Among the most developed gardens were the California native section, the African aloe garden and the tropical rainforest section. Taking care of such a large area made me realize how much time can be saved with lower maintenance plants and highlighted the significance of using native plants, which also use less water and provide native species with habitat. It also made me very sensitive to safety and aesthetics— if thousands of people are coming through some days, the gardens need to look fantastic and be absolutely hazard-free. We also planted with attention to toxicity for animals and humans, and I always incorporate that knowledge into my gardening to minimize potential problems— with so many plant choices, it’s usually easy to find a less toxic alternative. As a personal project, I also developed a digital botanical map of the plant collection, with ethnobotanical information, traditional cultural uses, mythological and spiritual histories and etymological associations.