Friday, March 30, 2012

Santa Monica Contemporary Landscape Design - Progress Update #3 - Two Weeks Away from Completion!

The last time we updated you on our Santa Monica Contemporary Project, we had just finished installing a beautiful Jacaranda tree. Jump forward a few weeks, and we are only about two weeks away from finishing the whole project!

We've filmed three new update videos since our last post about this project -- check them out!

Installed Turf Pavers

We installed roll-style poly turf pavers in this project. Each of the cells were filled with soil and were planted to create great ground cover that you can actually drive on!


Completed the Grading

The grading is done and a majority of the plant materials are in the front!


Two Weeks Away!

The backyard is close to being done, with the turf area ready to go. We have a beautiful deck that is inset right into the paving, and a great series of bamboo against the pool wall. The backyard has a great Japanese style garden with Colorado moss rock and a sunken private viewing garden for the office space.



Stay tuned for our next update!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Featured Landscaping Project: Rubeli Residence

This is a project called the Rubeli Residence in Sherman Oaks, CA. The garden is a strong statement with bold textured drifts of drought tolerant plant materials.



The Palo Verde trees were individually tagged by A New Leaf in the desert to accomodate a perfect look to the main element of trees. A New Leaf provides quarterly maintenace for this project and the owner is happy to take referral calls.


The Landscape Architect is Kathleen Ferguson with Kathleen Ferguson Landscapes.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Landscaping Your Orange County Real Estate

Curb Appeal...

We all know the term. Real estate agents tell us many of their buyers do not even get out of the car if the home lacks curb appeal. So, if a buyer will not exit the car, how are they going to see that kitchen or bath you remodeled? While a kitchen renovation may decrease the amount of time your house is on the market it frequently does not recoup your costs in the sale price.

Not so with Landscaping...

Studies show that a well-landscaped property can add as much a 10% to the market value of your home, as well as speed up the selling time. While you may not wish to reinvent the hardscape design (walls, walks, patios) of your property prior to selling it, many improvements (some dramatic) can occur with improvements to the softscape (plants, irrigation and low-voltage lighting).

  • Shrubs can decrease negative views or be used to balance or accentuate architectural details otherwise overlooked.
  • The addition of decorative pottery, when well-planted, can create welcoming entrances where previously none existed.
  • Low-voltage lighting not only improves safety but can be added to showcase a particularly attractive aspect of your property.



Maybe your yard over the years has deteriorated into a jungle. Corrective maintenance may be able to turn back the clock and restore the landscape to a functional and appealing accent.

  • Cutting back and artfully pruning old plantings may open up new views or reveal the handsome form of mature trees and shrubs - one of the biggest advantages of a mature landscape.
  • Transplanting existing shrubs and perennials can be thought of as creative recycling and result in a much improved embellishment of your home.


Avoid the mistakes of adding a few quickly placed flowerpots purchased from the local home improvement center, and thinking that will hide the lack of care that a poorly presented landscape suggests.

Let the crews from A New Leaf give you assistance in preparing your property for a successful sale.