Cottage Garden

I've been working on different phases at this Property for a couple years. Here is an update showing how things have been filling in and coming together.

Plants around new arbor are filling in nicely

Little Home Orchard is growing in

Container Pond

I returned to this wonderful property to see that our corner container pond has grown in.

Before & After Silverlake

BEFORE

This was a fun update at a modern hillside home. We updated the landscape from top to bottom.

Here are photos mid-project after the new steps, new retaining wall and patio for the detached office were just completed.

More photos to come!

AFTER

Updating a backyard and patio

Here's a recently completed project, bringing in a lot of new plants -- mostly succulents -- and using a few existing plants to create a wonderful palette.

BEFORE/In Process

AFTER: Newly Planted/New Pavers

AFTER Detail Just Planted, Will Fill In

Traditional (Climate-Appropriate) Front Garden

AFTER DETAIL 6 months after planting

This was a fun project in a wonderful area of Pasadena. The house was lovely, but the landscape had not been updated in many years, and there was absolutely no buffer from the street.
The changes we made have had huge impact, even though it's only been six months since we planted.

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

AFTER

Planting four Crape Myrtle Trees along the sidewalk created a boundary along a rather busy intersection. I will try to catch them in bloom in a couple months!

BEFORE

AFTER

The Daylillies are just beginning to bloom, and everything is starting to fill in. When the trees grow larger, there will be even more privacy from the street.

BEFORE

AFTER

Eagle Rock Backyard

This large urban backyard was dead lawn, full sun, minimal shade, and did not give my clients any reason to spend time outdoors. They wanted a patio, fountain, drought-tolerant plantings, more shade, and a large open area for parties, etc. So we made the DG pathway serve as an open area to accommodate tables and chairs when needed, and as a generous pathway to take you through a riot of tough but beautiful trees and plants.

AFTER: New Patio and Plantings

BEFORE: Backyard at my first visit

AFTER: Newly Planted, DG just laid

AFTER: Less than 2 Years Later

AFTER: Fountain Beside New Patio

Watching A Garden Grow

AFTER DETAIL (NOW)

Three years ago, this was a dry lawn in Echo Park.
I came by recently to see how the plantings were doing after almost 3 years in the ground, and found a riot of forms and color. It's a wonderful space to walk into, and gives so much privacy and lushness, but without too much care or water, and without completely blocking out the neighborhood. It still feels welcoming, but private.

BEFORE DEAD LAWN

AFTER JUST PLANTED

2.5 YEARS AFTER PLANTING

The transformation since newly planted to a few years later, when the plants have grown in, is pretty dramatic! See next three photos for BEFORE, JUST PLANTED vs. GROWN IN: 

BEFORE

Some of my favorite projects from 2018

Side Yard

Sometimes a side yard is an opportunity for an attention grabbing pathway.

Hot Weather

During hot weather, there is nothing like a pool or even a fountain to help make you feel a little cooler.

 

Silverlake Preview

Finishing up a dramatic transformation! New patio, major clean up, updated fence, paint color on shed, and a new sitting wall, which frames patio and gives a clean finish to Fig Tree planter.

BEFORE

AFTER

Front slope was informally terraced and planted with a mix of California natives and other climate-appropriate plants:

BEFORE

AFTER

Six Months After Planting

South Pasadena Beauty

This beautiful home lacked the hardscape it deserved.

Old block walls without stucco, no entrance from sidewalk, just a small set of steps along the driveway, all made the front yard far less grand than this house deserved. Closer to the house, caps on the walls that did not fit the time period or style were an issue. (See before photo)

BEFORE

AFTER

Stucco on walls, new entrance from sidewalk with pillars and generous steps. Now the house has the hardscape and landscape it deserves!

Mount Washington Transformation

The landscape at this corner house was not working. The hedge along the street decreased visibility at the corner stop sign. People often cut through the yard from back to front because there are no sidewalks. The lawn was struggling, there were old planters along the foundation filled with overgrown plants. The porch and steps were cracked and over sized.

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

Totally New Landscape, New Paint, New Porch, New Front Door. New Fixtures.

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER DETAIL