Case Study

THE DESIGNER’S YARD

Alameda, CA

CHALLENGE

After 24 years in the landscape design industry, and 11 years in this house, I was finally designing a yard for my own home.  A very small and unmemorable yard, it was time for a new garden to greet us when we come home.

EXISTING CONDITIONS

What once was a lawn had now become a patch of weeds that we’d grown tired of watering and mowing.

INSPIRATION

A couple of leftover steel fence panels I had designed and welded with my dad for my entry into the 2009 San Francisco Flower and Garden Show were the catalyst for the design, along with wanting a space for a few of my favorite plants.

CONCEPTS

The yard being a postage stamp, I wanted the space to be dynamic yet controlled so as to not make it feel any smaller than it already was.

CONSTRUCTION

Phoenix Gardens, based in Oakland, knocked out the construction in about a week, and did a fantastic job. I welded the fence panels, and even got some assistance from my daughter, who despite it being her first time welding, had a nice steady hand.

THE RESULTS

When we come home, we are greeted by flower color and foliage textures playing off each other in a palette that is drought and pollinator-friendly, and also easy to maintain. Matching pots, one a collection of succulents, the other a custom-built copper pipe bubbling fountain, flank a dryset flagstone path and dress up the entry to our home. The welded steel fence provides a clean edge to our little yard.

ONE YEAR LATER

The plants have matured and filled in, and we are visited regularly by the pollinators enjoying the Mediterranean plants, as well as birds bathing in the fountain.