Sweet Landscape Design: How to Transform Your Outdoor Living Area
My home is my sanctuary, so when the Woosley Fire came blowing through last November, burning right up to our front door, you can only imagine how devastating it was for us. Thankfully, we didn't lose our home, but sadly, our entire landscaping was destroyed.
My sis and I love a good renovation, so when it came time to tackle my 2 plus acre grounds, we couldn't wait to get started. With a view of devastation all around us and the smell of wet burnt wood, we knew it was time to start from scratch and make this hillside ranch beautiful again.
We looked forward to the new canvas we had to work with. It was a bit daunting at first, but with the help of my new friend/landscaper Steve from Steve Brimer Design, we were confident we could create something magical.
Here are a few things we learned along the way with Steve Brimer on how to achieve the perfect landscape.
Assess The Land
The first step is to access the land. The design challenges were working with are a large property with slopes and some drainage issues. Drainage is one of the first items you should look at when putting a design together. Steve said, "he's seen more significant problems created by poor drainage than any other factor."
Have Your Landscape Represent You
We think it's essential to have your home and property represent you and not past owners and in some cases, past relationships. Steve had a fantastic array of questions, such as "what colors do you love, what style are you leaning towards, and what are your needs for the property." This really helped us narrow down the endless flowers and plants we could choose from.
Work With What You Have
Thankfully we were able to salvage a dozen of our gorgeous mature tree's. These beautiful, whimsical trees would create an incredible backdrop for many of the smaller trees and plants we were hoping to incorporate.
Make Sure It Compliments Your Home
My home is a mix of South Western/Spanish architecture, and the interior is a California inspired home with a clean Mid Center Modern twist. Britt and I knew right away that lots of cactus with succulents sprinkled in would be a great fit.
Conserve Water
Drought tolerant plants were essential to us as well. Living in Cali means lots of dry weather, and with our state in and out of a drought, we couldn't afford plants that require lots of irrigation. Steve had terrific suggestions on which drought tolerant plants to use to compliment our property, as well as his encouragement to use synthetic lawn.
Health Benefits
Lastly, changing up your grounds is also a health benefit. When you're in love with what you've created, you want to enjoy the outside more, which means more connection to the earth, more Vitamin D, and less time in front of our screens.
We're so thankful for Brittany and Steve Brimer for helping my family pull our hillside ranch into our very own haven that feels every bit like us. I was pleasantly shocked how changing our landscape would not only change my mood for the better, but also change the vibe of our entire home. It's as if redesigning our landscape saged our grounds. My kids are still busy and crazy, but at least my hub, and I feel a little more relaxed. And we couldn't be happier sipping a glass of wine while enjoying our new view. Cheers!
XO,
Cyn
Sweet Collection By Brittany + Cynthia Daniel
