C. T. STRYKER®
C. T. STRYKER®
C. T. STRYKER®
ELEVATED LANDSCAPE DESIGN, MAINTENANCE & HORTICULTURE SERVICES
ELEVATED LANDSCAPE DESIGN, MAINTENANCE & HORTICULTURE SERVICES
ELEVATED LANDSCAPE DESIGN, MAINTENANCE & HORTICULTURE SERVICES
Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy
I've been drawn to the garden since I was a kid
watching my nana tend to her traditional Italian plot,
the staples-
basil, tomatoes, oregano and peppers,
along a white picket fence.
She worked the earth with quiet precision,
never measuring, just knowing.
The garden gave her everything she needed.
There was a silent intelligence in the way she moved.
She passed this connection
to my mother whom
expressed her passion through
the rose,
and I was paying attention.
I've been drawn to the
garden
since I was a kid watching
my nana tend to her
traditional Italian plot;
the staples-
basil, tomatoes, oregano and peppers,
along a white picket fence.
She worked the earth
with quiet precision,
never measuring,
just knowing.
The garden gave her
everything
she needed.
There was a silent
intelligence
in the way she moved,
She passed this
connection to my mother
whom expressed her passion
through the rose,
and
I was paying attention.
Over the years the garden became more
than a place to gather flowers and veggies.
It became a teacher.
It showed me that everything is connected,
and life moves in cycles far deeper
than what we see on the surface.
Each space I enter is treated as its own ecosystem ,
its own language,
its own rhythm.
I draw from many proven sources:
a degree in Landscape Architecture and
Horticulture from Temple University,
decades of curiosity into ancient horticultural practices,
bio-dynamic practices and principles,
permaculture and regenerative design,
native plant & ecological restoration movements,
organic horticultural principles and soil science,
indigenous worldviews,
esoteric ecology,
and a gnostic and spiritual quality through lived experience.
Over the years
the garden became
more than a place to gather flowers and veggies.
It became a teacher.
It showed me that
everything is connected,
and life moves in cycles
far deeper than
what we see on the surface.
Each space I enter
is treated as its
own ecosystem ,
its own language,
its own rhythm.
I draw from many
proven sources:
a degree in Landscape Architecture and Horticulture from Temple University,
decades of curiosity into ancient horticultural practices,
bio-dynamic practices and principles,
permaculture and regenerative design,
native plant & ecological restoration movements,
organic horticultural principles and soil science,
indigenous worldviews,
esoteric ecology,
and a gnostic and spiritual quality through lived experience.
My years in the soil have further refined
an inherent eye for pattern and balance,
while deepening my connection
with the unseen rhythm of the ecosystem.
The land is always speaking.
When imbalance shows up-through
disease, depletion, or invasive overgrowth-
it's not just a problem to fix.
It's a message.
The soil, the insects, drainage
and the way water moves or doesn't-
all reveal the health of the whole.
I see my role as helping that system
remember it's harmony
and restore coherence
between Earth and
our responsibility to her.
My years in the soil have shaped an inherent eye for
pattern
and
balance,
and
a deep connection
with the
unseen rhythm of the land.
The land is always speaking.
When imbalance shows up-through disease,
depletion,
or invasive overgrowth-
it's not just a problem to fix.
it's a message.
The soil,
leaf color,
growth habit,
the type of insects present,
drainage,
and the way water moves or doesn't-
all reveal the health of the whole.
I see my role as
helping
that system remember it's harmony
and
restore any lost
coherence
between Earth
and
our responsibility to her.
Further Reflections:
Native & Fire
Conscious Design
Further Reflections:
Native & Fire
Conscious Design
In Southern California,
where drought and wildfire shape the land
as much as rain or sun,
designing with intention
is no longer optional;
its essential
Viewing certain microclimates
through a fire-conscious lens
is our responsibility.
Native plants aren't just beautiful;
they are adapted and
require less watering.
while having a built in
insect and disease resistance
to many vectors which
offers resilience
with our
ever increasing erratic weather.
A garden is never just a garden.
Its a mirror,
a teacher-
as above, so below.
I've come to see that
the land doesn't respond
to just basic care-
it reflects the
quality of attention we bring.
The patterns in the garden
often echo the ones
we carry in our lives:
imbalance,
overgrowth,
stillness,
renewal.
Working in rhythm
with the cycles
of nature invites
clarity and connection.-
not just in the garden,
but in ourselves.
Over time,
tending the land
becomes a way of listening-
and remembering how
we live in right relationship
with what sustains us.
A fire-conscious garden considers
spacing, structure, and species.
It slows flame, not fuels it.
It's layered, not cluttered.
It breathes.
My approach is both grounded in
ecology and open to innovation-
integrating defensible space
with design integrity.
At it's heart, this work is about relationship.
Between plant and pollinator,
water and root,
person and place.
I trust what the
land reveals when
we slow down and
pay attention.
Whether I'm shaping
a quiet corner of a backyard,
or stewarding a full ecosystem,
my intention is the same;
to listen,
to support balance,
and to let
beauty emerge from integrity.
