Sunset: Western garden design awards: 15 winners offer a host of fresh landscaping ideas

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Western garden design awards: 15 winners offer a host of fresh landscaping ideas

Lauren Bonar Swezey

Last spring, seven landscape professionals gathered at Sunset's headquarters to select the very best examples of Western garden design from nearly 200 entries. They looked for excellence in five categories: renovation, outdoor living, regional, small space, and details (watch for that category in a future issue). No matter where in the West you live, the 15 winning landscapes offer a host of ideas to inspire your own garden's design.

SMALL SPACE

Designed for play

San Francisco. This Pacific Heights garden is so imaginative, it's in a class by itself. Its design is bold--and a clever solution for a difficult site. "A visual treat," remarked a juror.

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A zigzag ramp is edged with steel. From the bottom of the slope, it appears as three-dimensional layers of green, gold, and brown.

A tunnel of willow covers a slide. Spheres of willow boughs, 2 to 6 feet in diameter, dot the landscape. Two are moveable, designed for play, and another is stationary, wired for night lighting.

DESIGN: Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, San Francisco (www.acochran.com or 415/503-0060); willow structures by the Willow Farm (www.thewillowfarm.com or 866/254-3521)

OUTDOOR LIVING

Modern miracle

Los Angeles. The ideal landscape reflects its region and takes advantage of the site's best features. This property overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains achieves both. When designer Mia Lehrer took on the project, much of the narrow backyard (with a steep drop-off at its rear) was occupied by a two-car garage and a huge expanse of concrete. Overgrown shrubs blocked the view.

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Inspired by the owner's collection of modernist indoor furniture, Lehrer developed a sleek design that pairs industrial materials with colors that reflect the region's blue skies and dramatic sunsets. The mottled blue wall visually connects the pool to the sky. Surrounding the 40-foot-long, angled pool is a lawn of fine-bladed fescue, which doesn't require mowing.

DESIGN: Mia Lehrer + Associates, Los Angeles (www.mlagreen.com or 213/384-3844)

RENOVATION

Gracious approach

Oakland, CA. Driveways are challenging features to integrate into a landscape. That's why the jurors were impressed with this project in which Mathew Henning, Heather Anderson, and Rose Keane turned an unappealing asphalt entryway into an elegant approach.

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In keeping with the contemporary style of the home, the designers overlapped granite, stained concrete, and multihued gravels for textural interest. A strip of white concrete works as a drainage channel. The stained concrete pad directs visitors to the front door. The retaining wall is wrapped in welded wire mesh and covered with morning glory. Three gingkos rise at the end of the driveway.

DESIGN: Henning-Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)

SMALL SPACE

Stylish courtyard

Santa Fe. This downtown refuge brings a refreshing new twist to traditional adobe gardens. Using an earthy Southwest color scheme, Catherine Clemens and Elizabeth Robechek transformed a blank space into a contemporary retreat. All the elements are custom-built, from the black-bottom spa surrounded by stained concrete coping to the polished granite table with wood-and-metal chairs.

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The plantings are spare, in keeping with the area's minimal rainfall. A grove of aspens, set in "pools" of river rock, provides four seasons of interest. "A brilliant manipulation of a small space," noted a juror.

DESIGN: Clemens & Associates, Santa Fe (www.clemensandassociates.com or 505/982-4005)

SMALL SPACE

Urban sanctuary

Oakland, CA. To create a private oasis in a small backyard bordered by a four-story apartment building might sound like an impossible feat. But Mathew Henning, Heather Anderson, and Rose Keane used greenery on the surrounding walls and installed timber bamboo to screen out the building behind. Near the center of the stained concrete patio is a tiled water feature. The deck, installed at the interior floor level, provides a smooth transition to the outdoors. Much of the original concrete patio and terracotta-colored concrete pavers were salvaged to form a raised bed edging the back and one side wall of the garden. Sustainably harvested hardwood forms a bench along portions of the raised bed.

