San Roque

Family Fun: The Landscape Design Challenge

'Living in the dust' had become a way of life for this family, whose home and property had been under construction for years. Grace Design Associates was called in to bring the "livability" back into this dusty construction site. With the stucco retaining walls and many architectural elements in place, our challenge was to reconnect the garden to the house through grading, naturalistic soil retention and careful layering of uses.

The Solution

The family wanted their garden to entertain of their soon-to-be teenage children, while providing a relaxing respite for the busy parents. A campfire style fire pit, a cedar hot tub and outdoor dining were just the ticket among naturalistic plantings were just the ticket! Rustic stone steps around and over the retaining walls allow access to every inch of the compact lot. Each garden element serves multiple uses, from a privacy screen of citrus trees, to a sitting area within the veggie garden, or a boulder retaining wall for flexible lounging around the rim of the hot tub. The gravel floor plane allows for evolving uses (we recently heard that a portion has now been dedicated chicken raising!) and a separate patio contains their boisterous doggies during the day to protect the garden. The garden terraces and natural stonework tie the garden back together with the Mediterranean-style home.