This newly built house had incredible views, but the developer hadn’t provided any outdoor spaces from which to enjoy them. A couple of narrow and uneven strips of grass were the only usable garden areas on this hillside home

We started by levelling the top area into two terraced lawns of low water Kurapia and more than doubling the space on the lower level with retaining walls. The CorTen retaining wall is a beautiful foil to the rustic stairs and wood and cable rail. We built a striking new pergola with a graphic steel-patterned roof to make a covered seating area. Along with creating shade, the roof casts a movie reel of shade patterns throughout the day. Now there is ample space to kick back and relax, watching the sun spread its glow on the surrounding hillside as it makes its slow journey down the horizon towards sunset. An aerodynamic fan keeps the air pleasantly cool and refreshing. At night the backyard comes alive with an ethereal lighting scheme illuminating the space and making it a place you can enjoy well into the night. It’s the perfect place to end the day.


A sumptuous palette of yellow and purple plants graces the slope. It’s a lush and biodiverse selection of California natives and the spirited expanse of flowers and foliage grounds the new house into the surrounding hillside. Aromatic native Sages, Monkey Flower and Yarrow play off the rich green of Coyote Bush while native Blonde Ambition Blue Grama grass brushes the magenta pom-pom flowers of Pink Melaleuca tree. The tight purple flowers of California Lilac complement the open faced California Sunflower. A Coast Live Oak was planted to stand sentry over all. Plants are all hardy and highly drought tolerant. The Kurapia groundcover lawn is verdant but, once established, hardly needs watering. The constant buzzing and bird warbling create a soothing natural soundtrack.

We balanced building a beautiful and functional garden with sustainable practices. All the roof water runoff is channeled into a large stormwater planter at the top of the slope. An adorable but pesky population of voles were kept from the plants roots by planting all the plants and trees in mesh baskets. This method allows the voles and gophers to cohabitate with the native flora and fauna. Sandy soil was bolstered with plenty of compost, organic amendments, and best planting practices.