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DESIGN: Henning-Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)

REGIONAL (BELOW)

Natural wonder

Geyserville, CA. This garden above Northern California's Russian River Valley flows seamlessly into its surroundings. As one juror pointed out, "There's no conflict between garden and nature."

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It wasn't always this way Before the renovation, a fence enclosed the garden, cutting off views, and a thirsty lawn grew too close to the native oaks. Landscape designers Diana Stratton and Brian Columbia removed the fence to open up views, then created terraces supported by retaining walls of local fieldstone. In place of lawn, Stratton planted native creeping red fescue grass; drifts of 'Thalia' daffodil bloom beneath the oaks. Both need very little water.

DESIGN: Diana Stratton Design, Healdsburg, CA (www.dianastrattondesign.com or 707/433-2582)

REGIONAL

Scenic restoration

Columbia River Gorge, OR. This panoramic river area, with its soaring basalt cliffs and striking golden hills, has become a desirable area for vacationers. Most inhabitants attempt to tame the landscape, but the residents of this 2-acre property near The Dalles chose instead to become stewards of the land and to restore the native habitat.

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The landscape as well as the structures were designed to have minimum impact on the site. All non-native plants were removed and replaced with native species, such as bluebunch wheatgrass, Penstemon deustus, strict buckwheat, and other shrubs, perennials, and grasses. Some plants were grown from seed specifically collected for the project. Rare species were supplied by regional specialists.

Landscape architect Steven Koch integrated existing land features with others he gently developed to screen buildings and reduce the visibility of traffic. Informal paths circulate throughout the plantings and connect the buildings. The jurors agreed that it is especially stunning. "The landscape looks so natural, you almost forget it was designed," said one.

DESIGN: Koch Landscape Architecture, Portland (www.kochla.com or 503/286-7175)

REGIONAL

Mountain retreat

Teton County, WY. This 35-acre property situated on the Snake River was once part of a working ranch and home to grazing cattle. Now, years later, the disturbed ecosystem has been restored as a contemporary landscape that celebrates its rugged surroundings.

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Around the home's exterior, patios and terraces defined by seat walls and aspens create an intimate sense of enclosure while offering sweeping views of the Teton Range and meadows beyond. Paving is of local sandstone in rich earth tones. Jutting off the house's great room, a 108-foot-long reflecting pool mirrors the majestic Wyoming skies.

A significant element of the design was the restoration of water flow to a Snake River tributary that had been widened and as a result stagnated. Now it supports fish and other wildlife.

Indigenous materials used in the landscape, including native trees and shrubs, help maintain a sense of place. In the words of one juror, "This is a garden that's begging to be explored."

DESIGN: Mark Hershberger, Bruce Greig, and Greg Stewart (all formerly of Design Workshop), Hershberger Design, Jackson, WY (307/739-1001)

OUTDOOR LIVING

All in the family

Orinda, CA. When Bob and Susan Cotton began to overhaul their yard, their goal was to visually connect it to their newly remodeled house and add a few useful amenities. Landscape architects Stefan Thuilot and Joseph Huettl turned a simple concrete pad and large open lawn into a family garden for entertaining and play.

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Using clean lines and modern materials, Thuilot and Huettl organized the backyard into overlapping rectangular planes transversed by angle-cut bluestone pavers. A 12-inch-wide, sandblasted concrete curb defines the rectangles and functions as a step and a retaining wall for the sloping lot.

A large formal terrace set with 24-inch-square bluestone pavers and a small deck provide room for outdoor entertaining. Since the patio and lawn are on the same level, there's plenty of room for mingling during large parties. Other amenities include a distant bench, cozy firepit (formerly a sandbox), and secluded spa for family fun. "The garden gracefully achieved the difficult task of appealing to both children and adults," remarked one juror.

DESIGN: Huettl Thuilot Associates, Berkeley (www.huettl-thuilot.com or 510/848-3200)

SMALL SPACE

Rooftop living

San Francisco. In a big city, finding ground for a garden can be difficult. This winning design grows on a once-barren rooftop.

