Home I Paul Ortega I 760.409.4833

DESIGN

For over ten years, Paul Ortega has been providing landscape design services in the Coachella Valley, focused on the use of desert appropriate plants and other landscape materials. His clients range from those with small courtyards and patios, single family homes and mini-estates, to long-range master plans for homeowner associations.

CONSULTING

In addition to landscape design services, Paul provides consultations to homeowners, homeowner associations, businesses, and public entities on ways to improve water efficiency in the landscape. Given the declaration of a drought state of emergency by Governor Brown earlier this year, recent water rate hikes by local water authorities such as the 22% increase by the Desert Water Agency, and the latest restrictions mandated by the State Water Resources Control Board, this is now more important than ever. Typically, the most water use takes place on the outside of our buildings, primarily in our landscaped environments and that’s where the greatest impacts can be made in improving efficiencies. We all have a part to play in conversing this precious resource.

Luckily, many local municipalities and water agencies are stepping up with financial incentives and support to help homeowners, homeowner associates, businesses and public entities take some immediate steps toward making better use of water in the our landscapes. Depending on where you live, there are a number of programs available. One method is to replace existing turf with alternatives that use far less water. Each program comes with its own set of requirements and conditions, but this table will hopefully help local homeowners and homeowner association boards understand the amount of financial help that is available to them to make the transition from water-thirsty turf to desert-friendly landscapes. Please contact Paul for additional information.

SPEAKING

Paul Ortega is frequently asked to speak across southern California to garden clubs, botanical societies, and neighborhood associations on various subjects related to the merits of using more desert appropriate and drought tolerant plantings and landscape materials in local landscapes.

CLASSES

Paul Ortega is a regular instructor and a member of the board of trustees at Living Desert University, The Living Desert’s adult education program. Past programs include: Small Space Desert Gardens, Color in a Desert Garden, Designing a Desert Garden, and Accent Plants for a Desert Garden. These and other programs are available to individuals and groups.

TOURS

Paul Ortega provides individual and group tours of some of the area’s most exceptional private and public gardens, some of which are rarely (if ever) accessible to the general public.

WRITING

Paul Ortega is an occasional contributor to The Desert Sun, and currently produces a weekly column via his blog.

ABOUT PAUL

Paul has been fascinated with gardens and plants ever since as a young boy in northern California he placed a cucumber seed in a paper coffee cup and watched it grow. Gardening and plants have always been a part of his life, whether with a set of pots crammed onto a tiny deck in foggy San Francisco or with a large yard in sunny Palm Springs. After arriving in the desert as a full-time resident nearly 13 years ago, Paul began to familiarize himself with a whole new plant palette and materials to work with, by taking classes at the College of the Desert and UC Riverside – Palm Desert, and by working for the Palo Verde Garden Center at The Living Desert and administering the adult education program, Living Desert University. Over the next several years, as he began to develop a landscape design business, his involvement with the community grew: co-founding the Desert Horticultural Society of the Coachella Valley in 2005 and serving as its president for eight years; serving as a member of the Architectural Advisory Committee for the City of Palm Springs for six years, with one of those years as its chairperson; serving as a member of the events committee of Modernism Week and helping to establish its annual Modern Garden Tour; teaching at Living Desert University and serving on its board of trustees. Paul continues to pursue and develop his interests, both personal and professional, in the areas of design, architecture and horticulture in the Coachella Valley.