STORMWATER, EROSION + CA LIVE OAK IN THE BERKELEY HILLS
This 1908 Cragmont cottage property in Berkeley was heavily altered when the original parcel was divided in the 1980s, leaving the rear cottage with steep fragmented slopes, erosion issues, and a neglected overgrown landscape surrounding a magnificent Coast Live Oak. The homeowners wanted to reunify the landscape into a welcoming garden that could support extended family gatherings, outdoor living, productive planting, and a low-water, dog-friendly landscape designed with pet-safe planting considerations throughout.
The site had become a layered patchwork of failing terracing, deteriorating hardscape, erosion, and dense overgrowth that blocked light throughout the property. Over 20 tons of material were removed during construction, with approximately 81% recycled offsite, while nearly two tons of salvaged material were reused throughout the final landscape. Existing grades were carefully reshaped into a gentler, unified terrain integrated with regenerative stormwater management, broad timber steps, curving pathways, and climate-adapted planting areas.
Beneath the canopy of the live oak is the sweet spot of the property for relaxing and entertaining — cozy, sheltered, and warmed by the afternoon sun. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the last light of the day.
We built a large deck for dining, BBQ, and lounging, while the dogs can roam and relax nearby in the meadow beneath the oak. Fresh herbs and vegetables grow close at hand, with beautiful views stretching toward the Bay and surrounding hillsides.
Low-voltage landscape lighting makes for beautiful evenings outdoors while creating lovely garden vignettes viewed from inside the home.
Centered between a beautiful old Redwood and a mature Coast Live Oak, the garden now includes fruit trees, California native and Mediterranean perennials, raised vegetable and strawberry beds, and a low-water dog run planted as a native meadow beneath the oak canopy. Special care was taken to protect the oak’s root zone and long-term health by minimizing irrigation beneath the tree and selecting this area for the native meadow.
The project also addressed severe erosion and stormwater runoff through regenerative landscape strategies integrated into the site design. Rather than allowing water to rush downhill toward the oak and erode the slopes, runoff is redirected into underground infiltration basins stepped into the hillside beneath a wide curving pathway. This slows and distributes the water, allowing it to percolate naturally into the soil where it can support the surrounding landscape while reducing erosion and protecting the long-term health of the oak.
