The owners of this garden in San Francisco asked landscape architects Surfacedesign for an organic space to enjoy, one that contrasted to the more formal interior of the house and would give a sense of escape, fragrance and colour. They also wanted to enjoy views down on to the garden from the upper part of the house.
Landscape architect Roderick Wyllie worked on the project with colleague Michal Kapitulnik. The pair soon realised that as the views from the garden to the city and bay are largely obscured by houses and trees, that they would give the garden a simple, immersive feel.
A staggered limestone staircase leads down to the lower terrace, home to two custom-made stone benches. Boulders are dotted throughout the garden; a nod to the wider landscape. Three flowering dogwoods add height and seasonal colour and are underplanted with drought tolerant, variegated plants.
Design details
As the garden only measures 14m by 9m and slopes on a 3:1 slope or an 18-degree angle, the layout is simple. The top space near the house has limestone paving that is flexible in terms of furniture and use, and has a tiny bit of a view. Twelve staggered steps lead down to the lower garden, the most immersive space. “We wanted the garden to reveal itself as you descend into it,” says Roderick. The lower terrace is composed of limestone pavers interplanted with evergreen ground cover plants.
The slope
The original garden had terraces and retaining walls, which were removed. “We shaped and sculpted the whole slope instead,” explains Roderick. “The trees and boulders were carefully graded into the slope to create natural terracing. The gentle gradient, boulders and planting keep the slope from subsiding.”
Benches and boulders
The boulders and stone for the two benches are local granite Sonoma field stones, sourced from a stone distributor and fabricator across the bay. Eight boulders of different shapes and sizes punctuate the downward slope: “They create a sense of continuity and allowed us to be bold in a small space.”
In the lower garden, large stones have been shaped into organic benches, creating a destination and a place to sit. The form of the benches was inspired by the work of US-Japanese sculptor Isamu Noguchi. All of the materials had to be craned into the site. “The crane schedule is a reality in San Francisco – there is no other way.”
Trees
A trio of flowering dogwoods (Cornus kousa), two on the main slope and a third at the bottom of the garden, bring height to the space. “They define it without overwhelming it. They’re not shade trees – in San Francisco, shade is sometimes needed, but here we needed to allow light into the garden.”
Hedges
The garden was surrounded by an existing Pittosporum tenuifolium hedge on three sides. “We wanted to be responsible, so the new planting is a bridge between what was there before and what’s there now.” Holes in the hedges were filled in, with additional pittosporum and evergreen Clematis armandii ‘Snowdrift’. Hydrangea quercifolia (oak-leaved hydrangea) were added in front to create depth visually, plus some seasonal interest in summer and autumn.
Variegated plants
Most of the plants are completely drought tolerant, as water management is of course a big issue in California. But aside from that, Roderick wanted to explore something he had never done before: variegated plants. “Smaller projects give us an opportunity to explore and do more,” says Roderick. “So after years of avoiding variegated plants, we were really interested in using them here. In the past, variegation might have felt out of place or a little bit too ornamental, but in this garden we felt there was an opportunity.”
The palette of variegated plants is limited to a sedum, Hylotelephium ‘Autumn Charm’, an ornamental grass, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ and Carex oshimensis Everest (= ‘Fiwhite’), their pale tones bringing a wash of light to the north-facing space. “The variegation is interesting in itself but also provides an almost glowing light effect in the evening. And it complements the white flowers of the dogwood.”
The other plants were chosen to complement the variegated plants, including the grey-toned fern Athyrium ‘Ghost’, silver-blue Eryngium planum ‘Blue Glitter’ and white and blue salvias (Salvia x sylvestris ‘Schneehügel’ and Salvia Mystic Spires Blue (=‘Balsalmisp’).
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