This survey of twenty-one gardens by Steve Martino, whose work blends colorful, man-made elements with native plants to reflect the sun-drenched beauty of the desert, is sure to inspire gardeners, landscapers, and admirers of California and the Southwest. For more than thirty years, Steve Martino has been committed to the development and advancement of landscape architecture in the Southwest. His pioneering work with native plant material and the development of a desert-derived design aesthetic is widely recognized. A recurring theme of his work is the dramatic juxtaposition of man-made elements with ecological processes of the region. His love for the desert–the interplay of light and shadow, the colors, plants,and wildlife–inspires his work.

Caren Yglesias is a licensed architect and professor of Landscape Design at UC Berkeley. She has taught landscape architecture at Virginia Tech, University of Maryland, and the Academy of Art University. Book publications include The Innovative Use of Materials in Architecture and Landscape Architecture: History, Theory and Performance and The Complete House and Grounds: Learning from Andrew Jackson Downing’s Domestic Architecture.