After a decade of experimental (and limited) landscaping at rented houses, I’d gratefully been presented with the opportunity to go deeper. Before moving into a newly purchased home, there were plants to be transplanted. At first, it was completely freestyle. I climbed the steeply sloped hillside to dig where I could—where the drought-hardened land allowed me to plant anew. I sought to preserve and revive what should be saved: decades old Japanese Maples, 20-foot Camellia trees, Rhododendron, native California Ceanothus, Flannel Bush, Manzanita, Flowering Currants, and Pacific Coast Irises, under a canopy of twisted, beautiful, heritage, moss-covered oak trees.

The soil softened from winter rains, I removed non-native invasive species, and amendments made the land more hospitable. I spent a few years studying landscape design while simultaneously using my yard as a gardening lab. First priority was to modernize and adapt the landscape to the current climate. Hardscaping remained as is, with some gentle DIY repairs, as needed. A non-functional and inconsistent dry creek across the front hillside was a couple of days work for me to repurpose the rocks and place them under the entryway deck.

Working with a mostly monochromatic palette of silver, white and frosty blues, punctuated by deep burgundy and black, I created a curated modern design with the existing established trees and shrubs. New addition highlights include a variety of serene cool hues in the form of Agave, Artemisia, Kalanchoe, and Senecio, among other rare beauties. Progress photos follow. Many more to come as these beautiful things grow…

Lafayette, California, Zone 9b

Plants: Agavaceae, Anacardiaceae, Asteraceae, Asparagaceae, Berberidaceae, Cactaceae, Carylophyllaceae, Compositae, Convolvulaceae, Crassulaceae, Cupressaceae, Ericaceae, Fagaceae, Geraniaceae, Grossulariaceae, Iridaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Onocleaceae, Poaceae, Pittisporaceae, Proteaceae, Sapindaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Sterculiaceae,