-tolerant, kid-friendly ground cover? We’ve read that dymondia works well to fill in space between pavers but haven’t found any talk of how well this plant works as a grass substitute, spread across a yard.

Can our kids walk barefoot? Will the dymondia attract bees? And will it flourish in an area that gets sun and shade?