After decades of making memories with their children and now grandchildren on the front lawn, our newly retired clients were ready to explore alternatives to turf and wanted a more social front yard environment with space for a fire pit. Their pie-shaped property created a unique challenge of a front yard that narrows to a point at the street with two long driveways on either side. We immediately wanted to provide them with a bit of privacy and block the view of parked cars along the neighboring driveway. We designed a tiered perimeter fence (that the homeowner built himself!) and included screening trees/hedging in the planting plan which create a sense of enclosure and intimacy to the garden area. The house has a massive roof so we couldn’t resist incorporating a dry creek swale as one of the main garden elements. Not only is it a beautiful year-round feature, it collects about 32,000 gallons of rainwater runoff from the roof every year – keeping water onsite to hydrate the garden and recharge groundwater. The old concrete walkway was repurposed to create a casual pathway through the new garden. We are so pleased with the many dynamic features in this small garden space. It’s full of texture, color, and wildlife – like the tiny native Pacific Tree Frogs sheltering in the rainwater swale. And if you look closely, you may even spot some hippos!
Half Moon Bay – 1
Before & After
Rootsy Garden Design turned our mess of a front yard into a beautiful, functional and eco-friendly space. From creating a modern porch and walkway to picking out a mix of fun, low-maintenance plants, they brought all the elements together to create a space that truly fits our tastes and lifestyle. Laura did all the practical planning and considered everything from irrigation, drainage, lighting and more when designing. The best part is that she was so easy to work with! She guided us through all the decision-making (something we struggle with) and helped us identify our own tastes and preferences. She came to the site regularly during the project implementation to advise the contractor and ensured every detail was done correctly, and helped us with additional decisions that came up along the way. So many neighbors have stopped by to compliment our yard (and get Laura’s contact details!). We couldn’t be happier with how this all turned out and wish we’d done it years ago!
