The Bennett family recently selected Gardens by Gabriel to undertake the complete renovation of their backyard in Los Osos. They requested a design that would integrate their favorite elements of outdoor life in a fun and environmentally sensitive package. Highlighting the transformation were a fire pit composed of purple boulders from a local quarry, a cored Basalt column as the water feature, and a small meadow area of mixed fescue grasses, which needs mowing only once or twice a year. To capture rainwater onsite, we installed the meadow in a slight bowl shape to catch water from the patio and surrounding areas. We slightly elevated the central patio space on a permeable base, using gravel joints between the patio’s flagstones to allow drainage into the surrounding planted beds. Gutter downspouts were channeled underground for deep water storage in the soil.

To suit the foggy and partly shaded property, we used a selection of coastal natives, flowering Proteas, and Kangaroo paws to jazz up the plantings. Variegated specimens of Fatsia japonica lit up the shady corners with their bold yellow- and green-splashed leaves. An older existing Redbud tree with its twisted bonsai-like form needed only a little pruning to accentuate its character and allow more light to reach the understory.

The Bennets enjoyed watching the project evolve as well as the finished result: We love our new garden. We had dinner with friends and family tonight in the backyard with a fire going and the fountain burbling away. It was lovely, eating our meal surrounded by beauty that was growing from the earth, the sky above, with fire and water on either side of us. Being in the garden is a delight, and looking out from our living or dining room brings us pleasure day and night.