Creating a landscape that you will love for years to come is a process that should not be hurried.

The best designs evolve over a period of time.

I suggest living in your home for a year before you undertake any major renovation outside. Why? Because you need time to observe your home and landscape’s unique qualities and to think about what you want to achieve with your landscape design.

To think through what kind of landscape you would love, one that you would consider your little slice of paradise, close your eyes and visualize your favorite natural setting. Is it a formal garden you experienced while on vacation?, or perhaps a quiet woodland you happened upon while hiking? Maybe its your grandmothers garden where you spent many happy hours as a child. Or maybe you have been holding on to a picture from a magazine that captured your imagination and that you would like to emulate. Incorporating some of the elements you love from the natural spaces you have experienced will help you create a landscape that will stand the test of time.

My husband and I have a few ideas that have molded our personal outdoor space.  I love the memories of my grandmothers garden. I only saw it a few times and yet it’s imprint is indelibly etched upon my mind as a place of hospitality and warmth. Billowing borders, full of flowers and berries and a table surrounded by loved ones and friends in the shade of a large tree. My husband loves Hearst Castle. The order of clipped hedges and manicured grounds that suggest everything is neatly and beautifully under control. We both love our memories of a beautiful campground in the Sierra Nevada mountains where we have taken our boys year after year to enjoy a respite from the hustle and bustle of every day life. Towering Sequoia trees, a river to go fishing edged with huge boulders, hiking paths full of wildflowers and butterflies, and trickling streams.

We have melded these differing ideas into a landscape that we love.

Approaching our front door is a wide paver path edged with neatly clipped hedges that contain the flowers, grasses and roses flourishing beyond. Over the years I have added more evergreen hedging materials to give framework and order to the landscape. This past year we have been working on our back yard. It is a slope that goes down to a seasonal creek and there are many majestic Oak trees inhabiting the space. My husband has installed some paths. One leads to a vine covered pergola and one leads to a fire pit. The planting is sparse and takes it cues from nature. The oaks are allowed to be the focal point that nature intended. Off the back of our house is a large deck that is partially covered and serves as a perfect place for outdoor entertaining. The shade of the Oaks makes it quite comfortable in the late afternoon and I have placed my favorite woodland plants in containers to enjoy them up close (as well as preserve them from the deer).

By allowing our landscape to evolve over time, and taking our cues from places that stir our hearts we are creating our own personal space that perfectly suits our style and represents that little slice of heaven we call home.

How has your garden evolved? what steps have you taken to create a landscape that reflects your taste and will survive here in Tehachapi?

I would love to hear about it in the comments!