West Hills Retreat

The problem

A steep entry garden with no accessibility and overgrown invasives needed a facelift. Side yards of slippery and dangerous pea gravel needed to be replaced along with dated and redundant fencing and gates. A sloped backyard needed access and a planting plan.

Our approach

Working with the homeowner, we engaged a gifted metal artist to design a threshold for an entry stairway. We created a series of colorful terraced gardens faced with corten steel retaining walls and added height and interest with planted containers on each wall. Skilled landscape contractors set flat-topped retention boulders providing dramatic elements that doubled as access for maintenance. Sloped pea gravel pathways were replaced with an extended deck and safe stairs. A colorful powder-coated wire gate conceals access to a lower garden. We reformed the sloped backyard into terraces with pathways of gravel, basalt slabs and ecolawn. Height and interest were added with a selection of small trees and colorful plantings.