When our clients looked at their sprawling ranch property, they knew it had potential. Unfortunately, the scale was so daunting they were not sure where to begin. They had many ideas about what they wanted to create but were concerned about how to bring them altogether. Ultimately, that is why they enlisted our talented team of designers to craft a vision for their expansive outdoor construction project.
We began by looking at the property itself, it challenges/opportunities, & the essential goals for the landscape design. The property is massive; it spans the size of several traditional home lots. The front yard alone is as big as many public parks. This scale is always exciting because the final results can be so visually powerful. The property had a main residence & a shop building/construction yard for the client’s primary business. Our clients wanted the home to feel set apart from the rugged construction yard. Our clients wanted a stunning approach to the residence, water-friendly landscape design throughout the property, & a WOW outdoor living space & pool are for the backyard.
For the front yard & driveway design, we envisioned a sweeping horseshoe driveway. This would further accentuate the visual width of the lot & accommodate our clients’ many vehicles. We wanted to feature a combination of hardscape materials on the driveway. First we would bring you in with a seeded aggregate approach that would combine the rugged natural beauty of stone with the durability of concrete. Next, closer to the residence, we would change to a rich paver accent. This would serve to further highlight the main entry of the residence.
Accent walls & retaining walls would help to define boundaries & change elevations in the front yard. The landscaping in the front yard would be a unique combination of water-friendly Oaks, Palo Verde trees, various succulents & cacti. We also recommended using a mixture of Lantanas & ornamental grasses for ground cover areas. At the main entry of the residence, we also thought the strategic use of large pots would be critical to giving a lush feeling to the entry. These lush plantings would work in concert with a decorative fountain feature & spacious pergola to cool the entry courtyard.
As you proceed to the backyard, the beautiful pavers of the front entry continue into the expansive outdoor living space. We also thought it would add a lot to the design to lower the backyard giving it a powerful change of elevation. Stepping down, one arrives at a magnificent pool-scape complete with a gorgeous swimming pool, spa & fountain feature. These elements create the primary visual anchors of the backyard.
In addition to the pool-scape, we designed an outdoor pavilion area with an expansive outdoor kitchen space. The outdoor kitchen offers our clients plenty of bar seating, a spacious gas grill & a contemporary pizza oven. The space is shaded & protected by a stucco finish patio structure with a tile roof to match the residence. This outdoor living space connects directly to another destination within the landscape that is elevated to offer a completely different view. Here we would change paving materials again to feature a natural flagstone seating area accompanied by a beautiful fountain pot.
When we were developing the planting palette for the backyard, there were two essential goals: shade & privacy. We leaned into Oak varieties again to give us a spacious canopy of shade throughout the landscape design. We also used Japanese Blueberry trees to give a dense foliage wall of privacy. Aside from the trees, we focused on lush & durable plants that would offer color & texture. These included various ornamental grasses, floribunda roses & Lantana species.
The last area of emphasis was to create a passage garden from the main backyard to the client’s “she-shed”. We again recommended flagstone to create a natural pathway to the shed that complimented the existing orchard that surrounded it. Set on either side of the pathway we envisioned a blooming perennial garden that would offer a variety of colors & textures to those taking the path.
While our clients were initially overwhelmed by trying to reimagine their sprawling property, we were able to give them a design that is a beautiful roadmap to their perfect home & garden.