Alva's Page

Alva's lifelong passion for creative expression through writing and her love of nature were the inspiration for LandscapeBliss.com.

"I find such inspiration, renewal, and beauty in nature. Creating and nurturing a lawn and garden offers a sweet serenity. Life moves at such a fast pace, but there is tranquility to be found when spending time among the elegant beauty of nature. It is simply bliss!"

At 15 years of age, Alva was tapped to write a weekly column for a local daily newspaper, a position she held for two years. Since then, she has authored hundreds of articles published in national landscape and home improvement magazines as well as produced brochures, catalogs, ads, instructional videos, and installation/design guides. She's been involved with the production of Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Michael Holigan's Your New House television shows. As an award-winning director of marketing for a national company, she worked with talented landscape designers, installation contractors, and retailers in both the do-it-yourself and do-it-for-me markets and discovered that the magic ingredient for the proverbial green thumb is knowledge, inspiration, and perspiration!

LandscapeBliss.com was launched in December 2006 with Alva's vision to inspire everyone to create and enjoy their own landscape bliss! Working with horticultural experts, landscape designers, retailers, and manufacturers, Landscape Bliss provides resources and great product links to help you create your very own elegant landscape design!

The site was relaunched in January 2008 with a new look and the added element of a social network community so both landscape/garden pros and first-timers can meet to share their passion for landscape's natural beauty by exchanging ideas, tips, and sharing photos of their gardens/designs! Whether your landscape is a starter home, dream chateau, or an apartment patio, find the inspiration and information to achieve your tranquil beauty.

We hope you enjoy your time here at LandscapeBliss!

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Maggie Mae is my faithful assistant and kindred-spirit in loving all things of nature. Since she was just a puppy, she has always had a love for fragrant flowers, often putting her nose into the depths of a flower to enjoy it's fragrance! As I research and write articles, she sits nearby ready at a moment's notice to provide inspiration for writer's block; it's amazing what a few moments of playing ball or going for a walk will do to cure it! I love digging in the dirt and she loves exploring all the many things we discover in the soil!

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Designer, Eduardo Xol and Alva on the set of the television show, Extreme Makeover, Home Edition

Maggie Mae enjoying a blissful afternoon outdoors!