ROSEVILLE RETREAT

Texture, contrast and careful detailing lend sense of place to a newly built home.

Gardens must be considered over time, as plants inevitably take time to grow. Some spaces have mature trees or borrowed views to ground the experience. As this backyard was a stripped clay bed with no view, we worked to add a sense of gravity through structural elements that the plants will fill in around in time.

A redwood timber pergola in front of a rich blue retaining wall provides a sense of enclosure to an outdoor living area. A rich palette of mostly California natives further tucks things in.

The pergola provides shade to specific areas at times of day when they’re most likely to be used while keeping as much space open as possible to frame views of the sky and birds overhead.

The plant palette balances the desire for a lush oasis with the very real need for low-water, heat and clay soil tolerant species.