Landscape Design
Native Plants
Patio of the Week
Patio of the Week: A Contemporary Yard Highlights Native Plants
Simple paving and soft foliage meet in this sophisticated outdoor living space in Los Angeles
There’s a lot to admire about this contemporary landscape in northeast Los Angeles, from its custom sunken hot tub to the solid block of Mexican onyx that serves as a sometimes bench for the family’s beloved goldendoodle. But there’s a lot more to this recently renovated space than a series of stylish outdoor living spaces.
“Perhaps the most special thing about this project is that the homeowners are hearing more birds, seeing more butterflies [and] smelling fragrances that they’ve only experienced while hiking in our local hills,” landscape architect Joshua Link says. “Because nearly every plant on the property is native to Southern California, they share an evolutionary history with local wildlife. It is like reintroducing old friends.”
“Perhaps the most special thing about this project is that the homeowners are hearing more birds, seeing more butterflies [and] smelling fragrances that they’ve only experienced while hiking in our local hills,” landscape architect Joshua Link says. “Because nearly every plant on the property is native to Southern California, they share an evolutionary history with local wildlife. It is like reintroducing old friends.”
After: The midcentury ranch home had a more contemporary feel after the renovation, including a new black-and-white exterior, which the homeowners wanted to echo in the landscape. “We also agreed that the project could really be special if we extended the black-and-white theme into the garden,” Link says.
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Entry Garden and Parking Area
Before: The crew removed the front yard lawn and driveway to make room for the new yard. “We decided to saw-cut a portion of the existing concrete walkway leading to the front door and reuse it to construct a small retaining wall where we needed to address a sharp change in grade,” Link says.
Before: The crew removed the front yard lawn and driveway to make room for the new yard. “We decided to saw-cut a portion of the existing concrete walkway leading to the front door and reuse it to construct a small retaining wall where we needed to address a sharp change in grade,” Link says.
After: Through a new charred wood shou-sugi-ban gate (by Accoya), the redesigned front yard opens up to an expansive entry court, designed to welcome guests, host events and allow for parking.
‘Canyon Prince’ giant wild rye (Elymus condensatus ‘Canyon Prince’) and shrubs creep in from the edges of the yard, with boulders scattered throughout to subtly direct the family dog around certain plantings.
The project features almost exclusively California native plants from surrounding locales. “This is a strategy that I’ve found helps the project feel grounded, and it celebrates our natural history by supporting local wildlife that depend on these plants for food and shelter,” Link says. He used mostly low-growing, fine-textured plants, many of which release fragrances when the leaves are bruised or brushed up against.
How to Find the Right Native Plants for Your Yard
The project features almost exclusively California native plants from surrounding locales. “This is a strategy that I’ve found helps the project feel grounded, and it celebrates our natural history by supporting local wildlife that depend on these plants for food and shelter,” Link says. He used mostly low-growing, fine-textured plants, many of which release fragrances when the leaves are bruised or brushed up against.
How to Find the Right Native Plants for Your Yard
Pea gravel and irregularly spaced bands of poured-in-place concrete paving add an attractive, contemporary feel to the front yard and also accommodate all the uses required of the space.
A key goal of the design was to manage as much stormwater on site as possible, returning it to the ground and local aquifer instead of directing it to storm drains. With the permeable gravel paving, water can drain directly into the soil.
“I look at drainage and how rain is managed as an opportunity to create a beautiful temporary water feature,” Link says. In place of downspouts, Link used rain chains to direct water from the roof into metal frames filled with local granite stones that connect to a series of perforated underground pipes. These pipes end at a series of dry wells that drain the water on-site.
How to Manage Stormwater in Your Landscape
“I look at drainage and how rain is managed as an opportunity to create a beautiful temporary water feature,” Link says. In place of downspouts, Link used rain chains to direct water from the roof into metal frames filled with local granite stones that connect to a series of perforated underground pipes. These pipes end at a series of dry wells that drain the water on-site.
How to Manage Stormwater in Your Landscape
After: The same palette of colors and materials from the front yard continues into the backyard, with plants forming a soft border around a central area that hosts the family’s outdoor activities. “The backyard serves as an extension of the homeowners’ living room and is their primary outdoor entertaining space,” Link says.
A new custom spa by Pool Logic anchors one half of the backyard, with a picnic table and folding ping pong table on the other side. A projector screen can be pulled down from the wall next to the table for outdoor movie entertainment.
A new custom spa by Pool Logic anchors one half of the backyard, with a picnic table and folding ping pong table on the other side. A projector screen can be pulled down from the wall next to the table for outdoor movie entertainment.
While the hardscape is clean and regular, the plantings are lush and loose. “I imagined a landscape where planting areas were not explicitly defined and where the hardscape would bleed into planting areas, creating a modern-yet-rustic feeling of openness,” Link says. “I also imagined that planting areas would be wild and hairy-looking to complement the stark and simple paving, fences and walls.”
The plants’ muted color palette complements the soft-gray concrete paving and gravel, and it pops against the black walls behind them. “Silver, white and gray are the dominant foliage colors, while flower color has been limited to white and yellow blooms, all in the interest of maintaining a modern feel while introducing a bit of urban wilderness,” Link says.
