The first part of the project involved establishing grade and deciding what to do about the drainage. The home was to sit 2' above grade to protect it from the infrequent but, none-the-less, significant flooding from the nearby creek. Elevated courtyard patios, upper balconies and masonry planters all required drainage. The lot was board flat and the city would not allow a vault and pump to be used, so we created a series of subsurface drainage pits that would be oriented under the driveway and other concrete surfaces, with overflow via a bubble-out near the city sidewalk. The pit dimensions were approximately 2' by 20' by 2' deep, wrapped with a geo-textile fabric and filled with large drain rock. All the roof line downspouts were tied into this system as well.

Next, we built a masonry wall in a side courtyard that would both screen off the driveway from view from the formal dining and living room areas as well as provide structure for an ornate hanging wall fountain that the client procured from a garage sale in New Orleans. Through the wall courses we ran copper pipes that would recirculate the water in the fountain. A separate vault was built to house the pump and regulating valve and placed in the elevated planter for access. Once the infrastructure was complete, the walls were plastered to match the home.

With this phase complete, the next order of business was to lay out and install the flatwork. The driveway and auxiliary walkways were constructed of a colored concrete, poured over 6" of compacted baserock and a grid of 1/2" rebar set at 18" on center. The driveway and apron were 6" thick and the walkways 4" thick. The main walkways, courtyard and loggia were poured at the same time to save on the material and finishing costs. PVC sleeves were placed at an appropriate depth under every walkway, driveway or patio to facilitate future hook-ups for irrigation, lighting or electrical. Transite dividers were used to insure complete separation of concrete sections, thus minimizing future cracking of these surfaces. Colored and sanded mastic joints were used where the concrete abutted the house, landings or the city walkways, providing some fluctuation points for the surfaces.

With the concrete, masonry and structural elements out of the way, next came what is lovingly called the icing on the cake: the formal landscaping. Trenches were dug and pipe was laid for an elaborate irrigation mainline system that would allow for separation of turf from bedding areas, sun from shade, and pots from vegetables. A copper pipe was plumbed from the kitchen into the play area to serve as a drinking fountain for the children, arising from a red clay tile pipe installed vertically with the bell end of the pipe at the top and filled with decorative pea gravel to minimize splashing and serving to provide rigidity for the pipe.

Soil preparation and headerboard installation was next on the schedule. A soil analysis was performed to determine the type of soil and nutritional deficiencies on the site. As we expected, very little amending was required as this area has a very fertile soil. However, all planting areas were thoroughly and deeply scarified and rototilled to eliminate the compaction of the soil due to the construction of the home.

With the perimeter headerboards in place, the rotor and spray heads for the turf areas were installed per industry standards from the CLCA California Landscape Standards book. Soaker hoses were used for the vegetable boxes and the flower pots and drip style irrigation was used for the bedding areas. All areas were divided into their respective hydrozones based on plants types used and solar orientation. We even had a separate system for pots and planters that would be under eaves and would not receive rainfall during the winter months. An elaborate system to be sure, but given the importance of water as a natural resource, the system will save water and insure an accurate delivery of water to the plants, based on the plants' needs.

The planting design was a challenge based on the site's solar limitations and the client's desire for a large turf area in the rear garden for the children to play on. This left little room for extensive gardens and put a premium on the sunny locations that remained. After much thought, a solution was developed to allow for roses, citrus, palms, Bougainvillea, Alstroemeria, Salvia, Rhododendron, Abutilon and an assortment of other plants to co-exist on the site. The plant materials were selected to emulate the Mediterranean region, with a California flare.

All of the plants are irrigated via a drip or soaker system, bearing in mind solar orientation, soil types and, of course, the watering requirements of the individual plants. In California, much like the Mediterranean region, there are no guarantees as to the quantity of rainfall in any given year. This garden will maximize the amount of water available to it by utilizing this sophisticated irrigation system.

Elevated planters in various areas serve to present the plant materials better but also to act as informal seating. The client entertains frequently and did not want to have too much in the way of patio furniture clogging the access areas.

The end result is a family garden that uses the site in an ecologically friendly manner. The client uses the outdoor areas all year round which is a great testament to the value of the garden. LCM