A Family Garden
This home is located in the woods in Boulder Creek. The clients wanted the yard to be more usable for their children and the dogs to play in. They also needed a place to back up the boat trailer so it could be parked on the side. The back yard is fenced and protected from deer but the front is not.
Since the client has two childern she neede the landscaping to be low maintenance but also to have color.
The front yard was designed with the lawn as the focal point for the children to play on and small trees like Dogwood and Japanese Maples surrounding the border and corner sitting area. Rhododendrons and perennials provide color at different seasons. Smooth river rocks were used to border the driveway side of the lawn and privide easy access to park the boat. The path between the front and back yards was bordered with star jasmine and the fragrance fills the air in the summer.
The back yard needed a play area, a path to the front yard, and stairs behind the hot tub to allow access to the upper and lower parts of the garden. The design first contained more plants than lawn but the clients decided that a larger lawn would be more usable for the children and pets. Again, the smooth river rocks bordering the lawn repeat the same design from the front garden. A Stellata magnolia is the main accent tree behind the hot tub providing early spring color. Hydrangeas line the path to the front and bloom in early summer.
The clients have enjoyed their new garden as have the children and dogs. The maintenance has not been overwhelming and there is lots of color to enjoy throughout the year.
back play yard (before)
back play yard (after)
side yard (before)
side yard (after)