An irrigation system is in place, but the plan is to only use it for the first two or three years, until the plants establish themselves in the garden. After then, the plants will only receive deep, infrequent waterings to compensate for especially dry winters, when California normally experiences its wet season.
An irrigation system is in place, but the plan is to only use it for the first two or three years, until the plants establish themselves in the garden. After then, the plants will only receive deep, infrequent waterings to compensate for especially dry winters, when California normally experiences its wet season.
The team painted the existing block wall black (Black by Benjamin Moore) to incorporate it into the new design. New plantings soften the wall and also help to cool that space. “We’ve planted tough shrubs like Catalina Island mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus traskiae) and red shanks (Adenostoma sparsifolium), chaparral species that will eventually create a shaded miniature forest that will provide both shade and privacy,” Link says.
A single block of white jewelry-grade Mexican onyx, a form of calcite, nestled into the planting adds a sculptural focal point (and an extra seat) to the backyard. Drill holes from the quarry remain visible. The designer adds that the family dog likes to nap on the stone when it’s hot outside, as it stays cool in the sun.
Garden Plant List
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), ‘Ghostly’ manzanita (Arctostaphylos silvicola ‘Ghostly’), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), ‘Elizabeth’ bush anemone (Carpenteria californica ‘Elizabeth’), island mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae), California croton (Croton californicus), bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Chalk Dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta), ‘Summer Snow’ California fuchsia (Epilobium canum ‘Summer Snow’), Conejo or saffron buckwheat (Eriogonum crocatum), Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), canyon silktassel (Garrya veatchii), ‘Opal’ alum root (Heuchera ‘Opal’), common rush (Juncus patens), California goldfields (Lasthenia californica), ‘GMR White’ foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus ‘GMR White’), ‘Desert Snow’ mock orange (Philadelphus microphyllus ‘Desert Snow’), Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii), spiny redberry (Rhamnus crocea), white flowering currant (Ribes indecorum), white sage (Salvia apiana), ‘Baja Blanca’ Cedros Island sage (Salvia cedrosensis ‘Baja Blanca’), ‘Silver and Gold’ Guadalupe Island senecio (Senecio palmeri ‘Silver and Gold’), California goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp. californica), ‘La Luna’ globemallow (Sphaeralcea fulva ‘La Luna’), prince’s plume (Stanleya pinnata), California snowdrop bush (Styrax redivivus), creeping snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis), fiveneedle pricklyleaf (Thymophylla pentachaeta var. belenidium) and giant chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata)
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), ‘Ghostly’ manzanita (Arctostaphylos silvicola ‘Ghostly’), California sagebrush (Artemisia californica), ‘Elizabeth’ bush anemone (Carpenteria californica ‘Elizabeth’), island mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae), California croton (Croton californicus), bush poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Chalk Dudleya (Dudleya pulverulenta), ‘Summer Snow’ California fuchsia (Epilobium canum ‘Summer Snow’), Conejo or saffron buckwheat (Eriogonum crocatum), Golden Yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), canyon silktassel (Garrya veatchii), ‘Opal’ alum root (Heuchera ‘Opal’), common rush (Juncus patens), California goldfields (Lasthenia californica), ‘GMR White’ foothill penstemon (Penstemon heterophyllus ‘GMR White’), ‘Desert Snow’ mock orange (Philadelphus microphyllus ‘Desert Snow’), Engelmann oak (Quercus engelmannii), spiny redberry (Rhamnus crocea), white flowering currant (Ribes indecorum), white sage (Salvia apiana), ‘Baja Blanca’ Cedros Island sage (Salvia cedrosensis ‘Baja Blanca’), ‘Silver and Gold’ Guadalupe Island senecio (Senecio palmeri ‘Silver and Gold’), California goldenrod (Solidago velutina ssp. californica), ‘La Luna’ globemallow (Sphaeralcea fulva ‘La Luna’), prince’s plume (Stanleya pinnata), California snowdrop bush (Styrax redivivus), creeping snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis), fiveneedle pricklyleaf (Thymophylla pentachaeta var. belenidium) and giant chain fern (Woodwardia fimbriata)
Designer tip for designing a native garden: Take a hike near your house and notice the plants and how they are arranged. “You will see how, in the wild, patterns are repeated and multiple individuals of the same species grow together,” Link says. “Take that advice from nature to heart and repeat plants in your garden to create a more cohesive, natural feel,” the designer says, adding that it’s helpful to keep your plant lists simple to start.
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Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Tim Lindholm, a senior executive at L.A. Metro; Michelle Fierro, an accomplished local artist; their two daughters and their goldendoodle, Chico
Location: Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: One-tenth of an acre, including the front yard and backyard
Landscape architect: Joshua Link of Ecotone Studios
Landscape contractor: Natural Earth Landscaping, which also oversees maintenance
Before: The homeowners had recently completed a renovation of their ranch-style home, which made the need for an outdoor overhaul more apparent. “The existing backyard brick patio felt out of place when compared to the interior renovation,” Link says. Additionally, “the asphalt driveway and old lawn in the front yard were uninviting and rarely used by the homeowners.”
The homeowners wanted to be able to gather with friends and entertain at home. “They wanted spaces they could use both every day and for special get-togethers, where flexible spaces could accommodate more guests,” Link says.