Shannon Lester is a landscape designer in Bend, Oregon. Shannon designed commercial and urban residential landscapes in the greater Portland area for 5 years before settling in Bend and starting her own landscape design-build company in 2004 with her husband, Drew Lester.

“Growing up in one of the few, solar powered homes in Southern Oregon at the time, I have always considered myself a preservationist of the natural environment. My love of gardening originated from my parents and grandparents. I have memories of succulent container gardens and vegetable gardens at my paternal grandparents’ Los Angeles home. My maternal grandmother was a member of the local garden club and had the most beautiful rose gardens in Washington. Those hobbies carried through to my parents and my childhood,” Shannon says.

If Shannon isn’t busy in her office working on new designs for planters or customizing landscapes for her clients, you can usually find Shannon outdoors.  Living 25 minutes from one of the largest ski resorts in the Pacific Northwest and having unlimited access to the Cascade Mountains, you can find Shannon skiing, hiking, camping, rafting, or playing with her family in, what Shannon claims, to be one of the most beautiful parts of the country.

Shannon is an active garden blogger for Blooming Desert’s Daily Dirt and enjoys connecting with other garden enthusiasts through social networks facebook and pinterest.  Shannon has also been a contributor to This Old House magazine, Landscaping Network.com and Fine Gardening magazine.