bale + berries

a cathedral of mature valley oaks oversees this multi-generational renovation.

the front yard reorganizes around a new strawbale ADU with its own no-mow lawn and garden. the pull through drive shifts plan right, creating a gravelly autocourt shared by the two dwellings, while a street-friendly pedestrian corridor creates a much-needed sidewalk zone along this busy school route.

the backyard pool, deck, and al fresco dining orient to the newly rationalized slope where a row of olive trees join the existing palm to form a colonnade along the top of wall overlooking the oak woodland beyond. an edible potager garden along the side yard produces year-round fruits, herbs, + veg.

80% native, 100% drought- and clay-tolerant plant palette (save select edibles), garden types rotate with the varied tree cover and solar exposure around the property—from coast live and valley oaks to redwoods and hot hot desert—the existing microclimates allowed us to explore a range of california’s plant communities. we introduced some new keystone species to anchor the new spatial flow and fill in the canopy to maximize shade in this central oak woodland— eagerly waiting the flannel bush, strawberry tree, pink dawn chitalpa, ca buckeye, and cliff schmidt ceanothus to show off their stuff.

this is a garden for sunning, swimming, siesta, acorn flour making, al fresco dining, and roasting bananas over the fire— it’s a garden for the good things in life.