2000-2001 Western Garden Design Awards

Sunset, Feb, 2001 by Lauren Bonar Swezey

DESIGNER: Bernard Trainor, Bernard Trainor Design Associates, Royal Oaks, CA (650/569-3163 or 831/786-9100)

OUTDOOR LIVING: ALAMO, CALIFORNIA

Poolside pleasures

The concept of outdoor living attains new heights with the remodel of Craig and Cara Chases' Northern California ranch house garden. The previously humdrum yard has become the ultimate space for entertaining and family fun. * Jurors were wowed by the variety of gathering areas, numerous amenities for entertaining, and well-thought-out arrangement. "The integration of the house with the landscape is extremely effective," commented a juror. * Landscape architect Gary Orr's impressive attention to detail is evident throughout the garden. By setting the pool patio's grade a few feet below the grade of an existing Japanese maple, he opened up views beneath the tree's lowest limbs. A new concrete planter wall surrounding the maple was finished with board textures to suggest that the wall might have been constructed of wood recycled from an old ranch shed. The barbecue area is actually a fully equipped kitchen with sink, refrigerators, and electrical outlets. To connect the garden with the house's interiors, Orr use d terra-cotta-like tile concrete pavement that reflects the interior tile floors, "This garden epitomizes the true concept of indoor/outdoor living," concluded one juror.

DESIGNER: Gary Orr, ORR Design Office, San Leandro/Sacramento (800/647-4781)

SMALL SPACE: KENSINGTON, CALIFORNIA

Jigsaw puzzle

Modern art and landscape design meet head-to-head in this playful 25- by 30-foot entry garden, which gives new shape to paving. * Using geometric forms inspired by the functional and visual requirements of the small space, landscape architects Mathew Henning, Heather Anderson, and Emily Payne developed a jigsaw puzzle of irregularly shaped brick pads to greet visitors and lead them on an exciting journey to the front door. Around the bricks grows a patchwork of foliage textures. "Very innovative," observed one juror. "The geometric shapes create a dynamic tension but with harmony and balance." * Before the remodel, the front garden was fenced off from visitors, who were funneled directly to the front door along a stark concrete walk. Now, as guests step through the front gate, they're immediately welcomed by lush plantings and a striking brick pathway. Because the path is angled, it encourages visitors to experience the garden before arriving at the front door. "It's a three-dimensional entry that says 'Welco me; have fun; come in when you're ready,' "Henning explains.

DESIGNERS: Mathew Henning, Heather Anderson, and Emily Payne, Henning/Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)

SMALL SPACE: SANTA MONICA

* Textural treasures

"Contemporary, casual, and colorful" defines this Southern California garden filled with succulents and grasses. The textures are gorgeous, the foliage fabulous, noted one juror. * Designer Nicole Lopez, who owns the home with her partner, David Mota, turned what used to be a drab, lifeless front yard with a dying lawn into a horticultural wonder. For the front walk, she "splurged," purchasing 2- by 2-foot beige flagstone steppingstones. But for the patio off of the new bedroom door, she broke up her old concrete driveway and laid it out in a random pattern. Inset into the concrete on the edge of the patio is a plastic-lined pond now filled with fish and aquatic plants, thanks to surprise additions from neighbors. * Favoring a "high-style, low-maintenance garden," Lopez chose tough plants with interesting leaf color and foliage patterns. As a native Californian, she was particularly drawn to plants that define Southern California gardening, such as agaves, bush anemones, cycads, and New Zealand flax. Her neig hbors are equally charmed by the handsome garden that reflects the area's easygoing lifestyle. "People often pull up in their cars and tell me how much they like the garden." says Lopez.