Design adds privacy and color as a frontyard becomes a living space
Tall kangaroo paws act as a screen and provide privacy from the street in what was formerly a lawn. Landscape designer Naomi Sanders created flow between the driveway and house by installing pavers and gravel, which offer a path to a central seating area. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Working with a limited variety of plants, designer Naomi Sanders transformed the frontyard of a nondescript 1950s home into a striking, secluded space that feels fresh and modern.
A detail of a red kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos ‘Big Red’) plant, which stands about 4 feet tall. The perennial makes a bold statement while remaining transparent. “They are bright and vivid and you can still see through them,” Sanders said. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Motivated by drought concerns, Sanders pulled up the lawn and installed a new driveway. On the walkway to the house, Sanders created a permeable hardscape by surrounding concrete pads with two inches of gravel. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A concrete water fountain serves as a gathering spot with sturdy surfaces for seating and entertaining. Installing plants and pavers in repetition adds pattern, flow and visual elegance. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Small cape rush (chondropetalum tectorum) adds movement to the outdoor space. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Yew pine podocarpus (podocarpus macrophyllus) fills out a portion of the Venice garden. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
A neighborhood cat surveys the low-maintenance yard. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Sanders chose to keep some of the home’s older, established plants, such as this banana plant. A large palm tree was saved to create separation between the driveway and the landscape. Palms on the side of the house were maintained for their textural elements. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
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Bronze New Zealand flax (phormium tenax ‘Bronze’) glows in the late afternoon light. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
Movement was an essential part of the garden’s design. Here, Mexican feather grass (Stipa tennuisima) enlivens the garden’s more static elements. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
