Landscape Design Projects Archives - Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

Endless Summer: Landscape Design With Water Conservation

August 14, 2015 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

A journey to transform a garden and find beauty, serenity and sustainability.

Problem:

An East-Coast garden under a California sky; Soulless, uninviting, and thirsty.

Solution:

Start with a blank slate.

Welcome with a lively tapestry of fascinating, region-appropriate plants that put nature back into the garden and help rediscover its soul.

At some time after purchasing this Southern California home, it occurred to the homeowner how unwelcoming its existing landscape was:

The East-Coast landscape with lawn and roses didn’t work for this Ranch-style house, nor did it respond well to the need for water conservation.

This home, whose architecture, materials, and siting have more of a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to them, invited a simpler and serene landscape that would thrive even with parsimonious amounts of water and would incorporate California landscape elements: Clear skies and brilliant light, rugged nature with canyons and arroyos, boulder-strewn mountains, deserts, and a host of interesting native plants that are known worldwide.

Designed by Ken Ronchetti, whose architecture has “a soft strength in its simplicity”, the homeowner was ready to explore how to make her garden more inviting and how to capture its soul: Could succulents, California natives and other water-wise plants, until then unknown to her, complement and hold up to this architecture?

The first priority was to integrate the existing Live Oak and Paperbark Trees; both have reached a beautiful maturity. The stone cladding of walls and pilasters create a strong element, and we knew that incorporating boulders would play up their strength and be part of the landscape.

Knowing the client’s love for plants, I subdivided the area into separate spaces to be discovered on a path. This path is important to put the visitor into the landscape, not just view it from the edges.

She’d be able to wander through individual garden rooms and planting scenes or stop at the bench under the Oak tree, inviting rest and discovery of a tapestry of perennials, woody California native shrubs, and succulents that are endlessly entertaining and consume very little supplemental water.

The courtyard is walled in, resulting in the need for the landscape to be open and allow a feeling of depth. Therefore the plant compositions stay mainly low so that the can eye can wander across the tapestry of interesting plants.

Visible here are Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Agave ‘Blue Glow’, Blue Bedder (Beard Tongue) Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BoP’ , against the foliage of Velvet Elephant Ear Kalanchoe beharensis, and Golden Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’.

Many beautiful boulders now echo the rugged stone element used for walls, walkways, and pilasters. Among them a bubbling boulder is the focal point upon arrival. It is surrounded by plants that highlight its beauty and ruggedness.

The heavy downpour during a recent thunderstorm tricked a Mountain Lilac here into re-bloom several months after its first bloom this spring. It makes a lovely companion to other drought tolerant plants: Agaves, Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Crassula coccinea ‘Campfire’, Echeveria Ruffles, and Blue Oatgrass Helictotrichon sempervirens, Silver Spurge Echeveria rigida, Aloe Little Gem Aloe rudikoppe.

It is a balancing act to create harmony and cohesion with a limited plant palette, but limiting it is important to avoid a hodgepodge and mere plant museum. Here, drought resistant ‘Pink Spice’ Geranium Pelargonium ionidiflorum mingle with Echeveria ‘Ruffles’, Verbena ‘Little One’ Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’, and Sundrops Calylophus drummondii.

Always conscious of sustainability, the existing picket fence was kept; Although more befitting the previous Victorian landscape style rather than the new one, it was found useful to accentuate the feeling of intimacy and keep rabbits and raccoons out as much as possible.

This garden is very much an experimental site: It is growing, evolving and confirms our trust in the future as the plants mature. Some of these plants, such as Blue Sedge Carex flacca have shown to be the wrong choice for this garden (they never stopped sprawling).

Finding the right amount of supplemental water is a bit of a challenge as with varying sun exposure, tree canopies and roof overhang there are more individual watering zones than one might expect.

I’m passionate about juxtaposing different textures and forms to create tension and interest, so placing a wispy grass or delicate perennial next to a heavy boulder is a knee-jerk gesture.

Also appealing to me is placing a fleshy succulent next to the rugged mass of a boulder; I feel that both complement each other, and although the Sunset Jade Crassula argentea in this picture can’t hold up to the sturdiness of the rock, its equally robust and ‘weighty’, and both plants heighten up their individual qualities.

Evoking the mountains and their delicate windswept plant companions, Agave ‘Blue Glow’ and Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ nestle between these boulders.

Against the canopy of the Paperbark Tree Melaleuca quinquenervia the perennials,grasses and succulents, this feels like the relief of a sunny clearing in the forest.

