Book Review: Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Outdoor Spaces, by Michelle Slatalla

One of our favorite websites for home inspiration is Remodelista: Sourcebook for Considered Living.  Its companion website, Gardenista: Sourcebook for Cultivated Living, appeals to our outdoor aesthetic, with posts on garden style, plants, seeds, projects, indoor gardens, outdoor gardens and more.

Michelle Slatalla, editor-in- chief of the website has produced a new book, Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Outdoor Spaces which explores the premise that our homes’ outdoor spaces can, and should be as welcoming and carefully considered as our living rooms and that when treated as extensions of our homes, these spaces enrich our lives.

The book includes beautifully photographed tours of twelve different gardens; planting guides for a variety of climates; studies of more than a dozen outdoor structures including some remarkable chicken and lots of design ideas and do-it-yourself projects.

The book explores gardens as wells as accessories and furnishings, offering horticultural advice in terms of color and climate.  This is a superb book, with artful color photographs and innovative gardening ideas using real homes and it’s inspirational in the true sense: you feel that many of the ideas are within your reach.

Image via Gardenista

In our continuing series of conversations with our favorite landscape architects, designers and contractors, we were really happy to talk to Paul Hendershot of Paul Hendershot Design, Inc. in Ojai, California.  All of us look forward to seeing Paul and his big, beautiful dog, Chief, walking through Eye of the Day.  Here are some things we found out when we talked to Paul.

Paul: I have great passion for landscaping.  I listen closely to what the clients want for their outside space and I am committed to creating a landscape that fits the style of the house. I have had great success with all my clients because I work to make their dreams come true and be sure the design fits the property

Eye of the Day: What do you consider your signature style?
Paul: I am very fond of courtyards; rooms and spaces that are meant to be lived in as opposed to spaces that are simply decorative and consequently unusable. I have been using permeable elements such as pea gravel for many years.

EOD:  Has there been anything in particular that has inspired your style?
Paul: I was inspired while traveling mainly in Europe where I saw courtyard settings that had a recurring use of the same and similar plants that I use now. This creates that lush look with very low watering and a permeable ground.

EOD: Have you encountered any obstacles with your clients during the drought?
Paul: My main obstacle with clients has been convincing them to give up their lawns.  But I show my clients many of the gardens that we have done throughout the years that have no lawn to help them recognize what it could be like to give up their lawn.  After they feel the lushness and peacefulness of these gardens, they are convinced that they can live without a lawn.

EOD: What do you see for the future in the world of California landscape design?
Paul: The next developments I hope to see is more courtyards, patios, tree plantings, and permeable grounds. In other words: spaces to live in outside.

EOD: What are your short and long term goals for your business?
Paul: We intend to continue to work closely with our clients and focus on their dream gardens.  During this process, we will continue working with the clients with lots of fun in mind. We want to continue to design gardens, courtyards, and patios that use very little water, keeping abreast of the latest permeable options. We are full of gratitude for the great clients that we get to work with.

…and we’re full of gratitude for Paul and Chief.  To contact Paul, see his website: Paul Hendershot Design

Brent Freitas, President of Eye of the Day, was recently sought out by for his expertise on garden containers. Interviewed for a story that is now live on the NHS website, Brent provided helpful information on the subject of extending the season by adding heat elements in the garden.

In an effort to make their gardens more distinct and more beautiful, many homeowners incorporate garden containers for use as fire pits–but this can prove both costly and dangerous if the wrong techniques are used.

As Brent says: “Customers often ask for pots or containers to use in their backyards for fire pits. They want something attractive and different from the average offering. They want to know if our concrete or terra cotta will stand up to the heat, and this is what I tell them: if you want to burn wood, no. But if you are going to install gas and use a flame delivery system that is properly install so the flame is diffused upwards through the rock or tumbled glass, well then, yes.”

Design experts Heather Lenkin, Debra Prinzing and Phil Maddux also contributed to the story on heat in the garden. Want to learn more? Click HERE to read the whole story.

is a high-volume consumer website that is funded and endorsed by a group of the nation’s largest homebuilders. The site includes new home listings as well as a resource center called the New Home Guide, which is full of articles to help with the home-buying process, designing your new home and settling in.