While many of our showcased projects have involved dramatic redesigns, it’s important to note that not every landscape project is so sensational. In fact, our work often revolves around making subtle changes that enhance the outdoor areas, making them more functional and enjoyable for the property owner.
The quality of these less dramatic projects often comes down to the details of how the different elements are blended together. We recently wrote about how the San Diego County CLCA recognized Torrey Pines Landscape Company for its maintenance efforts on two projects: Crosby and Mt. Soledad.
The Crosby project shows how small changes in hardscaping can significantly impact a space’s utility. It also showcases how a highly skilled team of landscape contractors can utilize plantings to blend with the new elements and create a unified aesthetic with the rest of the property.
Project Scope
The property owner determined that the driveway was too narrow and difficult to navigate, necessitating a significant expansion and redesign to make it easier to park and exit when needed. The expansion would require the driveway to dig into the small hill that bordered the property, which meant that the expanded hardscape would need to include some support for the excavated hillside.
The backyard already included a large patio and pool area, whose sandy-colored concrete would provide the aesthetic base for the new landscape plantings. The redesign would incorporate new flagstone stepper paths and general replanting of the property’s flora to help blend the existing elements with the new.
Driveway Redesign
The existing driveway extended from the front of the property to the back via a very narrow strip of concrete that snaked past the side of the home. Getting cars in and out of this strip was highly inconvenient, which stirred the homeowner to action.
To create adequate room for the owner’s cars and guests, the Torrey Pines Landscape Company crew determined that a circular front driveway would provide easy and convenient navigation. Though it would limit the space available for flora, the design would allow for small islands of planters to give a welcome splash of greenery.
The new circular driveway would utilize a combination of sandy-colored flagstones to extend the existing hardscape aesthetic and more traditional dark gray concrete bands to provide a visual breakup. The new driveway would have a footpath extending to the property’s front door and a wider path for cars to access the newly extended side driveway.
The side driveway would be widened significantly, providing ample room for cars to maneuver side-by-side to enter or exit the side of the home. The extension would utilize the same combination of sandy flagstones and dark gray concrete bands, terminating in a new tan Santa Barbara stucco retaining wall.
The retaining wall would be constructed to support the grade as the expansion cut-into slope bordering the property and separating the home from its neighbors. The hill, previously barren outside of a few mature olive and oak trees, would be wholly replanted with vibrant green local shrubbery and neutral colored flowering shrubs to provide a softening effect to the hardscape’s mostly uniform coloration.
Backyard Additions & Maintenance
The property’s backyard was dominated by an existing central patio and pool area, with planters and stretches of lawn radiating out toward the property’s borders. The Torrey Pines team was tasked with updating the landscaping in the planters and the border hillside to modernize the landscape, add some flagstone paths to ease navigation, and create a unified aesthetic between the front and back of the property.
The planters contained mature oak, palm, and olive trees, which were to remain in place. Water conservation weighed heavily into the selection of the flora, as California’s hot summers and long periods of drought have caused water use to rise considerably over the past decade.
In this vein, the planters were filled with California natives and fronded shrubbery that provided a vibrant splash of green while remaining waterwise and conservative. Large succulent plants were used on the hillside and dotted the planters to provide visual accent variety and create a more localized flavor to the floral selection.
The side gate that connected the side driveway to the backyard also needed a new footpath to connect the two sections of the landscape. A small footpath of large sandstone flagstones was laid to provide a navigable and aesthetic pathway.
With the driveway hardscape significantly expanded and the planters and hillside completely transformed, Torrey Pines Landscape Company created a much more functional outdoor space with a floral selection that had been updated to respond to a changing climate and aesthetic preferences.
Need a more usable yard? The seasoned professional landscape contractors at Torrey Pines Landscape Company can ensure you get everything you want from your outdoor landscape. Call today!