I am very happy that the owner has asked me to keep an eye on this garden and help it mature with monthly maintenance. Looking at these photos and considering the time that has elapsed since the garden was first planted, I’m struck again at how exciting it is to care for all these plants.

What will the garden mature into? Will the plants keep their promise?
I’m delighted by the garden’s serenity, and the homeowner’s words give me great joy: “You couldn’t have captured my vision any better.”

Photography courtesy of Emma Almendarez.

Beautiful drought tolerant garden in San Marcos

June 30, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist 2 Comments

This landscape was transformed from lawn-centric static space into a living garden designed for outdoor living. It is colorful and entertaining year round, and invites to enjoy and relax, play and garden.

We transformed the yard into a drought resistant landscape with room for many activities: A patio roof and shade trees make outdoor living comfortable; with play lawn and plenty of garden beds (both homeowners are avid gardeners) there’s room to play outdoors year round.

PROJECT SUMMARY: After sitting down with the homeowners, we opted for lawn-removal in front and kept only a minimum of lawn in the backyard for the children to play on. With this landscape re-do, the homeowners have reclaimed their front yard and created a private “buffer zone” at their front door. The homeowners are passionate gardeners, so we significantly increased their garden space and filled it with exceptional drought resistant plants.

We replaced the paving material of the existing terrace with a tumbled paver placed on sand and added a shade structure. Although the terrace was reduced in size, it is comfortable for the many uses of this family, and the large shade cover creates lovely dappled shade in this space. A wrap-around seat wall invites garden visitors to observe the plants and the fish in the small pond placed at the edge of the terrace for close-up viewing.

As the trees grow, they will not only cool the entrance and protect shade loving plants, they will also complement the horizontal lines of the architecture, anchor the house to its site and “shrink” the home to a more human scale.

To allow more water to penetrate into the subsoil, compacted pervious DG (decomposed granite, a local material) was used to create paths through the garden. These paths lead to benches and arbors and provide a clean, fast-drying surface to walk on or ride a tricycle.

Partners:

Nature Designs Landscaping, Vista, CA

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Dynamic Family Garden in La Jolla

November 28, 2013 By Christiane Holmquist

This “outdoor home” has it all: Outdoor living areas; complete privacy and lush plantings.

The backyard was redesigned as intimate “outdoor home” with several usable spaces, inviting privacy, color and and interesting textures. Its muted tones, the weathered-looking hardscape materials and a colorful xeriscape design give this garden a beautiful matured feeling.

The garden achieved a 2013 “Gardens of the Year” award bestowed by San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles magazine. (Read “On Key”, by Eva Ditler; with photos by Martin Mann).

(Before)

The existing backyard landscape design had an impractical layout: A planter bed chopped up the main patio, and the oversized pool deck left no room for plants that would give this garden life and interest.

The goal of the landscape renovation was the creation of several distinct use areas, in style and design harmonizing with the textures and colors of the contemporary California home; plants would be colorful, unfussy and low in their water needs.

This project was a great opportunity to balance the hardscape materials with the plant-scape while applying a modern design palette to the overall composition, always pursuing the idea of weathering and maturity.

The pool and spa look like a modern lagoon, adding to the feeling of peace and tranquility.

Besides being a fun retreat, this hammock allows viewing the garden from a different angle.

A double layer of pale green sails provides cool shade to a new dining and lounging area.
The layout and blend of the materials harmonize well with the tones and architecture of the residence: Matte concrete, rusted planters, mottled copper, faded wood and living bamboo.

The old cluttered garden was turned in a sunny, dynamic yet restful ‘outdoor home’, organized to allow for entertainment, relaxation and play.
Despite the many built elements such as pavement, steel edging, naturally rusted planters and light troughs, the hardscapes do not overwhelm the garden.

The original overgrown tropical plants were replaced with subtropical low maintenance plants, in the owner’s preferred color palette of chartreuse, black-purple, and pink or yellow/orange: Dark Forest Pansy Redbud and “Ti Ruby” Cordyline; magenta Rock Purslane and golden Kangaroo Paw; also pink Echeveria to which Carex Evergold and Aechmea blanchetiana provide the yellow and orange contrast.
These are mostly drought resistant plants that provide a long-lived, elegant plant scheme whose interest is kept alive through their colorful foliage that will keep its strong presence in the garden throughout the seasons.

One of the landscape lighting ideas was to fill steel troughs with lava rock and place them strategically within the garden to act as beacons in the night and to prolong the outdoor entertainment after nightfall.

