This projet includes a 280 sq ft deck, a decomposed granite terrace, wide gravel paths, and a large vegetable garden with a small orchard on the side. We started from scratch. All the existing plants were either dead, sick, or overgrown.
One main aspect of the intervention was to bring privacy on the perimeter of the property. we used tall Ficus hedges (12′ tall) and 6′ tall fences, as well as the mature trees to block views to and from the neighbors.

The plant palette is Californian and Mediterranean:
- fruitless ‘San Gabriel’ Olive trees,
- Italian Cypresses,
- Ligustrum texanum,
- Agavaes,
- Westringia fruticosa,
- Pennisetum,
- Sage,
- Boxwood,
- Helichrysum,
- Oak tree,
- Laurus ‘Saratoga’ trees,
- Nerium oleander,
- etc…

and many fruit trees:
- Avocado dwarf tree,
- Fig tree,
- Grapes,
- Apricot tree,
- Pear tree,
- Lemon,
- Key lime,
- Orange tree.

This project includes also the installation of light fixtures, and drip line and low pressure irrigation for the entire lot, as required by the City of Santa Monica.

We focussed on:

Implementation of project: cut existing damaged trees, grading the entire lot, building a large deck with two sets of stairs, creating long alleys, building a large decomposed granite terrace for drawing studio, bringing structure through the planting and the selection of matures trees to enhance the estate flair, building new gates, installing new fences, going through the inspection process.

More pictures to come in the early Summer 2014.

This project includes: tall mature trees, full make over with complete new grading, Mediterranean and Californian palette, estate flair.

This project includes a vegetable garden, a lawn, an overall English garden flair, as well as a unique feature: a pleached European Sycomore tree in an orangerie Versailles planter. Don’t miss the picture.

We focussed on:

Implementation of project: cleaning job site from construction debris, grading, framing spaces, installing irrigation, selecting plants at nurseries, planting, installing light fixtures, installing and pleaching a tree to provide natural shade.

Orangerie pLanter was custom made by Artisan Philippe D’Anière: http://www.phildanrestoration.info/

This project includes: vegetable old school garden, contemporary landscape design lines, lawn playground, a pleached tree, orangerie planter.

All the plants have been carefully selected in professional nurseries: tall palm trees, mature Giant bird of paradise, Ficus nitida columnar 24″ box.
Keyword: ‘green-green-green.’

In the frontyard, 4 Pepper trees bring shadow to a large bed planted with orange Day Lillies. By the main entrance, Foxtail Ferns and Mondo grass surround a long foutain trough under large palm trees. Giant birds of paradise are an addition to the tropical look in the frontyard and the backyard as well.

Scope of project: renovating pool deck, building new loop driveway (diamond shape and artificial grass), building new fence and side gates (tropical wood), building new patio terrace (blue stone) with fire place and pergola, landscaping the entire lot.

For this project, we designed within the rules of the Huntington Palisades Home Owner Association.

• Contruction of planters in the forefront of the properry
• Construction of one gravel terrace: the water can percolate to the ground
• Construction of a brick terrace, using natural material
• Low maintenance hedges
• Drip line for irrigation

This all implementation was inspected and approved by the highly environmentally concerned City of Santa Monica, CA.

The scope of the project included the renovation of the pool, the design of a new entertainment pool deck, a firepit and a lounge area.

The main caracteristics of the design are:

• Strip lines of grass (by LA Faux Grass) breaking up with the large hardscape concrete deck
• Ornamental Pyrus trees bringing shade to the pool deck
• The reshaping of the pool from a bean shape to an elegant oblong pool including a spa and a wall fountain
• A lounge area with built-in benches and fire pit, & comfortable cushions
• A low maintenance plant palette
• A gravel walk for meditation exercises

This implementation has completely transformed the space. The design of the outdoor now fully relates to the mid century modern lines of the house. Landscape & architecture are a whole. The large deck can now be used for entertaining a large group of guests. At night, the  lightening brings a dramatic effects and emphasizes the modernist landscape combination.

Demolition phase: 100 hours.
Implementation: 4 weeks total.
Going from an existing tropical look to a contemporary coast line yard.

• First challenge: grading the land to make it interesting; so, it’s not just about planting, but also about shaping.
• Second challenge: organizing the space to bring privacy, and create a dynamic in the entire garden, from the forefront of the lot to the back where the villa is located.
• Third challenge: the budget.

This project includes a concrete slab terrace, a decomposed granite lounge area, a tropical wood board walk, a tropical wood deck, a small arrival court for 2 cars, a firepit, a fountain, and a vegetable garden.

Like most of our projects, this one was started from scratch. The house had been renovated and there was only dirt around. The particularity of the site was the slope all around the house. It was like a sink shape with the house at the lowest point.

• First thing to do: shaping the slope, and making small terraces all around in order to be able to plant and make sure the plants will root strongly in the ground. It was also needed to deal with the erosion.
• 2nd: developing a design that will take advantage of the particular land form, and will bring privacy to the site. Our response was to play with the ondulating lines of the site and the alignment of multiple hedges. We planted 380 Ligustrum texanum bush 15gal, 170 Ligustrum texanum columnar 15gal, 52 Ficus nitida columnar 24″ box, & 180 Ficus nitita columnar 5gal.
• 3rd: planting large trees to frame the property and bring character. We decided to plant a few Pinus Eldarica, Tristania conferta, Podocarpus gracilor, Quercus agrifolia, and some Citrus espalier trees.
• 4th: the ondulating lines were planted with Ligustrum texanum bushes.
• 5th: a few accessories were added such as planters, lighting (dramatic effect all around the pool deck), and wicker furniture.

For the implementation of the trees (36″ box, 48″ box), a crane was used to bring the trees from the street above the property to their final defined location. Trees were in the air for a few minutes, sometimes going above the house. The unloading was done with a permit from the City of Beverly Hills. To follow the regulations, a crew was outside to regulate the traffic.