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LANDSCAPING IN NORTHRIDGE

This landscaping project in Northridge involved a property with an interesting history. The area used to be orchards and ranchland. Sometime after 1947, this particular property was subdivided from another and this had the unusual result of turning the former back yard into the new front yard. Consequently, the swimming pool was in the front yard and a parking area was in the back yard.

After doing the new outdoor fireplace patio as phase one, the owner decided to have us go ahead and tackle the entire property and give it a complete facelift. This involved some fairly major design work since just about everything needed help. One of the major requirements was to allow for some serious entertaining since the owner, having many friends and family, needed a lot of flexible space which could be used to host all of the guests. At other times, though, the property had to be a comfortable place to relax.

The old swimming pool in the front yard had to be filled in first and, since no one played tennis, the tennis court was removed as well (you guessed it, this was in the front yard as well). This space was turned into a new parking garage and game room which were made to look like a classic red barn, this being in keeping with the history of the area (we didn’t do this part since it wasn’t landscaping). A new driveway and parking area was added which could also be used for tables if needed (we did do that part – as well as the rest of the outdoor construction and landscaping). The large lawn in the front yard is also available for tables when called for, but most of the time is just there to look good and for the dogs to catch Frisbees on.

The new swimming pool was constructed in the back yard, behind the white picket fence with a rose arbor at the gate. With the freeform shape, waterfall and stone theme, it was a much more natural design than the old, rectangular, 40’s motel-style pool that got filled in. There was an original iron hand pump used at some time in the distant past for pumping water, no doubt. This was uprooted and used to make a custom fountain. The water flows out of the pump and into a stone circle quite reminiscent of a wishing well.

A large, stone outdoor kitchen was added to help with the entertaining, as well as a sizable patio made of texture stamped concrete with multiple earth-tone colors that looks kind of like stone, too.

New trees and fencing were added to give the property more privacy but with a natural look. The idea was to keep with the look of the house and guest house, both built in the cottage style.

Worth mentioning is several thousand feet of irrigation and drain pipe installed, and quickly covered up, since this is a vital ingredient but best appreciated when no one knows it is even there afterwards. The previous drainage left a lot to be desired and the old sprinklers were genuine antiques. Numerous outdoor lights were added to highlight pathways that led to various nooks and crannies such as the gazebo garden, veggie garden and the small, rustic stone patio next to the side of the house. Lights were also installed that shined up into several of the trees, arbors and other features.

The front wall was re-built as it had suffered some damage in the famous ’94 earthquake and it was moved to create more usable space. A lattice panel was added to the top of this wall and planted with flowering vines as a more natural way to create some privacy. White paint on this helped it to blend in with the other cottage features.

The overall effect was a comfortable, casual, cottage look, with lots of separate environments having items of interest while still being usable for large-scale entertainment when the occasion called for it. It is exactly what the owner wanted.

Bruce Larsen
Larsen Landscape
Ventura County, CA