Fun Family-Friendly Landscape

The homeowner’s, a young family with two small children, needed a more functional front yard with lower maintenance. They no longer wanted to waste their Saturday mornings mowing the lawn and hand-watering garden beds. They wanted to spend more time out front playing with their kids and being social with neighbors, but wanted a safe place to do it. By removing the grass, more outdoor living space was added and an updated, low maintenance and water conserving landscape was revealed.

The courtyard of ‘Sonoma Gold’ crushed rock was created to allow a safe haven for play and a private place for mom and dad to supervise while reading or enjoying a cold beverage. The courtyard is enclosed by a handsome 3-foot high wood fence with two latching gates, one for future access to the back yard. A wicker settee and flanking trellises along the house add charm and offer seating in the small courtyard. The addition of two new outdoor electrical outlets will allow the family to safely decorate for the holidays without running cords into the house. The staggered exposed aggregate stepping pads provide a secondary path to the courtyard and a platform for the kid’s creative games.

New low or very low water use foundation plantings and fruit trees make a lush edible front yard that is more interesting to the eye and friendly to visitors. Hummingbirds frequently visit the blooms of the Hot Lips Autumn Sage, Hummingbird Sage and the Pomegranate. At the entry a free standing fountain and assorted container plantings complete the effect of a lush landscape and a place for family fun.

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