The homeowners had two main goals in this front yard
remodel. They wanted to replace their hillside grass/crabgrass lawn with
drought tolerant plantings and to capture rainwater rather than allowing it to
run off the property and into the street.
To that end, they leveled a portion of the hill by installing a stone
retaining wall. They then chose an
assortment of climate-appropriate plantings, which compliment the house’s new pathway,
making the front yard more welcoming to those approaching from the street. Using
elements suited to our local climate, they have a yard full of plants that will
eventually grow to fill the space, rather than overwhelm it.
Another feature that they hope will help with water
conservation is the futuristic automatic watering system that is linked up to a
satellite weather sensor so it waters only when necessary.
Although they originally hired a professional landscaper,
the homeowners’ current design came from their own hard work. They altered the initial design to create an orderly landscape
while still enjoying the benefits of drought tolerant landscaping. It took two years of plant research and
experimentation with placement and spacing for the design to complete their our
version of the plan, which was then professionally installed. They were inspired by Sunset Magazine and Mar
Vista Garden Tours!
