Designing the backyard around the existing pool and out-buildings, we are seeking a sense of dry lushness. A sort of Mexican-Californian Shangri-la, inspired by the site’s ability to immerse us in a new sense of time. 

The site gets baked in the summer and can freeze in the winter, so we look to low-water, cold-hardy palms and desert species for structure, including agave, desert willow hybrids, and a palo verde tree. Grasses and billowing mallow flowers bring softness and color. The planting design avoids any over-enthusiastic non-natives out of respect for the surrounding oak wonderland. We design moments for shady naps in a hammock, basking by the pool and long evenings by the fire pit.