Something for Everyone, a Garden for All
An active young family with three children had no idea what to do with their 1000 SF backyard, a wide, shallow rectangle of construction dirt with three suffering Japanese Maples. He wanted the view from the house to be traditional, orderly, evergreen; she wanted a riot of color and texture and some privacy from the neighbors’ Zoom meetings; the kids wanted a play lawn, a fire pit, and cool stuff to see/smell/touch. Could this be accomplished using mostly native plants? Yes!
Three Garden Rooms
From the french doors at the back of the house, you see an orderly evergreen landscape: California Wax Myrtles between the Japanese Maples provide a wild green screen from the neighbors, limbs mingling. Western spice bush, golden currant, giant chain ferns, irises, and yerba buena hold down this fragrant border around an “area rug” of play lawn.
In the center of the garden, a pebble patio with firepit and seating welcomes the family outside, even on chilly days and nights.
On the far side of the garden is a spot nicknamed “Hot Flower Hill,” where bermed plantings of flowering native shrubs and perennials explode with color and texture from April to December.
A garden for the entire family.
