An IdealMow meadow of hardy Carex pansa fills much of the expansive backyard. It maintains its lush color year round, despite needing only 20 percent of the water needed by the turf grass that once filled the space. A bevy of California native sages and other blooms wraps the meadow, softening the Spanish tile-topped garden wall.

This front yard features a seating area and jar fountain, ringed by aromatic native plantings of California Lilac, Manzanita, Cleveland Sage. A meadow-style planting of native sedge grasses create soft look in the foreground, and new concrete pavers add a modern touch. We also believe the project’s driveway to be among the prettiest we’ve created or seen: a ribbon of stones and grasses now meanders along a Hollywood-style center planting area.

Photo: Susan J. Tweit Shot on the Marshall Pass road in the Sawatch Range of Colorado, in a grove of Quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides).
Photo of a landscaping in Denver.

This is an example of a small tropical partial sun front yard water fountain landscape in Los Angeles.

The homeowner wanted a drought tolerant landscape for this coastal bluff that could handle the salty winds.
Inspiration for a mid-sized coastal full sun hillside landscaping in Los Angeles.

This is an example of a small craftsman full sun backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a small craftsman full sun backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

This is an example of a small craftsman full sun backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional galley porcelain tile enclosed kitchen remodel in Other with a double-bowl sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, marble countertops, metallic backsplash, metal backsplash, black appliances and an island

Photo of a small tropical partial sun front yard water fountain landscape in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a small tropical partial sun front yard water fountain landscape in Los Angeles.

Design ideas for a small tropical partial sun front yard water fountain landscape in Los Angeles.

French market basket of books, Chinese straw slippers, Afghanistani rug, Egyptian linen bed covers, and earth blocks from the Napa Valley. Watershed Blocks are special in the way that they capture the character of the earth from which they are formed. In wine-growing terms, this is called “terroir”. Architect : Juliet Hsu Photo : Jacob Snavely

Photo: Susan J. Tweit shot in Redwood National Park in northern California, in a grove of coast redwood trees (Sequoia sempivirens).
This is an example of a landscaping in Denver.

Design ideas for a small craftsman full sun backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

Photo: Susan J. Tweit mountain prairie garden in Salida, Colorado, of native bunch grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers designed to provide habitat for pollinators and songbirds. The plants include Sunset hyssop (Agastache rupestris, the pink spires on the left), blue grama grass (Bouteloua gracilis, golden “eyebrow” flowerheads), common Gaillardia or blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata, the yellow daisy-like flower with red markings), rubber rabbitbrush (Ericamera nauseosa, the multi-stemmed shrub in the background with gold flowers), and Bigelow’s tansy aster (Dieteria bigelovii, the purple flowers).

Photo: Susan J. Tweit Shot at Canyon Ranch in Tucson, Arizona, and the prominent plant is a Saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea).
Design ideas for a landscaping in Denver.

Photo: Susan J. Tweit shot in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, and it’s an Emory’s barrel cactus (Ferocactus emoryi).
This is an example of a landscaping in Denver.

Photo: Susan J. Tweit shot earlier this month at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, in a native Hill Country prairie. The cacti are prickly pears (Opuntia species), and the wildflowers include Texas indian paintbrush (Castilleja indivisa, the pinky-red ones), Hill country rain lily (the white ones, Cooperia pedunculata), and a native yellow composite (Asteraceae) I didn’t identify.