Lake Sharp (she/her/ella) is principal designer and owner of Radlands. Through a lens of social and environmental justice, Lake is committed to helping clients reconnect to the land with a sense of wonder, respect and delight in native plants, habitat building, and land stewardship. Her approach to design is intuitive, inventive and reverent to nature and Indigenous knowledge.

Lake is committed to practical problem solving and helping folks connect to place in a way that feels deep and impactful. Her goal is that when Radlands clients walk into their garden, they feel they are spending restorative time with their plant friends, not doing chores. 

Radlands gardens have been featured on the Theodore Payne Native Plant Garden Tour and Lake has been a guest of the experimental internet show Poppy Hour. Lake is especially passionate about creating gardens for all ages. As a parent, she firmly believes that native gardens, with their colors, textures, smells and critters, bolster the innate wonder and joy that children have in nature. It is also a pleasure to watch your garden grow and change alongside your child!

Lake is co-owner of the radically inclusive gym EVERYBODY located in Cypress Park, Tongva land. She also has a ceramic practice with one current public offering, VESSEL, a donation based custom urn service aiming to connect with grief in a healthy, communal and creative way.

Lake and her family live in NELA, unceded land on which the Tongva are the original stewards. 

Nosotros hablamos español.

Please email lake@radlands.la for all inquiries.

Pablo Martinez is head of crew for Radlands. Lake has worked with Pablo since 2013. He brings over 50 years of experience to Radlands in several construction and landscape modalities including masonry, woodworking, metal work and orcharding. Pablo knows and loves plants, working outside and can always pick “la cara más linda” of any rock.

Pablo takes great pride in his work and in treating his crew members fairly. Pablo also works independently should you have a job that does not require a full design package. Pablo can execute any well developed ideas and has great taste, to boot.

Here’s an abridged interview with Pablo:

“I began working when I was 16 years old. I began in heavy construction: paving, large construction jobs. I’ve done stone work, cinderblock, paving, big paving-stone jobs, large machinery, corralling cattle in Texas, for 2 years, on horseback. I’ve done a bit of everything. My life has moved at a pretty quick pace, a crazy pace – but I’ve liked working a bit in everything.

We came from Mexico and began working from a very young age. Very young. Working hard to make a living, to eat. And that’s why one is always going to keep learning, whatever there may be – to learn. 

The most important factor in our work is the clients. To try to make them satisfied. And if there is a problem, not to shy away from it. To try and figure out what has happened [and solve it]. That's why I’ve hardly had any problems at all – nobody has had complaints because I work to come back, as many times as it takes, until the project comes out well. 

[I like working with plants because] every plant has its own story – just like I’m telling mine to you now. Every plant has its reason to be here on Earth. I think that plants represent health for us as humans, as well. Some can do harm, but the majority purify the air, and have curative properties, for those who wish to use them. In fact, at home we have a box of many different plants, and my wife knows which to take, if we are feeling down or ill.

Plants are very valuable, and hold lots of knowledge.”

You can call Pablo directly at 818-633-8166. He’s old school, no texting.