In December of last year we had the pleasure of designing a refresh for a front garden in the Oakland hills. The garden was mostly (dead) lawn, with some tired evergreen hedges and water-loving rose bushes. The clients wanted a fresh, modern look that was easier to maintain, drought tolerant, and welcoming with pops of color.
The same clients also hired us to design their backyard, but they wanted to install the front garden first. So, we have had the pleasure of seeing the growth of the front garden over the past six months, as we have returned to the site to work on the design and installation of the back.
Before: A Front Garden in Need of a Facelift
Patchy lawn and thirsty roses, mixed with semi-formal overgrown hedges, didn’t give the house the modern and bright look the clients wanted to see when they came home every day. And, the side pathway was disconnected from the very narrow and unwelcoming main walkway.
A Drought Tolerant Modern Refresh
We designed a colorful, lower maintenance perennial garden packed full of bright California native plantings, and a new olive tree to add height and interest to the front garden. The new 5’ wide concrete pathway with black mexican pebble joints create rhythm and interest as guests walk up to the front door.
Because this project is in the Oakland hills, fire resilience is a key design concern. We decided to use rock mulch for this project to add to the dry garden look and limit the amount of flammable organic material in the landscape.
Garden Installation
Mario Montano and his crew at Back in Shape Landscape did a great job with the installation – from forming and pouring the concrete (finished with Top-Cast to give the concrete an acid etch finish), installing the plantings and rock mulch, and adding Netafim drip grid irrigation, along with modern light fixtures.
After: The Garden in Early February
Mario and his crew wrapped up the installation in early February, and it was so exciting to see the modern transformation that the new concrete walkway added to the house! We planted most of the plants as smaller one gallons so they would establish well in the ground, which also meant that they were quite small right after installation.
Spring Growth: The Garden in Early June
Because we are also working on the back garden, we got to come back several times throughout the spring and summer to see the growth of the new plantings. This side-by-side comparison really shows the growth of the garden over only three months! It has been so joyful to see the riot of color that has been popping up all spring.
Late August: The garden continues to fill in
These final photos are from August, and the garden has continued to grow and bloom. We are really looking forward to continuing to watch the garden mature, and hope to take some professional photos of the garden next spring so we can officially add this project to our online portfolio. Stay tuned!