The steel fountain is a serene visual and audible treat.

Halfway through the installation, the construction of an over-sized home in the neighbor’s yard was a big concern.

We resolved the challenge with a Black Timor Bamboo hedge that creates an intimate space and helps re-direct the eye inwards to vivid plantings and a synergy of all materials employed. It’s exciting to see how the black Bamboo stems echo the dark pavement in a wonderful contrast to the surrounding green foliage.This San Diego Landscape design is a joy to live in.

Lush and Waterwise Landscape Design in Carlsbad, CA

October 6, 2013 By Christiane Holmquist 4 Comments

This drought resistant landscaping – front and back – is lovingly planted with exuberant, dramatic greenery that is a pleasure to care for. Shady sitting areas, water play features for children and adults, and comfortable walkways made from beautiful materials invite year-round outdoor enjoyment. A stunning example of xeriscape design in San Diego.

Overgrown landscape hides modern architecture

Before

BEFORE: The front yard landscape design was a plant jumble that obscured the entrance to this modern home and darkened the front yard.

WANTED: The homeowners desired a low water landscape with low maintenance plants; in addition, these gardens should provide year-round gardening pleasure with plants sculptural and bold enough to hold their own against the striking architecture of the home.

From the existing planting scheme we kept the palm trees as accents and overhead canopy. To this we added terrestrial Bromeliads, Echeverias, Aeoniums and Agaves selected for their dramatic foliage, easy care and permanent allure. A large Aloe bainesii, Bronze Loquats, Leucadendrons “Safari Sunset” and an exotic Trevisia palmata add weight in the mid-plane of the composition.

The flower bed designs show a plant combination that works well: The Leucadendrons, Aechmeas and Vrieseas will need watering every 10 days or thereabouts (this of course after the establishment period). They’ll make good companions to the Agaves, Echeverias, Sedums and Coral Bells.

A sleek re-circulating fountain stands across from the window and can be viewed from inside. A flat-topped boulder and a chair nearby invite to sit and watch the grandchildren play with the water.

This fountain was fabricated from naturally rusted cor-ten steel. Water is pumped up from a subterranean reservoir into the fountain trough and sheets over its sides.

Although Peruvian Lilies and Iris provide a lot of color in the summer months, most of the visual interest is provided by the permanent textures and colors of foliage plants, as here by the Black Moon Aeonium, variegated Foxtail Agave, Dymondia Silver Carpet and Sedum kimnachii, all very fine drought xeriscape plants.

A flagstone path bisects the front garden, connecting the driveway to the front door and continuing around the house to the back garden. It allows viewing and exploring from all angles and increases the enjoyment of so many fascinating plants.

This xeriscape design in San Diego has become a garden with generous and exuberant greenery; there is just enough lawn for grandchildren and dog to play on. A beautiful flagstone path invites strolling past Mexican Marigolds, ornamental grasses, Rock Purslane, Sundrops and Brazilian Coppertree, to name a few.

The sandbox was placed under the Jacaranda right next to the pergola, and a “splashing boulder” adds another attraction for children and adults. Now parents and children can enjoy their playtime in the comfort of these shady places.

The raised beds are holding Roses, Lavender, ornamental grasses and Irises of “her” collection as well as vegetables planted at their feet. With careful placement and their own irrigation cycle no plant interferes with another, and all are doing well.

Fantastic succulents and cacti evoke a world of other-worldly marine creatures that was inspired by the “sea-scape” created at San Diego Botanic Garden by Jeff Moore, Owner of Solana Succulents. Red Octopus Aloe, Myers Asparagus Fern, Star Fish Aloe and Medusa Plant were set into two earthen mounds decorated with scree, lava rock and boulders to evoke a coral world populated with sea weeds, anemones and star fishes.

Partners in this project: Mark Sterk of Columbine Landscape, Escondido, CA, one of the finest landscaping companies in San Diego, executed this project with a never-tiring attention to detail, creative problem solving and absolute dedication to quality performance. Rancho Soledad Nursery, Rancho Santa Fe, CA provided the “exotics” (Vrieseas, Aechmeas, Agaves, Echeverias). Green Meadow Growers in Bonsall, CA provided perennials and succulents. Solana Succulents provided the plants for the “sea scapes”. This is truly a breath taking example of xeriscape in San Diego.

From Boring Yard to Garden Joy: Six Steps to Help You Create Your Dream Landscape Design (Part I)

September 30, 2013 By Christiane Homquist Leave a Comment

Are you dreaming of a peaceful, functional and relaxing outdoor living space?

