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Al (Alfred) Toth | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Landscape Design tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

Landscape Design

I began my career in landscaping and horticulture in 1979, at the age of 16. I was a senior in high school. Upon graduation in 1980, I began working for a commercial landscape maintenance company while at the same time attending collage studying Landscape Architecture. Then, after several years working as a maintenance gardener I moved on to work for a local nursery. The nursery, Gardenville in San Diego, CA.,was quite large, over 1-1/2 hectares. It was there I learned the most from a practical perspective, from propagating plants to applying fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Also it was while working at the nursery (for 6 years during the mid 1980´s) that I became a California Certified Nursery Professional (CCNPro). It was during this same time period I began a nursery at my house specializing in bromeliads and growing rare palm trees from seed, and I worked on the side in high-end residential garden maintenance. After completing my studies, I worked for 2 years in an office as a landscape designer/estimator for a landscape contractor. We were a design and build company and did everything from planting, irrigation and drainage to concrete, stone work and patios, wood decks and patio covers, walls and fences, BBQ¨s, Jacuzzi´s, etc.etc. In the early 1990´s California suffered from 2 years of drought which severely affected the landscape industry. The company I work for went out of business and that's when I began my 16 year career at the San Diego Zoo(1992-2008). During my last 2 years at the San Diego Zoo I was invited to work on 2 different plant conservation projects. One, in 2007 while working on a biodiversity project in the Peruvian Amazon I was asked to re-design the project research station into an Eco Village/Botanical Garden. Second in 2008 I worked as a consultant for 6 weeks at Parque Zoologico Chapultepec, Mexico City, concerning more progressive ways to manage their plant collection. I moved to Cusco,Peru in 2009 and opened a yoga studio. Shortly there after I began to split my time between Cusco and Tambopata, again back in the Peruvian Amazon. While in Tambopata I worked for a small amazonian lodge teaching yoga and also overseeing the maintenance and up-grade of both the buildings and the heavily landscaped grounds.

NOTE, below are all examples of my work.
CCNPro Certificate
CCNPro Certificate
California Certified Nursery Professional
California Certified Nursery Professional
Al (Alfred) Toth in the Garden SMA, Mexico 2014
Al (Alfred) Toth in the Garden SMA, Mexico 2014
Stone pathway
Stone pathway
A garden close up
A garden close up
Beginning the work
Beginning the work
the finished product
the finished product
Tillandsia rock garden
Tillandsia rock garden
Lath structure provides 30% shade
Lath structure provides 30% shade
Koi pond in San Diego
Koi pond in San Diego
Gate, entrance to the Garden
Gate, entrance to the Garden
Redwood Deck
Redwood Deck
My planting design for W. Barnes
My planting design for W. Barnes
Permaculture zone map, W. Barnes property.
Permaculture zone map, W. Barnes property.
Native plant landscape at my cabin near Bishop CA.
Native plant landscape at my cabin near Bishop CA.
Native plant landscape at my cabin near Bishop, CA.
Native plant landscape at my cabin near Bishop, CA.
Letter from Michael Bostwick, Curator of Horticulture, San Diego Zoo
Letter from Michael Bostwick, Curator of Horticulture, San Diego Zoo
Me working on a plan as a student in the mid 1980´s
Me working on a plan as a student in the mid 1980´s
Extreme conditions, Peruvian amazon.
Extreme conditions, Peruvian amazon.
Working with the Biodiversity Project in Peru
Working with the Biodiversity Project in Peru
W. Barnes property, from Google Earth.
W. Barnes property, from Google Earth.