A Study on Microclimates
Installation September 2025
More photos coming soon! Please be patient while this garden grows in…
Project Scope
We first met with these clients in 2022 after they had hired a landscaper who installed a sad, grey, rock- filled garden full of non-native plants. We tried sheet mulching and replanting the backyard but after several months without much plant growth, we conducted soil testing and found that their soil suffered from heavy metal poisoning, including excess levels of zinc. In 2025, we swapped some of the existing soil for new planting mix, added amendments, re-irrigated for more even coverage and replanted.
Because this project has four specific areas of interest (front yard, courtyard, alleyway and backyard), we call it A Study on Microclimates. Each area had its own existing plants to contend with, as well as varying levels of sun exposure and moisture retention. We worked to create a plant palette that felt cohesive across the project while still honoring the needs of each planting zone. Within the four areas, several plants overlap, such as Ceanothus and Goldenrod. Other plants are less versatile and only thrive in their unique location, such as Western Columbine in the shady, moist alleyway and Winifred Gilman sage in the hot sunny courtyard.
Learn more about these plants and their preferred planting conditions below!
Project Details
🌎 Mar Vista
🏡 Front yard, courtyard + backyard — 2,000 sq ft
☀️ Full sun, dappled shade + full shade
💧 Drip irrigation + overhead sprinklers
Front Yard
Dappled Sun
Canyon Sunflower - Venegasia carpesioides
Coral Bells - Heuchera 'Wendy's Wish'
Fragrant Pitcher Sage - Lepichinia fragrans
Las Pilitas Hummingbird Sage - Salvia spathacea 'Las Pilitas'
Yarrow - Achillea millefolium (straight species and Paprika)
Existing plants
Breath of Heaven - Coleonema pulchellum
Magnolia tree
Red Fescue - Festuca rubra
Full Sun
Aromas Sage - Salvia 'Aromas'
Bush Monkeyflower - Diplacus longiflorus
Goldenrod - Solidago velutina
Jerusalem Sage - Phlomis fruticosa (non- native)
Pacific Mist Manzanita - Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist'
'Purple Haze' Aster - Symphyotrichum chilense 'Purple Haze'
'Ray Hartman' Ceanothus - Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'
Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat - Eriogonum arborescens
Front yard in progress
8 months of growth
Courtyard, Alleyway + Backyard
Backyard — Full Sun + Part Shade
California Fuchsia - Epilobium canum
California Native Grape 'Roger's Red' - Vitis californica 'Roger Red'
Catalina Perfume - Ribes viburnifolium
Goldenrod - Solidago velutina
Hachiya Persimmon tree (non- native)
Joyce Coulter Ceanothus - Ceanothus 'Joyce Coulter'
Mrs. Beard Sage - Salvia sonomensis 'Mrs. Beard'
Palmer’s Mallow - Abutilon palmeri
'Purple Haze' Aster - Symphyotrichum chilense 'Purple Haze'
Red Fescue - Festuca rubra
Toyon - Heteromeles arbutifolia
White Sage - Salvia apiana
Yankee Pt. Ceanothus - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Yankee Point'
Existing plants
Ficus hedges
Olive tree
Rosemary
Courtyard — Full Sun
California Fuchsia - Epilobium canum (straight species and 'Calistoga')
Clustered Field Sedge - Carex praegracilis
Coyote Mint - Monardella villosa
'Emerald Carpet' Manzanita - Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet'
Passionfruit vine - Passiflora edulis (non- native)
'Ray Hartman' Ceanothus - Ceanothus 'Ray Hartman'
Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat - Eriogonum arborescens
Santa Rosa plum tree (non- native)
Winifred Gilman Sage - Salvia 'Winifred Gilman'
Yarrow - Achillea millefolium
Alleyway — Dappled Shade
California Native Grape 'Roger's Red' - Vitis californica 'Roger Red'
Goldenrod - Solidago velutina
Toyon - Heteromeles arbutifolia
Western Columbine - Aquilegia formosa
Yankee Pt. Ceanothus - Ceanothus thyrsiflorus var. griseus 'Yankee Point'
Existing plants
Eastern Redbud
Courtyard in progress
Alleyway view into backyard (BEFORE)
Alleyway view into the backyard (AFTER)
After removing layers of gravel and landscaping fabric we found the soil underneath was dry, compacted and depleted. This is not how soil should look! The basis of any garden is *healthy soil*. We worked hard to bring this soil back to life before replanting.
