About Tom Scoble

Tom Scoble started Mother Magnolia with the vision of transforming landscapes, and creating private sanctuaries for people in Los Angeles County. His lifelong love for plants and the outdoors began in the early years of his childhood, first while living in Santa Barbara, and later Yosemite. While growing up in these places of exceptional natural beauty Tom spent most of his time enjoying the outdoors, and developing a special talent for making plants grow. His experiences helped form his passion for creating custom outdoor spaces that will allow others to cultivate a similar appreciation for outdoor living.

Tom attended UCLA, obtaining his B.A. with honors in Comparative Literature with a concentration in French and Italian literary studies. Studying in both Italy and France exposed Tom to the traditional gardens and landscapes of Western Europe, further broadening his design palatte, as well as his understanding of the unique ways that culture and life intersect with gardens. As a lifelong enthusiast for foreign languages and cultures, he is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish. Tom’s experiences living in different places helped inspire his philosophy of landscape design; that gardens are highly personal expressions of who we are, where we are from, and where we want to be. Upon graduation from college, Tom settled in the San Gabriel Valley where he has lived since 1993. Inspired by a longtime interest in Zen Buddhism and meditation practice, he also spent nearly a month in 1997 at Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village in France, living Buddhist Dharma.

As president and head designer of Mother Magnolia, Tom has been featured on HGTV’s Landscaper’s Challenge four different times. His design was selected as the winning design three out of those four times. In addition, Mother Magnolia has participated in the prestigious Pasadena Showcase House.

Tom is a singer-songwriter, having released multiple albums and receiving the 2005 XM Radio Best New Acoustic Rock Artist Award. He has recently completed an extensive remodel of his home in Altadena, transforming the exterior and interior spaces to reflect who he is, how his family lives, and creating the place where he most wants to be.