Backyard Rock Water Feature : Sunnyvale, Ca.

A natural rock water feature invites small birds while offering a contemplative human element to the native garden.

The conceptual rockwork sketch...  

A closeup of the rock includes Napa wall rock, McGregor Lake ledger, Gold Rush cobbles, and the grain of a Big Springs slab end cut.

A ball valve is added to control and tune the water flow from the pump. The pump box is easily accessible by removing the fist sizel rocks under the slab.

Over two tons of rock went into the water feature and this little one ton Toyota work horse hauled it all.

The pump box and discharge unit made by Aquascape.

The area before...

Native Spring : Bay Area

A Sunnyvale Native rain garden glows with contrasting Sage and Monkeyflower.

Carex pansa and Strawberry spread as groundcover.

White Sage growing amoung Santa Barbara and Seaside Daisy in a Mountain View cornerstrip.

The spring color of a San Jose Native garden.

Castilleja linariaefolia Indian Paint Brush growing wild in Los Altos Hills with Sage, Monkeyflower and Manzanita.

Gold Medal @ 2010 San Francisco Flower & Garden Show

In 2009, I was happy to be asked by Dawn Engel of The Artist's Garden to construct Urbanite to be featured in her design for a juried garden at the 2010 S.F. Flower and Garden Show.

We took home a few awards... actually five, including a Gold Medal! Pictured below, is Dawn with The People's Choice Award. We also won: San Francisco Botanical Garden Society Award, American Horticultural Society Environmental Award, and the California Association of Nurseries and Garden Centers Award.

To view more of Dawn's work, visit her website at http://www.artistsgarden.net 

Some highlights of the detail in Dawn's unique design included real alligator heads with succulent Strings of Pearls streaming from their snappers.

The dry fountain drew the most onlookers and many people danced through the courtyard to the New Orleans Jazz.

To add authenticity to the space, Salvaged Creole Jazz Courtyard fans caught a spontaneous performance by Foothill College Horticulture Instructor David Sauter of When The Saints Go Marching In.

 Recycled concrete was rebuilt into all of the seating walls in the garden including here in the dry stack foundation to frame the meticulously handcrafted succulent fountain.

Because we are allowed only three days for a complete installation, nearly all the elements must be designed and constructed off site. Here, Mike Diefenbach, Brendan, and Adrian Vizcarra unload the wall pieces to be reconstructed for the show. These guys helped a ton, thanks so much!

A special thanks to Foothill College for the use of the facility yard and volunteer labor that counts as credit for the program. Pictured here is Corey pressure washing the finished pieces before being organized onto pallets for delivery.

Most photos courtesy of Mark and Dawn Engel

Oak Woodland Garden : Menlo Park, Ca.

The new custom iron gate from the patio...

Designed to celebrate the branching pattern of a two-hundred year old Oak over the garden, the new iron gate offers a unique entrance to the private space.

 

 Jesse and Gavin of Rustworks in San Carlos fabricated the custom ironwork, making it contour to the boulder with natural lines. Check out more of their awesome work @ http://www.rustworks.com/

A permeable stone patio is both a healthy hardscape under an Oak and a relaxing garden space.

Native plantings will include this young Ribes viburnifolium as a groundcover under the Oak.

 

The new doors are headed with aged wood lintels, once the door of an antique ship.

Both new doors are framed with hand cut stone.

 

The new door being added to the downstairs bedroom.

The homeowners' travels bring them many beautiful art pieces that become expressions in the garden. Here, hand painted tiles add color to the steps of a utility area while an Iguana sculpture from a trip to Mexico gives a personal touch to the custom patio bench.

 

Antonio artfully hand finishes each stone while the team mortars the new landings in place.

Antonio and Checko forming the new steps and door landings.

The old steps...

The finished boulder set.

Chico inspects the finished hole before the boulder arrives.

A mighty big hole is excavated for the new boulder to be set.

The rocks arrive and are ready to be set.

The overall health of the Oak is considered throughout the entire process. So storm water will not pool at the trunk of the old Oak, Frank and his team ran the downpipes across the property to a safe distance at the edge of the driveway.

The new stone patio is mortarless and permeable. Trino spreads and grade the baserock to the new level.

Frank Niccoli and his award winning company The Village Gardener meet to discuss the project. From left to right, Dawna, Frank, and Ricardo.

The old concrete is broken up and recycled and the bricks were donated.

The Oak canopy covers the entire site determining the plant community and overall Plan design.

The before picture facing the rear of the house with garage to the right.

This two-hundred year old Quercus agrifolia Coast Live Oak will be the centerpiece of the new garden. The new garden elements will celebrate and enhance it's natural beauty.

An illustrative perspective for the garage as a living wall with new fountain and fixtures including stonework around the door and an urbanite path leading thru a custom gate.

The garage facing the garden before...

Pictured here before, the window to the left will be a new door with stonework connecting to the patio landing.

The garden entrance before. The focus on this space was of openness and connection to the new garden elements and tying into the custom iron fixtures.

Many photos courtesy of Sylvia Rupilius. Thanks, Sylvi!