Humboldt County first
Landscape, plant and water-feature guidance rooted in North Coast experience and informed by trusted references.
Local conditions. Broader possibilities.
Living Earth is based in McKinleyville, CA 95519, serving Trinidad, Arcata, Eureka and surrounding Humboldt communities. Coastal exposure, sheltered pockets, winter rainfall, established trees and changes in elevation all influence what will work. Useful guidance begins with those differences rather than a universal recipe.
Keith Hamm brings approximately 30 years of landscape construction, design, water-system and property-care experience, including nursery ownership and cross-disciplinary site work. Ask Living Earth brings that company context together with selected botanical, design and technical references. The resource continues to grow as new questions and relevant sources are reviewed.
Explore a question
Coastal wind, salt exposure, fog, shade and seasonal soil moisture can change a planting palette. Mature size, rooting space, water needs and maintenance matter alongside flowers. A sheltered Arcata garden and an exposed Trinidad site should not receive the same automatic plant list.
Design connects circulation, views, shelter, grade, planting and the house. Explore outdoor rooms, material relationships and project phasing before choosing individual products. Standalone scaled layouts and multi-sheet design packages are available; computer-aided plans and perspective renderings serve different purposes.
Begin with what you want to experience: moving water, a planted pond, a stream beside a path, or a quiet focal point. Scale, stone, viewing areas, circulation and maintenance access belong in the design from the beginning. Living Earth designs, builds, consults on, repairs and maintains water features.
Irrigation efficiency and winter drainage are different questions, but both depend on the actual site. MWELO documentation also depends on the city or county reviewing your project—not simply its mailing address. Keith Hamm is a QWEL-certified irrigation auditor and licensed C-27 landscape contractor, CSLB #846559.
Plant references
A promising plant still needs to fit the site's light, exposure, soil, water and available space. Native-plant resources, university guidance and grower profiles help compare those requirements. Early exploration can be broad; exact varieties, container sizes and current availability are confirmed later during project planning.
Science-based regional resources for local soils, planting conditions and gardens.
California native plant profiles, habitat and garden considerations.
University guidance on plant health, pests and responsible management.
Botanical profiles, mature form and growing requirements.
Plant descriptions and horticultural characteristics for exploring a palette.
Cultivar descriptions, growth habits and care information.
Regional grower resources, including Devil Mountain Wholesale Nursery and Griggs Wholesale, inform later sourcing conversations. Published plant information is not a live inventory or a promise of availability.
Credited design references
American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) award presentations offer useful examples of how designers connect land, materials, planting and outdoor life. Their principles can spark questions for a Humboldt property; their plans are not templates to copy and their plants are not automatically suited to the North Coast.
Arterra Landscape Architects
2023 ASLA Honor Award · Residential Design
Seasonal terraces and outdoor spaces shaped by sun, weather and land.
Reed Hilderbrand
2023 ASLA Honor Award · Residential Design
Long-term landscape development and a restrained relationship to the setting.
Design Workshop, Inc.
2023 ASLA Honor Award · Residential Design
Natural materials and composed spaces rooted in their local ecosystem.
These are projects by the credited firms, not Living Earth projects. No ASLA or designer endorsement of Living Earth is implied.
Water & technical references
Manufacturer guidance from Aquascape, Hunter and Rain Bird supports product and system discussions. QWEL and California DWR's MWELO guidance provide a different kind of authority for water efficiency and applicable requirements.
Outside references are distinguished from Living Earth's own work and service information. Source links accompany sourced answers when available. If a specific fact cannot be verified, it should remain an open question—not become an assumed specification.
A conversation can clarify options, but it does not replace a site visit, a final planting plan, engineering or the reviewing agency's approval. Site-specific dimensions, product suitability and permit requirements need appropriate review.
Hardscape references
The Concrete Masonry & Hardscapes Association's interlocking pavement guidance and the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's Concrete In Practice series provide technical context for base preparation, concrete joints and durable surfaces. Those references support informed questions; they do not supply a site-specific structural design.
Common questions
Exposure can change substantially between a foggy coastal property, a sheltered garden and an inland site. Wind, salt spray, winter drainage, light, mature trees and available space all influence plant and material choices. Ask Living Earth starts with your site's conditions rather than treating all Humboldt properties alike.
It helps compare mature size, light, exposure, soil moisture, maintenance and the space available for planting. University, native-plant and grower references support that exploration. A layered planting may be worth considering, but particular species and current availability need confirmation for the actual property.
Credited ASLA award projects offer examples of outdoor rooms, seasonal comfort, circulation and relationships between planting and materials. They inform questions and possibilities, not copied plans or a claim that their designers endorse Living Earth. Living Earth's own design examples are identified separately.
It can help identify the project details and official guidance to review. Applicability, documentation and audit requirements must be checked against current state rules and the city or county reviewing the project. A mailing address alone does not establish that jurisdiction. The irrigation-audits page explains Living Earth's QWEL-certified audit service.
A continuing relationship
Exploring ideas here is always open and anonymous. When you're ready, an inquiry or working brief can carry your priorities forward without obligation or pressure.
Once a project begins, your private Client Portal becomes an enduring, practical resource for your property. Beyond design plans, agreements and correspondence, it houses as-built records, manufacturer details, and equipment model and serial numbers for quick-reference replacement parts. It is structured to be your asset to use however you choose—whether you're ordering a replacement seal, troubleshooting an irrigation controller, planning a future phase, or handing documentation to another specialist.
