Blooming Desert

Drew and Shannon Lester are a husband and wife landscape design team that have over 40 years combined experience in Central Oregon. Together, they promote sustainability and gardening for success, so homeowners can enjoy all the other activities Central Oregon has to offer. Drew and Shannon currently focus their efforts on landscape, irrigation and low voltage lighting design, backflow assembly testing, project management and hourly consultations for D.I.Y. homeowners. Drew graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington where he studied economics and public policy. After graduating, he decided to move out west to become a mountaineer guide and get more in touch with the natural environment. Shortly after, Drew started working in the landscape industry and furthered his education at Central Oregon Community College in the green industry. Shannon is a landscape designer who holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from Washington State University in Pullman. After a sojourn in Italy where she experienced landscape and design, Shannon returned to the Pacific Northwest to focus on custom residential and commercial landscape design, land use and city planning projects. From 2012 to 2017, Drew and Shannon focused their efforts on starting up a mid-century, modern-inspired planter company, Steel Life. Steel Life planters have been recognized by many nationally accredited industry professionals and magazines including Martha Stewart, Sunset, Better Homes and Gardens, 1859 Oregon, and Dwell magazine. Drew and Shannon have also designed product for The Standard Hotel NYC and Miami. Shannon has shared her product design experiences on a design panel moderated by OPB at the 2015’s Bend Design Con. She currently enjoys teaching seasonal workshops both locally and on her travels. Shannon focuses her teaching on design trends, plant selection, succulents, xeriscaping, living centerpieces, wreath making and other green D.I.Y. creations.