Textural triumph

The brief

Landscape architect Cat Grey, founder of Studio Mala, knew when she first visited this steeply sloping garden near Los Gatos in northern California that the design would be challenging. With breathtaking views over the Santa Clara valley, the site wraps around a large mid-century house, owned by couple with two children, who asked her to create a low-maintenance garden with year-round interest. “The wife is an active gardener who loves sculptural plants such as cacti, succulents and grasses, and liked the idea of using native species,” explains Cat. The couple also wanted to enjoy views over the garden from the raised deck and their patio outside the master bedroom. “The existing heritage oaks, Quercus agrifolia, which are protected in California, were to provide shade and focal points, but the invasive ivy covering much of the plot had to go, and because rain only falls here in the winter, from November to February, water is a precious resource and very expensive, so I also had to minimise the garden’s irrigation needs.”

The design

“The new garden is being built in phases, and the first area we’ve completed is around the southeastern part of the house,” says Cat. “Here, I’ve created a water-wise garden with evergreen interest and native plants to provide habitat and survive drought conditions. The design balances native with evergreen grasses, together with herbaceous perennials for seasonal pops of colour, and succulents and cacti to provide structure.” A fescue meadow on the slope around one of the oaks creates a low-water resilient carpet that helps to out-compete the ivy, which continues to be a threat, as it is very difficult to eradicate.

Pathways made from decomposed granite augment the naturalistic aesthetic, creating routes from the driveway to the main entrance and pool area, and weaving down the slope through a tapestry of foliage plants. “Next to the master bedroom, we built a simple Corten-steel planter around an oak to allow us to plant ben