Last year, I wrote about our plans to update our front yard landscaping—and shared lots of my favorite inspiration photos. Now that that we’ve been through all of the seasons with it, it seems time for an update.
If you recall, our home is a 1964-Streng, a mid-century modern home that resembles the Eichlers common to the Bay Area, but which is better suited to the Sacramento valley’s climate. I wanted to emphasize the lines of the house with architectural plants like yuccas, agaves, and succulents, and draw the eye away from the carport. We also knew that we wanted the plants to be very low-water.
Our other goals were to have a walkway through the garden, rather than stemming off the driveway, and a bench or a place to sit when we’re out with the kids.
You can see some of the design suggestions our friend, Lora Martens, gave us to consider in the original post—she introduced the idea of adding a wall into the design. From there, we started making adjustments as we went—like adding a bench, choosing pavers and stones, and bringing home so many plants!
Here’s a look at the process, starting with the “before”…
Last week, Skyler stayed home in the morning, and I was faced with the reality that I would get through very little (to none) of the massive pile of work I had to do. She was in need of extra attention, and I found myself desperately in need of extra patience.
I did my best to channel this fatherly advice from Mark Duplass.
We celebrated Aron’s birthday this week with a daytrip to Marin and a lunch of fresh oysters plucked from Tomales Bay. Hog Island takes reservations for their picnic tables and even if you’re not there for bivalves, it’s the loveliest setting. I hear it’s mad on weekends, but mid-week in the fall is such a great time to go. (Some more photos below the fold.)
It did mean we had to miss the kids’ Dia de los Muertos celebration at their school, which is always a lot of fun, but we still go to come home to face-painted kiddo for some Indian food and chocolate chip cookies.
I’ve also been getting things a bit more figured out on this new project—I promise I’ll share next week (thanks for being understanding!)—so that occupied most of the other days.
We have our first Halloween celebration this weekend and we’re still figuring out our costume. Saturday will be dedicated to efforts on the front—for us and for the kids. Stay tuned!
