The design reintegrates the garden with the regional ecological context while balancing the clients’ desire for a modern yet low maintenance landscape. The approach draws inspiration for the West’s subtle plant palette while inserting sculptural plant accents. The plant material is all low water use, replacing the lawn with a meadow. The design proposes a formal path to the front door with evenly spaced plantings lining units of concrete paver, filled with pea gravel.

A dry garden is located along the entry walk relating to a drought tolerant California palette as well as New Zealand, where the client originally hails from. As the landscape expands out from the house the planting integrates with the oaks and native grasslands found on site.

Location: Portola Valley, CA

Status: Completed 2018

Project Type: Residential Garden

Collaborators: Feldman Architecture, Siteworks Landscape

Photography: Marion Brenner