Topanga Family Garden
Location: Topanga Canyon, California / Completed: 2014 / Scope: Full Landscape Installation (Hardscape, Fountains, Irrigation, Planting)
Having spent years trying to make a traditional lawn work in the blazing sun, this family garden needed more durable material to handle our client’s active lifestyle. A rare flat property in Topanga yielded a highly usable garden for this family of six along with their canine friend. The compact site dictated the spaces.
Decomposed granite was used in all previously grasses areas. Cobblestone edges and walls create a ribbon through the yard to clearly delineate the high traffic zones. A galvanized pipe and wood wisteria arbor was constructed over an existing flagstone patio. The patio was re-imagined as an outdoor dining with double-sided mangaris wood bench seating for the dining table. Planted gardens act as screens from the neighbors and are composed of California natives woven through the yard. Sculptural fountains made from repurposed municipal lampposts were constructed around the yard to attract birds.