South Pasadena

A vintage Craftsman bungalow in the historic Fremont corridor area needed a refresh. A semi-retired couple wanted to bring some life and habitat value to their long-time home. With a small back yard, we knew we wanted to create a showstopper out front and give back to the neighborhood.

A deep rocky swale with seasonally flexible Juncus grass was added to capture and sink stormwater from the roof. Spoils generated from creating the swale were used to form slight mounds. Low groundcover was placed at the edges, with a select few taller bloomers like Sages and Lavender clustered toward the center.

Native and drought tolerant green and grey plants were used throughout with boulders and logs, with lots of punchy purples and yellows to play off the sunny yellow door. The yard has year-round interest and the couple can now watch the seasons change and see local wildlife come and go from their comfy rocking chairs on the front porch!