San Francisco Landscape Architect | Japanese Gardens | Spiritual Gardens

A master plan for the 12 acre Carmelite Monastery, this comprehensive plan outlines a soil rebuilding program and proper maintenance for plants. In a contemplative garden, its paths meander up and down the hills displaying the "stations of the cross" with resting area for prayer and meditation. Rose gardens and cut-flower gardens are nearby with a private, inner courtyard garden.

This inner "spirit garden" features an outdoor mausoleum honoring Saint John of the Cross and his release from prison, symbolic to his release from earth to Heaven. The private burial grounds in the garden are designed also to honor those nuns who "crossed over" in their service at the monastery as a metaphor of the paradise in Revelations with a small stream as the "River of Life", a life-size, illuminated, glass sculpture of Christ and live cypress archways, like folded hands in prayer, over each burial site, in eternal praise to God.