Lawrence takes great pleasure in his line of work.  Lawrence was deeply charmed by the tree lined streets and architecture of South Pasadena, which he discovered by accidentally finding himself in their famous farmer’s market.  Lawrence spends his free time hiking his dog through the Arroyo Seco, cycling around his community, surprising his friends with his experimental cooking, attending concerts, and practicing Anasara Yoga. He is fond of wildlife and plant photography, and sometimes updates his photography site.

Lawrence had an interest in outdoor design at a very early age.  Blessed to have a backyard large enough to foster a curious child’s free time, he spent several years planting seeds, watering plants, and loved to watch things grow.  He recalls his visits to the local nursery as some of his favorite memories growing up.  He would spend much of his childhood playing in the yard, growing vegetables, watching over the fruit trees, and planting seeds.  He still remembers the sense of pride he had bringing fresh radishes to the kitchen table, or giving his mother cut zinnias for Mother’s Day.

Lawrence spent a little time in college trying to find his possible career outlet.  His overindulgence of theory courses in college showed his love of learning, but he never found something that really moved him.  It was a biology teacher, impressed by his aptitude in botany and plant pathology, which urged him to consider following a career in plants.  Lawrence eventually started studying Botany at UC Riverside and started experimenting in his townhouse’s patio… which rapidly became a container garden frequently admired by his neighbors.

Eventually his interest grew from growing plants in containers to impress his neighbors, and went into growing plants to sell over the Internet. Within a year, he started a business of unique and rare plants, which he also sold at local farmer’s markets and swap meets. He loved selling them face-to-face because he ended up spending a lot of time giving gardening advice and answering questions about rare plants. From this came his first design work, creating planting plans and irrigation schedules for his neighbors.

Eventually he found this interaction so much fun he worked for Armstrong Garden Centers as a Certified Nursery Specialist, where he enjoyed answering the many interesting and challenging questions people brought to him. As more and more customers invited him into their own yards to design their yards (including a few local celebrities), Lawrence knew it was time to start designing as a business, and thus Ashcrow Landscape Design was born.

Lawrence developed a unique style, combining unique plants from his nursery days along with an artistic flair uniquely his own.  After being in such large demand around Los Angeles and Pasadena, Lawrence moved his company to be closer to his clients.  His reputation for being innovative led him to design a few celebrities over the years, as well as designing for a hip café on Melrose Ave and a high-end apartment complex in Beverly Hills. As customers started to ask him advice on their hardscape design, irrigation, and drainage problems, Lawrence knew it was time to become a Landscape Architect.

In July of 2008, while still working as a designer in Los Angeles, Lawrence completed his Bachelors of Landscape Architecture at Cal Poly, Pomona. Throughout his entire academic career, students and professors alike remarked as his vast plant knowledge, his passion for environmentally sustainable designs, and his desire to learn more about his craft.  His final senior project, a visionary solar-powered artist colony and constructed wetlands alongside the Los Angeles River, gained recognition in the Green Building council, as he entered his project into the United States Building Council’s contest, against architects and design teams from all over the world.  His was honored to be selected by the horticultural faculty to design the grounds adjacent to the campus’ Farm Store in his last quarter of school.

Lawrence continues to study and advance his knowledge in both design and construction, as he is in the application stages of getting both a California State Contractor’s License and a LEED Certified Green Designer certification.  His vision of combining sustainable principals into multi-disciplinary design fields continues to make waves in the Southern California environmentally conscious community. Lawrence continually keeps up with the newest types of sustainable construction methods, and maintains his significant knowledge. 

And to think it all started with a kid playing in the yard.