Loretta Drummond, RLA
Landscape Architect

Growing up in the Mojave Desert, Loretta spent her youth building obstacle courses in the backyard, catching pallid-winged grasshoppers during recess, and obsessively drawing pictures of sea mammals. She excelled in math and won awards for “best penmanship,” but didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up.

In her early 20s, Loretta left college and joined the AmeriCorps program with Habitat for Humanity to help build homes for low-income families. This led to a full-time job organizing volunteers and getting her hands dirty in the field. It proved to be a rich learning opportunity and shaped much of who she is today. During this time, she felt the urge to return to school and signed up for an ornamental horticulture class at a local community class on a whim. That was how she first learned that landscape architecture was a profession and that it was a possibility for her future.

While continuing her studies, Loretta worked for a landscape contractor and designer in Orange County that would allow her to work part-time. Her love and knowledge of plants grew tremendously while on staff, and she got to be part of both the design process and field installation. Eventually, she transferred to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and received her landscape architecture degree.

In 2014, Loretta moved to the East Bay and her work has mainly been focused on the design of estate gardens on the Peninsula and wineries in Sonoma and Napa counties with drought tolerance in mind. She has also had the opportunity to work on a number of school projects as well as multi-family housing developments. In 2024, she joined Arterra and loves being part of (and learning from) such an inspiring and dynamic team.

In her free time, Loretta most enjoys experimenting with plant propagation, spending time with loved ones, and competing for the title of “World’s Greatest Aunt.”