A yard built for San Diego's dry months, not against them

A full garden design and build for yards that need to be rethought from the soil up, not just replanted at the edges.

We start by walking the property and talking through what the yard needs to do — shade, privacy, a place to sit, less water. From there we design the beds and hardscape together, since a path and a planting plan have to agree with each other, then build it in stages so the yard isn't torn up all at once.

California natives and Mediterranean plants chosen for this exact microclimate, not a catalog photo from somewhere wetter.

San Diego's coastal and canyon microclimates each favor different plants, and we plant to the spot, not the trend. Sages, manzanita, ceanothus, and other low-water species go in where they'll actually thrive, grouped by water need so nothing gets over- or under-watered by accident.

Converting spray heads to drip lines so water goes to roots instead of the sidewalk, and the bill reflects it.

Old spray systems throw a lot of water at air and pavement. We convert beds to drip line, zone by plant type, and set controllers to actual seasonal need instead of a fixed schedule, so the system waters less in winter without anyone having to remember to adjust it.

Gravel, decomposed granite, and paver paths that hold up to foot traffic and frame the planting beds around them.

A path does two jobs: it gets people where they're going, and it keeps them off the beds. We set decomposed granite, gravel, and pavers with proper base and drainage so they don't shift or pool water, and we plan the planting beds around the hardscape rather than the other way around.

Pruning and shaping for established trees and shrubs, done for the plant's health first and its looks second.

Overgrown or stressed shrubs and trees usually need selective pruning, not a hard shear. We cut for airflow and structure, remove dead wood, and shape with the plant's natural form in mind, which keeps mature plantings healthy instead of just smaller for a season.

Clearing overgrowth, dead plants, and yard debris, and hauling it off so the space is ready for what's next.

Before any redesign or replanting, the yard usually needs clearing first — dead shrubs, invasive growth, old mulch, whatever's built up. We clear it, cut it down to size, and haul it off site, so what you're left with is a clean bed ready to work with.