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In spite of constraints like fire codes, weight restrictions, and other specifications for planting and paving materials, landscape architect Andrea Cochran created an urban refuge using high-tech materials. Planters with shells of wavy aluminum hold succulents that withstand wind, heat, drought, and limited soil. Checker-plate aluminum, precast pavers, Trex recycled lumber, and Mexican river pebbles form the floor of the garden. At night, fiber-optic cable glows in the floor.

DESIGN: Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, San Francisco (www.acochran.com or 415/503-0060)

RENOVATION

Poolside enclave

San Fernando Valley, CA. A swimming pool can easily dominate a small backyard. But designer Lynn Scott-Smith knew exactly what to do in this Valley Glen property: remove the surrounding concrete and plant an "enchanted forest glen" between the back porch and the pool. "A remarkable transformation," noted a juror. "The plantsmanship is superb."

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Using plants appropriate to the climate, Scott-Smith surrounded a diminutive pond and creek with ferns, Italian buckthorn, pines, and woodland plants such as columbine, coral bells, and violets. A winding path of bluestone connects the house to the pool and a new patio.

DESIGN: Ambiance Landscape Design, Los Angeles (www.losangeleslandscaper.com or 323/227-5979)

OUTDOOR LIVING

Jewel-box terrace

West Hollywood, CA. Who says the ultimate space for outdoor living has to be large? This cheerful garden, inspired by owner Marcia Smith's visit to a Mexican beach resort, proves that many amenities can fit into an area just 17 feet long by 15 feet wide.

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Landscape designers Pamela Berstler and Ale. Stevens turned the formerly bare terrace floor into a giant work of art that gives the impression of water swirling over granite. The paving is made from colored concrete stamped to look like granite. Blue pool tiles are embedded in the concrete. A built-in daybed provides comfortable seating.

DESIGN: Flower to the People, Los Angeles (www.flower2people.com or 310/312-5076)

RENOVATION

Zen escape

Seattle. In a garden renovation, mature shrubs and trees can be of significant value. While updating this 1,500-square-foot courtyard constructed in the 1960s, landscape architect Randy Allworth chose to delete some, move a few, and make others more prominent, such as a row of kousa dogwoods at back. A paved terrace, punctuated by large basalt stones, slopes down to form a long, shallow reflecting pond. Around it is a simple planting of dwarf cryptomeria, ferns, grasses, and laceleaf maples. Jurors raved about the garden's serenity.

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DESIGN: Allworth Nussbaum, Seattle (www.allworthnussbaum.com or 206/623-7396)

REGIONAL

Desert oasis

Paradise Valley, AZ. Old homes are often bulldozed to make way for large estates. But Andrea and Thomas Kotoske chose a more modest approach for their remodel so they could devote plenty of real estate to outdoor living.

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Several of the house's walls slide open to fan-cooled terraces. Brightly colored walls and contemporary water features are bold backdrops for desert plants. Large palo verde trees shade the roof and interior rooms, reducing air-conditioning needs. "A masterful juxtaposition of architecture and plants," said a juror.

DESIGN: Steve Martino & Associates, Phoenix (www.stevemartino.net or 602/957-6150)

SMALL SPACE

Tranquil enclosure

Napa, CA. Quiet and graceful, William Snowden's elegant garden in the Napa Valley is actually a central courtyard almost entirely enclosed by house walls.

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Before the remodel, the area was paved in concrete and almost devoid of plants. The new planting is simple: two 'Bloodgood' Japanese maples with a stand of timber bamboo between them. Bright green baby's tears, blue star creeper, and creeping thyme grow below them. Dwarf mondo grass edges paths made from bluestone and black Mexican beach pebbles.

DESIGN: William R. Snowden Landscape Design, Napa, CA (www.williamsnowden.com or 707/259-1133)