BACK YARD TRANSFORMATION REPLACES THE TIRED LAWN AND LEAKY POOL - ROSS, CA 

2023 APLD "Silver" Award-Winning Landscape Design

Judges' Comments:  "Beautiful transformation. Lovely plant/color palette. Nice flow in the composition.I appreciate the permeable paving and pollinator support" .
"The 2-sided seat wall adds a lovely dimension".  "Great before and after images. A very personal and scaled space with great establishment and care".

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Project Overview:
Completed the Summer/Fall of 2020, this Ross, CA back landscape was re-imagined to remove the leaking pool and replace the water-thirsty/tired lawn. The result is a beautiful landscape with more usable and functional areas for outdoor living and enjoyment. Now filled with an abundance of diverse, lower-water plants and enhancements. A feast for the eyes and senses for the homeowners to enjoy throughout the seasons, and welcomes the birds, bees and butterflies.

We replaced and expanded the patio outside the home's sliding doors to provide more space for dining and entertaining. Full-range bluestone was selected for its warm and cool tones for the patio, stairs and the long curvaceous pathway that leads to a smaller patio.  Shaded by the majestic oak tree, this patio at the back of the property is another welcoming destination for peaceful relaxation. It is edged with a stone seat wall constructed with "Rocky Mountain Gold Glacier" natural stone that adds additional seating,  functionality and compliments the bluestone beautifully. "Granitecrete" (a material similar to Decomposed Granite - DG) was chosen as the surface material for other pathways and a small area with a bench, curved trellis and a  flowering vine. The Granitecrete also surrounds the dramatic tall planters with Kumquat trees, and the stately water feature. A variety of Mediterranean plants and grasses fill the garden with movement texture and fragrance, designed in shades of green, gray, purple and white. A low-water Kurapia ground cover surrounds and softens the main pathway pavers.

Design Details:

• Lawn and pool replaced with patios for outdoor living, and lower-water garden areas filled with colorful and fragrant flowering pollinator plants that that bloom from early Spring through Fall. With a mix of textural grasses and shrubs at varying heights.
• An eco-friendly garden that provides habitat and bio-diversity for the birds, bees and the butterflies. 
• A stately water feature that compliments the home's architecture, provides a beautiful focal point and offers soothing sounds. 
• Meandering pathways lead to a variety of destination areas for relaxing and enjoyment, in both the sun and shade.
• Low-voltage LED lighting lines the  pathways and highlights the trees and other focal points, providing safety and ambiance after dark.
• An efficient, smart irrigation system.

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