One that you want to spend every free minute in?

For a successful home landscape design that brings you enjoyment, peace and comfort, take these ingredients:

Dream it (and now’s the time to pull all the stops)
Determine your needs (i.e. what you can realistically do); assign required space dimensions to each element
Define your style
Draw a plan (or get landscape design help)
Remove and keep only what’s desirable (f. ex. a shade tree) and put it all together
Enjoy!

It’ll work for you, too, with this recipe! Here’s how we did it for Rachel’s garden:

1. Dream it
When I first met Rachel she had come with her garden club to visit a garden that I had designed. She complimented me on the beauty of the design and asked if I’d be interested in helping her with her yard: She didn’t think much could be made of it since it was so small, but could I come to see it anyways?

Rachel, at her wonderful age of 83, is a very active member in a few different clubs, and as we talked it was apparent that she had a clear idea of what she dreamt of:

Have more friends over and entertain them in her garden.

She hoped for a space in her garden in which to serve some light foods and drinks, surrounded by color and beauty. The lawn wasn’t comfortable anymore to walk on, and over the years the shrubs had been disfigured and pruned into boring blobs; many had just disappeared and had never been replaced.

Where would I create this entertainment space, since the yard was so small?
And would there perhaps be room for a lounge chair in a reading nook?
And could she have a fountain, or other water feature?
And would we have enough room still for many flowers and interesting textures?
The entire yard was enclosed by a 5 ft wall not high enough to block out the neighbor’s window. Could we make the garden more private without blocking her view of the ocean?

2. Determine your needs (i.e. what you can realistically do); assign required space dimensions to each element

The first thing I asked Rachel was to define and tell me about how she planned to entertain her friends:

Would she want to sit down at a table and serve food there?
And how many people would she like to seat?
And where would the food be served from, since the main kitchen was upstairs, on the first floor?

We determined that she wasn’t going to serve hot food but only salads and finger foods prepared in the smaller downstairs kitchen in her guest apartment. This way she wouldn’t need any tables to sit down as most people (mostly groups of up to 10 to 15 people) would be standing or strolling through the garden; some seating could be provided with benches.

(Note: To seat 4 people around a table we would have needed at least 10 sq ft ; this seems to be the bare minimum, and if you need circulation space around it or your chairs are a bit oversized, 14 sq ft for this dining area would be needed.)

However, to accommodate these groups, two “entertainment” areas would be best, and I suggested to allow for each about 12 x 12 ft : This would allow room for benches, some additional (temporary) seating if necessary, and still have enough planting space around them to soften all. Also, these spaces would need to be connected with easy pathways. (Inviting people to stroll from one area to the other would be a perfect way to display plants to be discovered on the way.)

Since most of her friends are elderly, the pavement under foot needed to be safe, which in my mind excluded any materials with uneven surface such as flagstones or gravel.

This left stabilized/compacted DG (decomposed granite), concrete, tiles and interlocking pavers; which one would we be using?

3. Define your style

Examining her house and garden for elements that would help define the style of this new backyard landscape design, I noted these clues:

The main assets of the existing garden were a mature Pine tree in the corner that provided lovely shade (unfortunately pruned very unprofessionally but not beyond repair); also two mature fruit trees in the other corner, and a beautiful view of the ocean, in between a couple of roofs in the neighborhood. We would try to keep the mature trees.
Enclosing the garden was a 5 ft wall that had the potential of making it more private if it could be raised in a few critical areas?
Architectural style: Her house is a Southwest/Perceived Spanish 2-story building with white stucco and red tile roof, and an upstairs balcony from which she views her garden and the ocean.
There was an existing, albeit small patio paved with grey concrete; any new pavement would need to harmonize with it since we there was no budget to remove this pavement.
About Rachel’s preferred style: The strongest clues as to Rachel’s taste were, as with so many design clients, visible inside the home: She loves Mexican and Southwestern art, as displayed everywhere in terracotta tile floors, furniture, colorful cushions, glazed ceramics, paintings and souvenirs from the Southwest. Red tile was used everywhere, and the walls surrounding her garden are reminiscent of a Spanish courtyard whose surrounding walls allowed a beautiful view of the ocean.

We have now assembled the first ingredients of this recipe . For how to put them together for your dream garden, please read my follow-up post.

