About the Author

Jessica Viola, founder of Viola Gardens and Viola Living Jewels, is one of Southern California’s most sought-after landscape designers, having spent the past two decades cultivating a design portfolio based on sustainability, whole-system solutions and artistic vision. With a background in organic, permaculture-based ecological design and a passion for plants, culture and creative expression, Viola specializes in drought-tolerant landscape design, native plant ecology, habitat restoration, hillside erosion control, edible garden design and organic garden care and maintenance, as well as botanical design and installation.

Her career started in 1999, doing landscape construction and habitat restoration with the native plants of the San Francisco Bay Area. Jessica went on to receive her certification in Earth Architecture from the world-renowned Cal-Earth Institute, and her teacher-training certificate in Permaculture and Environmental Design from Earthflow and the Permaculture Institute in New Mexico. Jessica has taught permaculture at Santa Monica College and Pepperdine University, and hosted workshops throughout California.