Status: Under Construction

Materials: Gravel, Boulders, Lighting, Reuse existing pavers

Flora: Western Sword Fern, CA Maidenhair Fern, Bush Anemone, Museum Palo Verde, Toyon, Hummingbird Sage, Woodland Strawberry, Heuchera maxima, Carmel Sur Manzanita

Designed for a family with two young children and a dog, this California native plant palette was crafted for a backyard already anchored by an existing pool, a Japanese maple, and a mature Ash tree. Rather than a full landscape redesign, we developed a plant palette suited to the site's varied conditions — pairing dry shade-loving natives for the canopy-covered areas with sun-loving selections where light reaches the garden — and updated the path and uplighting.

In the shaded understory, Western Sword Fern and CA Maiden Hair Fern bring lush texture, while Heuchera maxima and Woodland Strawberry fill in as a low, tactile groundcover well-suited to a yard with kids and a dog underfoot. Bush Anemone and Carmel Sur Manzanita offer evergreen structure and quiet seasonal interest, and Toyon anchors the planting with form and habitat value. Hummingbird Sage threads pockets of color and pollinator activity throughout.

In the sunny pockets of the yard, a Museum Palo Verde brings sculptural form and seasonal bloom, paired with Salvia for additional color and pollinator interest.