Madrone created a common area with native plants, pathways, and multiple options for seating for this senior living retirement community. Madrone also installed a custom timber pedestrian bridge and a timber patio pergola to enhance usability and a sense of place within the community.
Situated on a corner near the entrance to a planned development in Atascadero, homeowners sought both privacy and a multi-use entertainment space planted with a low-maintenance, native palette. Live-ability was their primary focus, seeking sensible choices for a landscape that would function well for their family and lifestyle. The finished project was formed from a strong vision and a willingness to wait for the most ideal amenities to be developed, resulting in a balanced and precise personal oasis.
A mortarless retaining wall, wide sidewalk of permeable pavers, and low stucco wall shield an inviting yet private front patio from the street. A local boulder with a core-drilled center serves as a vanishing fountain flanked by two benches made from recycled cypress logs. Two of the seven varieties of manzanita on the property grace the porch: the Manzanita morroensis, native to Morro Bay, and the Dr. Hurd, a multi-branched tree with glossy light green leaves.
Past a south facing raised vegetable bed and fruit trees, a wide path winds through tall deer grass on its way to the backyard, pool, and patio. A curving, elevated bed of stacking stone along one side of the pool decking is wide enough to sit on, full of native plants and another vanishing fountain.
An outdoor poolside kitchen provides a focal point for the backyard. Rough-sawn, horizontal siding covers the existing fence and continues along the back of the structure as a sliding barn door to conceal pool equipment. Slender veldt grass, Carpenteria Bush Anemone, carex, and potted succulents hug the various stone surface treatments. The cypress bar is recycled from the same log as the front benches.
Focusing on ease of maintenance and low water use, Madrone designed and installed a complete upgrade to this sandy, neglected site.
Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant succulents and natives bloom year-round. Pathways lead through the residential complex, easily guiding residents to parking, laundry, and outdoor areas.
This garden creates the perfect place to enjoy the bounties of Paso‘s wine-growing region. Whether it is a pizza party with the wood fire pizza oven, an intimate gathering by the unique fireplace and pond, or a day of tending the garden and home vineyard, life is good here.
Somewhere between formal and natural, the garden flows seamlessly to provide entertainment options for day and night, with an emphasis on good food, good wine, and good friends.
