To deal with the pain and excitement of their kids leaving the house for college, these empty nesters wanted to transform their lawn—once home to swing sets and games of catch—into a peaceful retreat. She was dead-set on a water feature, he really wanted a fire pit, and their dogs (which had moved up in rank since the kids were gone) needed a nice patch of grass to play on. The couple’s tastes had changed in the 20 years since they’d bought the Spanish- style bungalow, and they wanted a garden with a more contemporary feeling. Looking to the history of Spanish landscape design, we were able tweak traditional layouts and elements to create a more contemporary garden that fit the needs of all the inhabitants of the home—human and canine alike.

To deal with the pain and excitement of their kids leaving the house for college, these empty nesters wanted to transform their lawn—once home to swing sets and games of catch—into a peaceful retreat. She was dead-set on a water feature, he really wanted a fire pit, and their dogs (which had moved up in rank since the kids were gone) needed a nice patch of grass to play on. The couple’s tastes had changed in the 20 years since they’d bought the Spanish- style bungalow, and they wanted a garden with a more contemporary feeling. Looking to the history of Spanish landscape design, we were able tweak traditional layouts and elements to create a more contemporary garden that fit the needs of all the inhabitants of the home—human and canine alike.

To deal with the pain and excitement of their kids leaving the house for college, these empty nesters wanted to transform their lawn—once home to swing sets and games of catch—into a peaceful retreat. She was dead-set on a water feature, he really wanted a fire pit, and their dogs (which had moved up in rank since the kids were gone) needed a nice patch of grass to play on. The couple’s tastes had changed in the 20 years since they’d bought the Spanish- style bungalow, and they wanted a garden with a more contemporary feeling. Looking to the history of Spanish landscape design, we were able tweak traditional layouts and elements to create a more contemporary garden that fit the needs of all the inhabitants of the home—human and canine alike.

Transitional Mediterranean courtyard with Laura Lee Designs Capri Lanterns.
Example of a mid-sized tuscan one-story and backyard stucco and concrete paver gray patio design in Los Angeles with a tile roof, a fire pit and no cover

Photo by SRQ360
This is an example of a modern courtyard formal garden in Tampa.

Large pots can be used as focal points in the garden, with or without plantings inside. Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

My clients wanted a new front and back garden which matched their lifestyle. Their main objectives were growing their own food and space for two enormous dogs to roam and play without destroying the rest of the garden. To this end, we used large and extra tall redwood beds (save your back!) in multiple sizes and shapes, plants that aren't easily broken by the occasional 130-lb dog romp, and a "grass" patch (walkable lawn alternative). All of the design elements are connected by decomposed granite pathways for a natural flow. Lastly, we added a fire pit and flagstone patio connected to the existing deck. The eating and living spaces capture the perfect South-facing sunlight most of the day. Now, all of the family members, including the furry ones, can relax and enjoy this peaceful spot.

Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

Beautiful stone fountain is a favorite gathering spot for the local birds and other wildlife from adjacent open space. Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

Large, historic home from the 1930's overlooking downtown Santa Cruz. My clients are self-described "plantaholics" and tend to buy many plants, only to have them die. They have an extensive gardening area and low water budget. Our main goal was to make the overall design cohesive between various areas of the garden while utilizing interesting and unusual plant selections - a very fun project for me! We removed over 3,000 square feet of traditional grass and replaced it with several lawn alternatives. The first is a walkable groundcover that uses a fraction of the water of regular grass (and can be seen here in several seasons, one of which has tiny flowers); The second is a California native grass that grows long (or can be kept short) and can tolerate some shade. Both of these are excellent choices for clients with children or dogs who want a green patch without using excessive water. My clients love plants from Australia and South Africa so plants from the Proteacea and other Southern Hemisphere beauties are used predominantly throughout the project. Clean, flowing water is so important for wildlife and the beautiful stone fountain is a constant gathering spot for birds and other animals. My clients are beyond thrilled with their gorgeous, nature-filled garden and ever-expanding plant knowledge.

Land Studio C
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard concrete paver landscaping in San Francisco for summer.

This is an urban single family home situated on a narrow lot that is about 1/8 of an acre and is only 2 blocks from the Pacific Ocean. I designed a completely new garden and installed everything along with the client’s help. The garden I designed consisted of an ornamental grass garden, a xeriscape garden with decomposed granite mounds, fruit trees and shrubs located throughout, a jungle forest garden, and raised brick vegetable beds in the rear. Previously, there was a wood deck covering almost the entire property that was removed by the owner. We installed root guard around all of the walkways. I installed the raised brick vegetable beds and walkways around the vegetable beds. Many of the plants were chosen to provide food and habitat for pollinators as well. Dozens of fruiting plants were located in the garden. So, it is called the “Garden of Eatin”. Landscape design and photo by Roland Oehme

My clients wanted a new front and back garden which matched their lifestyle. Their main objectives were growing their own food and space for two enormous dogs to roam and play without destroying the rest of the garden. To this end, we used large and extra tall redwood beds (save your back!) in multiple sizes and shapes, plants that aren't easily broken by the occasional 130-lb dog romp, and a "grass" patch (walkable lawn alternative). All of the design elements are connected by decomposed granite pathways for a natural flow. Lastly, we added a fire pit and flagstone patio connected to the existing deck. The eating and living spaces capture the perfect South-facing sunlight most of the day. Now, all of the family members, including the furry ones, can relax and enjoy this peaceful spot.

Patio fountain - huge mediterranean backyard stone patio fountain idea in Los Angeles with no cover

My clients wanted a new front and back garden which matched their lifestyle. Their main objectives were growing their own food and space for two enormous dogs to roam and play without destroying the rest of the garden. To this end, we used large and extra tall redwood beds (save your back!) in multiple sizes and shapes, plants that aren't easily broken by the occasional 130-lb dog romp, and a "grass" patch (walkable lawn alternative). All of the design elements are connected by decomposed granite pathways for a natural flow. Lastly, we added a fire pit and flagstone patio connected to the existing deck. The eating and living spaces capture the perfect South-facing sunlight most of the day. Now, all of the family members, including the furry ones, can relax and enjoy this peaceful spot.

Redesigned back yard including brick patio, stone sitting walls, white garden, perennial gardens and driveway.
Design ideas for a small traditional partial sun backyard brick formal garden in New York.

Bluestone path with Mazus groundcover in the joints, leading to an outdour shower.
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional backyard stone formal garden in Philadelphia.

My clients wanted a new front and back garden which matched their lifestyle. Their main objectives were growing their own food and space for two enormous dogs to roam and play without destroying the rest of the garden. To this end, we used large and extra tall redwood beds (save your back!) in multiple sizes and shapes, plants that aren't easily broken by the occasional 130-lb dog romp, and a "grass" patch (walkable lawn alternative). All of the design elements are connected by decomposed granite pathways for a natural flow. Lastly, we added a fire pit and flagstone patio connected to the existing deck. The eating and living spaces capture the perfect South-facing sunlight most of the day. Now, all of the family members, including the furry ones, can relax and enjoy this peaceful spot.