OUTDOOR LIVING FOR A GROWING FAMILY IN OAKLAND
Preserving a beautiful Manzanita tree was one of the guiding priorities of the project. To protect the tree and its existing root zone, planting beds were carefully raised above the new grade using corten steel edging. Regrading the site also resolved long-standing drainage and water pooling issues, while permeable decomposed granite pathways help recharge groundwater as they wind through the landscape toward the hot tub and garden retreat spaces. A small lawn and bunny run planted with California native sod provides both reduced water use and healthy forage for the family’s rabbits.
Fruit trees are woven throughout the garden alongside low-water California native and Mediterranean-climate ornamentals, herbs, and seasonal vegetables, creating a lush and productive ecological landscape filled with texture, habitat, and year-round life.
A 2,000 sq ft backyard that had been used for storage for decades was transformed into a vibrant multifunctional garden designed for everyday living, gathering, and ecological resilience.
The new landscape includes outdoor dining and lounge spaces, an area for musical gatherings, a bunny hutch and run, bike storage, a secluded hot tub, and an ADU office and workshop — all immersed within California native and Mediterranean-climate planting.
Adjacent to the house, a motorized louvered pergola creates a flexible outdoor living space above a porcelain paver patio, allowing the family to comfortably use the garden year-round while bringing shade, shelter, and warmth to the heart of the landscape.
A naturalistic dry creek bed and small fountain introduce movement and sound into the center of the garden, echoing the feeling of water flowing through the Sierra landscape. Rainwater captured from the ADU roof is redirected into the creek bed, slowing runoff, recharging groundwater, and helping support the surrounding landscape with lower long-term water use.
Soon the hot tub will be surrounded by fragrant pink jasmine, adding more privacy and sweetening the air in the Spring.
BEFORE
