NATURAL CONNECTION

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER JOHN SHARP CREATES GROUNDED GARDENS ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST AND BEYOND.

- MARY GRAUERHOLZ

With dramatic canyons, verdant swaths of green, and glimpses of ocean waters, Southern California's coastline offers buckets of beautiful vistas.

Dotting the craggy hillsides are impeccable midcentury homes that define a cultural history of the area. Many of the gardens surrounding these homes are the work of John Sharp, a landscape designer who belies his youthful age, 34, with a deep sense of design and the natural world. For Sharp, principal of Studio John Sharp in Los Angeles, landscapes begin with a connection: "Our studio's ethos is not just landscape. It's a reconnection with the outdoors, with nature," he says.

With the natural world as the setting, he sees human connection bloom. "Gardens symbolize celebration, life, death, the folding of time, and memory," Sharp says. "Gardens bring people into the present instantly. Not a lot of things can do that." Sharp treads the earth gently, with a discerning hand. The studio's principles are based on sustainability, integration with the natural world, organic materials, and artistically driven moments. All are designed with drought tolerance and water conservation in mind.

His talent is serving him well: In the last year, Sharp's studio has doubled in size.

Although most of his projects are in California and Texas, he travels extensively through other parts of the country, connecting with clients, including celebrities such as Hilary Duff, Sophia Bush, and Zoey Deutch. Taos, New Mexico, is dear to his heart. "Los Angeles is the buzz, and Taos is the hum," he says.