A Gorgeous bungalow renovation & Groovy way to recharge water

By Pamela Berstler, Flower to the People

Looking out into the garden from the driveway basketball court, one would never know that a large water recharge pit was under the ?EUR??,,????'??pool of grass.?EUR??,,????'??

Frequently the entire purpose of the renovation requires tackling pre-existing conditions, the full implications of which often are not revealed until construction is well underway. As a result, our motto in residential renovation design has become ?EUR??,,????'??Have your landscape project contracted by a designer, not designed by a contractor.?EUR??,,????'?? This project is an excellent example of a residential landscape renovation in which the clients invested in design and were willing to embrace more ?EUR??,,????'??groovy?EUR??,,????'?? and cutting-edge installation techniques.

This single-family home was built in the 1920s, and is now referred to as a Spanish bungalow primarily because of the red clay roof tiles and stucco-covered exterior added sometime in the 1970s. Our proposed landscape renovation was driven in part by the homeowner?EUR??,,????'???s desire to entertain and relax outdoors, and in even larger part by the fact that all of the water from the roof surfaces and back yard drained either into the homeowners?EUR??,,????'??? bedroom or flooded the garage.

The drainage issues were resolved by removing all of the existing hardscape, regrading and installing a run-off reclamation and water table recharge pit in the middle of the back yard.

The subterranean recharge pit is located under the grass area. Water that enters the pit through the drainage system fills the honeycombed structure, and slowly percolates back into the water table. Water is filtered through the compost, gravel and earth thereby reducing urban run-off and eliminating the structural damage to residential buildings caused by flooding.

Despite its pitch toward structures, the large back yard lacked definitive topography, so our design imposed a sort of false topography onto the space, making it seem more inviting and interesting. We removed all of the existing hardscape including the driveway, the sand-laid brick path, and the colored concrete pad and brick grille outside of the master bedroom. The property was then re-graded to direct as much water as possible toward the middle of the yard where the grassy play area was proposed. New colored concrete was poured for the driveway and the area outside of the master bedroom. These two surfaces were at the same grade with sufficient pitch for water runoff.

A mixed sandstone path using two colors of sandstone meandered through the colored concrete dining and driveway areas, connecting the kitchen door with the new Spanish-style gate at the back of the garden. The visual break provided by the flagstone path made the entire concrete-covered space seem less monolithic, and thus more organic. Within the grass area, the actual six-inch step down is accentuated by these seat-height (16 inches to 18 inches) surrounding broken concrete walls, making the grade change feel more dramatic. Tall-growing plants encompassing the grass area further enhance the feeling of seclusion.

This property is located in an urban area where urban run-off drains into the local bay, a popular swimming and recreation spot. Water quality has been a source of significant concern by the local building officials, who recently had implemented strict run-off and irrigation over-spray regulations. We contacted the local water resource department and found that they were implementing a brand new program to assist homeowners with reducing urban run-off. Included in the encouraged techniques were diverting run-off into planter areas and using subterranean reclamation pits and water table recharge pits to filter water before it spilled into the bay or to return naturally filtered water back into the water table.

We decided to use the experimental water table recharge pit buried in the back yard, under the grass play area, to reclaim the run-off from the property, filter it, and recharge the water table. First, gutters were installed on the residence and the garage, and catch basins were placed adjacent to the driveway, connected to the downspouts, and within the sunken grass area.

The design envisoned dividing the yard into entertainment rooms without drastically changing the grade of the property, except to lower the grass area under which the urban run-off mitigation pit would be located.

Our drainage system connected the catch basins and, using gravity, directed all water from the back half of the property into the recharge pit filled with the filtering medium.

The recharge pit was constructed approximately seven feet wide by seven feet long by seven feet deep. The size of the pit was determined by the square footage of hardscape from which the pit would be receiving run-off.

At the base of the pit we added 24 inches of compost material and covered it with heavy-duty landscape fabric and an additional 24 inches of compacted gravel. The drainage system directed water into the pit at this level and an ?EUR??,,????'??overflow?EUR??,,????'?? pipe was added in the event the pit was filled to capacity in a heavy rain. On top of the gravel base, we installed an interlocking plastic honeycombed system called Stormcel. Gravel was then added between the honeycombed grid and the walls of the pit. A layer of gravel and topsoil covered the honeycombs. Sod was installed over the topsoil. The only portion of the pit that is visible above ground is a four-inch green plastic drain cover indicating the location of the overflow.

