John Black, Principal

A California native and Palo Alto resident, John designs imaginative yet practical outdoor spaces that take full advantage of the generous Bay Area climate. His detailed plans — themselves works of art — suggest architectural elements and plant combinations that are not only interesting and beautiful but also appropriate to the homeowner and the environment.

John particularly enjoys utilizing uncommon plant varieties, and often tests unfamiliar cultivars in his own garden before recommending them to his clients. (“If I can't keep it alive,” he promises, “I won't ask you to.”) While he refuses to believe that he has a characteristic style, John usually can't resist incorporating a bit of irreverence into his designs.

John is a member of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD), the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), and the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). He holds graduate and undergraduate degrees from Stanford University, supplemented with courses in landscape architecture, design, and horticulture from U.C. Berkeley Extension and Foothill College. John's work has been featured time and again on HGTV's "Landscape Smart," and he recently was selected to be the featured designer on HGTV's "Landscapers' Challenge."

Project Associates

Verdance occasionally contracts with surveyors, contractors, engineers, architects, and/or designers to ensure that every project receives the expertise it deserves. For more information on our associates, or to be considered as an associate for future projects, please contact us.

Affiliations