Hope Ranch Hideaway
A former hillside lawn that once only shed water has become a rainwater-infiltrating landscape, sending water from the roof and patio into the soil. Using a system of berms and basins buttressed by natural rock walls to cope with the steep slope, we created routes to slow and sink rainwater into the landscape.
The client wanted to keep a small area of turf, so in place of thirsty cool-season grasses, we created a meadow of native and drought-tolerant grasses that can be mowed or left to grow wild. The remainder of the landscape was designed to thrive on winter rains with minimal irrigation.
- Reduced & replaced bermuda/kikuyu lawn with a native Carex & Bentgrass meadow
- Native & Mediterranean plantings to draw birds, butterflies & bees
- Earthworks for rain harvesting in creeks, basins & overflow waterfalls
- Dry-stack Santa Barbara sandstone walls for slope terracing
- New paths, access points & creek crossings
- Upgraded drip & micro-spray irrigation, plus path lighting
Rainwater Harvesting in the Foothills
This spectacular collection of exotics now benefits from the rain that once rushed down the hill and off the property in stone culverts. All twelve downspouts from the roof are now routed to a series of basins and rock-lined conveyances — some around existing tropical species, others serving future plantings.
Work on this property is ongoing, taking further advantage of water-harvesting opportunities as the landscape matures.
