As Joni Mitchell so somberly puts it, our culture too frequently “paves paradise to put up a parking lot.” Consequently, homeowners and communities are left to deal with the repercussions: uninspiring, cookie-cutter properties, minimal links to natural beauty, and water drainage issues.

James Hanselman knows paradise. He grew up there, he says, “in the mountain valleys of a tropical island, surrounded by natural beauty and interacting with nature every minute of each day.” Upon returning to the United States, he was saddened to find that “in this land of magnificent beauty, paradise was being discarded to make room for yet another development.” It became his mission to reverse the trend and bring paradise back into the daily experience of others.

Do you want make a difference in your world and capture your own slice of paradise? Keep reading! Subsequent posts will feature inspiration from James Hanselman for turning your yard into a relaxing space you’ll love coming home to.

Contributed by Betty Hanselman
Gardener’s wife (& fellow steward)