"Every day I ask myself, how did I go from a successful divorce lawyer to knowing 80 varieties of palm trees? If you had told me four years ago that I would be quitting a 12-year career as a lawyer to install and design gardens, I would have laughed."
"It's unique to find such a large deck in Santa Monica or even Southern California. Suddenly having room outdoors for plants inspired me. I started growing things I wanted to eat, such as citrus, herbs and various vegetables."
"Roof gardens, common in dense urban areas such as New York City and San Francisco, are unusual in the suburban sprawl of Southern California. But with real estate prices in the region rising, many buyers are finding it more affordable to forgo the land and cultivate plants on roofs, decks and balconies."
Julie Milligan, a Los Angeles family law attorney, unexpectedly shifted careers after purchasing a condo with 1,600 square feet of rooftop space in Santa Monica. Initially inspired to grow herbs, citrus, and vegetables for personal consumption, she developed the outdoor area into an award-winning landscape that earned the Golden Trowel Award from Garden Design Magazine in 1999. This success prompted her to leave her 12-year legal practice to pursue garden design full time. Her transformation reflects a broader trend in Southern California where rising real estate prices encourage homeowners to cultivate plants on roofs, decks, and balconies rather than purchasing properties with traditional land.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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