The driveway doubles as a basketball court, complete with hoop mounted on the garage and three-point line painted on the concrete. The old carport structure becomes a dining room, complete with low-voltage lighting in the form of a retrofitted amber-colored hanging antique lamp. The relaxation destination behind the garage is beautiful and practical for the chef homeowner.

Galvanized welded steel mesh panels mounted on dark stained four-inch by four-inch posts in front of the existing concrete block walls provide free-standing trellis privacy without violating local wall height restrictions. Fast-growing red trumpet vine (Distictis buccinatoria) and Bougainvillea ?EUR??,,????'??San Diego Red?EUR??,,????'?? cover the trellises. Trees are used throughout the design to create shaded areas and provide interest. Purple-leaf plum trees (Prunus cerasifera ?EUR??,,????'??Krauter Vesuvius?EUR??,,????'???) frame the pathway, providing strong dark foliage color as well as interesting seasonal elements, going deciduous in winter and providing pink blossoms in the spring. We desired the romance of a true weeping willow tree (Salix babylonica), a native to this particular region. However, we were reluctant to plant such an invasive water-loving species near our subterranean recharge pit. As a compromise we planted Australian peppermint willow (Agonis flexuosa), a deep-rooted, Mediterranean climate adapted tree with leaves that smell like peppermint when crushed and a marvelously interesting cinnamon-colored bark that improves with age.

The main garden planters are raised planters surrounding the grass play area, and are filled with spring bulbs (Freesia, Narcissus, and Gladiolus) and Mediterranean climate adapted perennials such as kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos flavidus), variegated false rosemary (Westringia fruticosa ?EUR??,,????'??Smokey?EUR??,,????'???), coral bells (Heuchera micrantha ?EUR??,,????'??Purple Palace?EUR??,,????'???), purple cone flower (Echinacea ?EUR??,,????'??Purpurea?EUR??,,????'???), New Zealand tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium ?EUR??,,????'??Ruby Glow?EUR??,,????'???) and variegated canna lilies (Canna ?EUR??,,????'??Tropicana?EUR??,,????'??? and ?EUR??,,????'??Bengal Tiger?EUR??,,????'???). The plant colors were selected for their more dusty-colored and deep purple foliage counterbalanced with brightly colored flower displays in red, orange, and yellow. Groundcovers included Erodium reichardii and Dymondia margaratea, mat-forming miniatures. The kitchen garden area behind the garage included grapes on espalier, medicinal roses (Rosa chinensis), germander border (Teuchrium lucidrys),edible sages (Salvia officinalis and Salvia elegans), thyme, lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) and other herbs used by the homeowner in the preparation of gourmet dishes.

Functionally the outdoor living space had become a useful, enticing environment, filled with fragrant and edible plant material. However, the entire project really came together with the application of the Spanish-Caribbean inspired color palette on the walls of the residence, garage, and surrounding privacy walls. We selected three colors, lavender, ocher, and raisin brown. Lavender walls introduced to the interior-facing garage, and neighbor?EUR??,,????'???s garage walls evoke a feeling of the Caribbean, absorbing harsh light significantly better than reflective white walls, yet maintaining a cool brightness. The result is a deep, rich antique finish that provides credence to the Spanish origins of the structures.

The crowning touch includes two custom tile tables and the installation of a complete low-voltage landscape lighting system. This residential landscape renovation turned a completely non-descript, vaguely Spanish bungalow into a true Mediterranean oasis simultaneously proving, with the introduction of both the water table recharge pit and the recycled concrete raised planters, that gorgeous and groovy are compatible!

Left: The previously neglected space behind the garage is converted into a destination seating area with portable firepit on a stabilized decomposed granite floor. The homeowners desired the flexibility to move or expand the garage in the future, and this solution provided a cost-effective and attractive intermediate alternative.
Right: The ?EUR??,,????'??command center?EUR??,,????'?? cooking and food preparation area with its curved stucco base and cast in-situ concrete countertop has a bird?EUR??,,????'???s-eye view of the entire landscape area, allowing adults to tend both the grill and the kids at play. The grass play area covers the recharge pit.