Planet Horticulture

Mid-Century Modern Renovation

A Case Study

Friends and previous clients bought a mid-century modern house located on the top of a ridge in the Claremont area of Berkeley CA. It has panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay, the Peninsula, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and Marin County. The owners renovated the house maintaining the architectural heritage of the building. The wanted Planet Horticulture to create a garden that would feel contemporary, provide circulation and access, lots of edible plants, spaces for their sculptures, and outdoor living spaces. Several choice specimen plants and antique ceramic urns were brought from their previous garden in Mill Valley, California.

The garden started with a steep, S-facing hill below the view side of the house. It was cleared and had switchback trails cut into the bank, a series of metal cattle troughs placed into the hillside for vegetables, and the rest planted with ebullient sun-loving plants and fruit trees and berries.

Steep South-facing Hillside. This went in first, as it was remote from the reconstruction of the residence and didn’t interfere with that work.

Before, looking northwest. A very steep South-facing hillside below the view side of the house was cleared and had trails cut into the bank and water trough planters installed for vegetables

After, looking NW. New planting thrives with sun and excellent drainage. Vegetable planters ready to go.

Before, looking south, paths cut into the steep hillside and water trough planters for veggies installed.

After, Looking south - in less than one year, the hillside plantings, vegetables, and berries are thriving and cover the once bleak slope.

Detail of colorful foliage and flowering plants covering the steep slope.

Fuji apple providing fresh fruit after only 2 seasons.

Front. Since the view was so spectacular, we planted the borders of the space, leaving the central portion for a low-water bent grass lawn that would be an extension of the living room. As part of the house architecture, there were also stone-faced planters against the residence. We incorporated the hot tub close to the house and the bathroom entry, tucked away in the plantings but open to the panoramic views.

Before, looking south, the original landscaping had been scraped off for reconstruction of the house.

After, looking south, the low, tough, drought and wind tolerant plantings surround the bent-grass lawn, the full expanse of the view reaches the home.

Before, looking northwest.

The low plantings of Canna ‘Australia’ and red kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos hybrids) create almost continual color and just enough enclosure for the turf, but allows unimpeded views.

Visitors in the hot tub enjoy views of the garden, and to San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

One of the original stone planters, was planted with succulents to be seen from both the inside and outside; here just planted. The bed in front of the raised planter is a mix of blueberries and strawberries.

Succulent planter bed after a season. You can see through the house to the back garden with the large urns.

View of the west side of the house, the lawn and border plantings including the fire-bowl urns.

Back Garden. The backyard was partially enclosed by the U-shaped residence. The space was broken up by an old raised bed concrete wall. Especially in the winter, it is much shadier and colder, and faces a steep hillside woodland of native Coast live oak and California bay laurel, along with many old plantings from the original landscaping that had become overgrown. We lowered many of the plants to provide adequate screening from the busy road below. We removed ivy that had overgrown the tree canopy helping preserve the mixed woodland. We re-used several large urns from Spain that had been in their previous garden that we had done, creating focal points from the house, the path system and in a small pond.

Before, Even before the house was complete, we set out some key features and plants, to help us conceptualize the future garden.

Just planted. The early stage of the back garden which used the large urn as the central focal point. Dark gray path fines were used for the primary patio and path surface. Mulch surfaces were used for side trails.

After, The large urn is now in scale with the diverse plantings chosen primarily for bold foliage and robust constitution. As the plants grow in, the mulch surface of the trail stands out more, and the scale of the hardscape becomes more apparent.

Another large urn was used as a fountain into a small pond that is the central feature of the back-garden space. This small pond is an oasis for goldfish and local wildlife. The sound of the fountain provides a bubbling distraction from the road noise in the distance.

Looking back toward the house. The central living/dining section of the house is a glass enclosed pavilion – so the San Francisco Bay views can be seen from the back patio as well. White-barked Himalayan Birch (Betula utilis var. jacquemontii) trees were planted as a grove to create an eventual woodland effect on the mesic northeast side of the garden.

The Northside is often in the deep shade, where we used a limited selection of contrasting foliage plants to provide interest. One of the clients was inspired by her childhood in Oregon and wanted to have a collection of ferns, like this one (Variegated brake fern, Pteris cretica ‘Albolineata’).

Beyond the giant nine-foot tall, broad urn, a shady pathway leads into the woodland on the north side of the house.

Along the north path, bold foliage and a tree hung with giant ceramic mala beads by Marcia Donahue, provide interest and a transition to the dense woodland beyond.

View of the back garden from the back of the house.