As a designer my tastes have changed over the years, but one thing that has remained constant is my passion for adding new plants to my landscape, as well as editing out others that aren’t performing up to my expectations. At the same time I am increasingly aware that I can not responsibly use more water in my yard, and have to strive to use even less. This is one of the challenges that has caused me to simplify my borders and reduce the amount of turf that I have in the front yard.

As the years have rolled by we have carved out more and more of our front lawn to make way for garden beds, and now the lawn is nothing more than a lush green pathway, contributing to the cool oasis that is our one high water zone. In summer it is the place to be. It is 6 to 7 feet wide and about 30 feet long in the center portion which is just wide enough for that timeless summer activity- running through the sprinklers. On an occasional summer afternoon you may find a few grandkids having a memorable time cooling off this way.

Adding a few shade trees in the design can lower the temperature by 20 degrees under the canopy of the trees as well as preventing heat build-up from hardscape surfaces such as brick or stucco walls and gravel and concrete walks or driveways. So planning to shade these areas is a smart idea. Make those shade trees deciduous and the bare branches in winter will allow the suns warmth to heat the house and lower utility bills through the chilly months. We are blessed to have many native Blue Oaks on our property that serve just this purpose.