Sustainable Mediterranean Landscape In Bonsall

August 8, 2013 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

SUMMARY: Inspired by Californian’s brilliant sunshine, the architecture of the client’s home and the beautiful vistas of the surrounding hills, we created a sustainable landscape design that integrates drought resistant plants and employs permeable pavement, recycled materials,and Mediterranean style elements such as urns, fountains and sculptures.

The homeowners needed landscape design help organizing the outside space into several distinctly different, comfortable spaces that would honor the magnificent view and maximize outdoor living as much as possible in Southern California’s mild climate. The home landscape design should honor principles of sustainability with the recycling of existing material and the addition of a low water landscape that would demand only a minimum of maintenance.Lastly, it needed to have a distinctly Mediterranean flair to complement the home’ architecture, the statuary and fountains that the homeowner planned to incorporate.

With so much space to work with and the beauty of the rugged landscape and mountains surrounding the home, I had a lot of inspiration.

We opted to keep the existing pavement at the backside of the house rather than breaking it out. Instead we increased the outdoor entertainment space by adding prefabricated stepping stones that would have low maintenance needs and also allow more water to enter into the subsoil.

Between the stepping stones I planted the xeriscape plant Silver Carpet Dymondia margaretae. It is a tough, low-growing plant with very low water needs that will soften the edges and can tolerate light foot traffic.

The exceptionally healthy and vigorous China rose ‘Mutabilis’ was added because of its charm and its tolerance to a low-water regime.

On the slopes, we planted California natives such as Mountain Lilac Ceanothus, Manzanita Arctostaphylos, Rockrose Cistus, Coyote Mint and California Sunflower that would tolerate (and stabilize) the rocky soil and appreciate the fast drainage. When selecting these plants, I paid careful attention to their spacing as well as their fire resistance, as this is an area where wild fires are a part of the ecosystem.

While the plants are growing in, arbors and raised planters provide additional seating as well as “backbone” and structure.Using the local field stone for these makes a lot of “sustainable sense” and gives this home a strong sense of place.

Separate garden “rooms” were created for different uses: One large extension of the living room for the enjoyment of the view and outside entertaining, and a more private area for relaxing in the spa. The arbors were planted in raised beds and serve as partitions while preserving the 180 degree view.Many iconic Mediterranean plants in this xeriscape landscaping accentuate the Mediterranean feeling of this garden.

Making this courtyard private and enclosed while not shutting out the view of the surrounding hills seemed a challenge. The answer was an enclosure created by a wrap-around arbor- trellis that stood in for the “walls” and “ceilings”, while the open space between shrubs and beams provided generous “window” openings that allowed the view outside. Thus the fountain courtyard became the intimate and contemplative space the homeowner had dreamed of.

Partners:
Nature Designs Landscaping, Vista, CA

Plant Lover’s Paradise in Rancho Santa Fe

July 18, 2013 By Christiane Holmquist Leave a Comment

Attractive dry stream bed hides a drainage swale

No one can tell that this attractive dry stream bed hides a drainage swale.

Beautiful materials for the garden steps

Beautiful materials blending harmoniously together make the descent into the garden exciting.

Back garden with pool before renovation

On the wish list for the back garden were the removal of the lawn and more definition of the space which seemed to drop off, at the edge of the slope, into a “no-man’s land”.

The glare of pavement and walls made the patio uncomfortable, and the noise from the road below the slope contributed to making this garden uninviting.

Before – Front entrance obscured by palms

Palms and other foliage shrubs obscured the house; the access to it, on a large driveway, was unfriendly to visitors approaching it on foot.

Gate in the back garden

We added a gate to separate the patio from the garage area and to give the patio a more private feel.

Gently curving descent into the garden

A gently curving path and garden steps were added on the side of the driveway, allowing the discovery of the garden and home on a more human scale.

Pool and patio with canopies

The patio space was enlarged, and elegant canopies shade two separate dining areas. We chose “interlocking” concrete pavers because they offer a safe footing for the elderly family members and allow rain water to percolate into the subsoil.

Pool Deck

The lawn has given way to plantings of drought resistant perennials, ornamental grasses and flowering trees. The pool deck, in size reduced, is also paved with interlocking pavers so all spaces connect seamlessly.

Profusion of drought tolerant perennials and grasses

Profusion of drought tolerant perennials and grasses.

Sound & Seatwall in the back garden

A 3 ft masonry wall with glass panels effectively blocks the noise from the road below and gives the garden boundaries and structure. While allowing the view outside it directs the focus inward and makes the space more intimate.

Walkway and planting detail

Comfortable stepping stone paths lead to discoveries of exciting plants in all parts of the garden.