New Mountain Modern home in Schaffer’s Mill. Existing Jeffrey Pine and White Fir trees and some native Artemisia shrubs remain from the original site. Super-minimal phase one landscape per house architect installed upon builder completion summer 2023. Completion phase to fill in front, back and sides with a natural look planted summer 2024. Undulating waves of plant placement to create natural flow and blend with existing natural vegetation. Special considerations included zone zero planting restrictions with fire-wise plant and hardscaping materials.

Planting new natives to blend with the existing was a priority. Blue flax, with its delicate blooms and wispy wind-swept foliage, is placed to flow toward the entryway and is echoed across the street on the existing hillside. You’ll find it throughout the community happily growing in its native environs. Artemisia and arctostaphylos varietals provide the ebb and flow of ground cover across the sprawling front yard, punctuated by large boulders that were dug up on site during construction. Beautiful pops of color from a handful of Penstemon varieties were chosen for their subtlety and vibrant blooms that beg you to come closer. Perovskia ‘Russian Sage‘ will provide an eye-catching swath of color when in bloom but in a tone that blends with the surrounding wild natural trails. A select few trees had to be removed to build the home. So we planted anew to help transition from architecture to landscape with native Incense Cedar, as well as Colorado Blue Spruce in both upright and prostrate varieties to play off the Tahoe blue and provide a subtle contrast to the forest of green from towering pines surrounding the property.

Truckee, California Zone 6b

Plants: asteraceae, crassulaceae, cupressaceae, ericaceae, lamiaceae, pinaceae, plantaginaceae