These stepping stones were a test pour. We liked them so much that we left them exactly where they were made.Here is the central patio area. Notice the interesting wall in the background.In the foreground is the rain garden, made of local stone. A footbridge of salvaged wood leads to the patio and house.The planting is a mixture of natives, compatible non-natives, and food-bearing plants.Family footwear by the back door makes for an interesting display.We made this one-of-a-kind wall from various colors of concrete poured into forms. It mimics the outline of the distant mountains and looks like geologically stratified stone.Two walls run parallel to each other, with the dry stream bed running down between them.The walls conceal a small patio which acts as a platform to view the adjacent wetland.We placed crumpled newspaper into the wet concrete to create these interesting voids. They’re fun to peek through.Here is the elevated viewing platform behind the wall. It’s made of hand-textured concrete augmented by natural stone.The custom-made bench is shaped to follow the angle of the top of the wall. It’s made of a salvaged timber.Here’s another view of the bench. It’s built to last.Our staff artist made the red ceramic tiles for this little fountain. It’s a nice surprise behind the wall.Plants around the viewing platform include Mexican Tulip Poppy, Manzanita, and Sedge.The rock is actually a ceramic piece made by our staff artist. Getting a red glaze to work is not easy, but this one came out OK.This path leads through an allee of olive trees and ends at a tiny seating area hidden from view.Mexican Tulip Poppy looks good against a background of Tuscan Blue rosemary.This raised bed was made from local stone and is used to grow vegetables and flowers.Our artist made this fountain by hollowing out a native sandstone boulder. A small pump circulates the water, to the delight of local birds and butterflies.
