Total Landscaping Rework In Point Loma

While many of our transformative landscaping projects involve a combination of hardscaping and landscaping, some projects put more of a focus on one or the other. Some properties benefit from a full hardscape design to maximize the available space, while some revitalization projects often focus almost exclusively on landscape plantings.

As a San Diego residential landscape design-build company, we feel all our gardens should be designed with low water landscaping methods in mind. Oftentimes we’re called in to implement a particularly curated landscape planting arrangements to accent the newly remodeled home. With the use of native plants, pollinator plants, and low water ornamental plants, we artfully design the landscape for year round beauty as the garden evolves through the seasons. 

This Point Loma property was undergoing a large-scale renovation project. While the beautiful home was getting major work done both inside and out, we were chosen to incorporate a low-water landscape and accent work to beautify the outdoor spaces.

The Challenge

The house was being remodeled to feature a highly contemporary aesthetic, including a stark white/black color scheme. Our design and implementation team would need to create a planting mix that complemented the home’s new look. In addition to the plantings, the team would enhance the usability of the property’s outdoor space by building crushed rock walking paths, low voltage landscape lighting, and other accent work such as a unique wood bench at the entry of the home. 

Creating A Vibrant Floral Picture

When our team arrived on-site, the previous landscape had already been torn out and graded in preparation for the remodel. We constructed the entire landscape from scratch leading with soil amendments, and low water drip irrigation. The home sits on an elevated site above the street, with a series of contemporary concrete steps leading to the front door. On each side of the staircase, a large expanse of barren yard stretched to the borders of the property. 

Aside from the addition of new crushed rock pathways leading to each side yard, this space would primarily be used for aesthetics plantings and curb appeal. The empty space would be planted with waterwise plantings featuring a wide variety of native plants, drought tolerant ornamental plants and pollinator attracting plants.

The bright white and contemporary design of the home’s new façade demanded uniformity in the floral mix’s coloration. The landscape is dominated by shades of green and mixed textures with splashes of purple and yellow flowers.  Their blossoms attract pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds and bees providing nectar as well as herbaceous food to fuel the lifecycle of caterpillars to monarchs. 

The front yard would feature three primary focal points: a California Sycamore tree, a standard form Olive tree and a multi branch form Olive tree. The trees sit at either side of the concrete stairway, while the center olive tree would overlook the stairway and frame the home’s front entrance.

Outside of the three new trees, the planters would be populated with a range of grasses, shrubs, and succulents. Most prominent among them include grasses, butterfly bushes, agaves, pollinator perennials, succulents, and ground covers.

Installing The Details

The property features two side yards that connect the front of the home to the redesigned pool area in the back. Crushed rock walkways connecting the two primary outdoor spaces. For a contemporary design, a neutral colored material was needed. Rather than opting for more concrete, a gravel path would be used to soften the lines of the landscape and provide a more welcoming entryway to the property’s side gates. 

The path is supported by black aluminum edging for a clean contemporary look that nods back to the home’s black window trim. After passing through the side gate, the crushed-stone path would widen to serve as the ground cover for the side yard where plants soften the space and create nice news from the home’s windows.

Lighting fixtures such as path lights and spot lights on trees were added to help guide pedestrians up the concrete stairway and down either of the new gravel paths. A modern, minimalist design was chosen for the fixtures, colored black to match the home’s accent colors.

One final focal point would be added to the front yard to finish off the contemporary aesthetic: a deceptively simple wooden bench. The piece comes from San Diego Urban Timber, a local furniture provider that utilizes the wood collected from fallen urban trees.

The rustic bench features a single, untreated piece of trimmed timber supported by two lighter colored planks connected via joinery. The intensely minimalist design of the outdoor furniture piece helps seal the contemporary design scheme.

When the installation of the landscape was complete, the yard transformed into a sea of verdant green, and the home had a new waterwise landscape fit to match its new aesthetic. If your home is undergoing a dramatic overhaul and needs San Diego’s resident high-end landscape experts to complete its new look, call today.