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Urban and Suburban Design

Smaller scale projects allow for and require a special attention to detail.  Every item must be thought through carefully, from sitting areas to how big plants will grow to activity levels to utility spaces. (And what about dog runs, veggie gardens, replacing the lawn?)  How everything works together without creating a visual jumble or awkward circulation routes.  And, with the needs of busy urban- and suburban-ites, low maintenance is also a primary concern.`
An Infill Project
​This house is part of a small infill subdivion in the Sacramento area.  It came with front yard landscaping, but there was nothing in the back yard, except a steep drop-off to drainage at the back fence. The clients wanted a Japanese Garden, a place for chickens and a dog run, and a food garden area, with fruit trees and raised beds. As the yard is quite narrow from the back of the house to the back fence, while being quite wide, false perspective, in the form of a Japanese-style interior fence was used to make the garden appear more uniform in shape.  This had the extra advantage of block some undesireable views.  A deck with outdoor kitchen was designed at one end of a Japanese gravel garden.  This will encourage the client to get out into the garden; the view from the deck, as well as from the meditation space, takes advantage of the long views in the yard.
Gardens in Carmichael
​This house had been remodeled and flipped. The front yard was pretty, but the entry walk was stepping stones set an impossible distance apart.  The back yard was lawn; nothing else.  The new owner (our client) wanted easier and bettter access (including from the front to the back yard). The project included adding the front walks, side patio between the main house and the guess house, adding a "farm" area for vegetables and fruit trees, a "night garden" and deck outside the master, and a successional perennial garden along the back fence.  In the front yard, the driveway and parking areas were enhanced to allow for additional parking, as well as room for three-point turns in getting out of the garage.
A Front Yard in the Pocket

This entry garden was conceived as a memorial for the clients' young grandchild. It was designed to be viewed from both the street and the house, and most especially to be appreciated upon arriving and leaving the house.

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