Lawn Replacement in a Challenging Environment

The site and sound of the pond-less fountain helps cool off this extremely hot property. The owners had been battling gophers, deer, drainage issues, drought, and hard, rocky soil for years. They decided to eliminate their entire front lawn & add a pond-less water fountain as a focal point. I strove to provide year-round interest by adding evergreen trees and shrubs to their mostly deciduous & perennial existing plants & a variety of plants that flower at different times of the year. We terraced the yard to address the drainage issues and separated the levels with a dry-stacked fieldstone wall. Low-water, erosion control plants at the top of the hill & plants that tolerate more water at the bottom will help with the longevity of their landscape. A cool palette of purple, blue, and pink helps sooth and unify the design. The spiral of gravel & Dymondia ground-cover (will fill in the area in a couple of months) draws the eye towards the fountain & provides a large area to rest the eyes that won’t need to be watered. It was a challenge to choose plants that the deer & gophers would be less likely to destroy, that can grow under a large Oak tree, and that attract beneficial insects to help the garden last!