Projects
A Phased Homestead Landscape
- Challenge
- Bring chickens, goats, and vegetable gardens together in a landscape that works for daily life on a Los Angeles County homestead.
- Approach
- A phased master plan matched the clients’ budget and timeline, addressing clay soil, drainage, and gophers while accommodating daily animal use.
- Result
- A landscape that works for people, animals, and everyday care. Each completed phase stands on its own and fits the master plan.
Strong landscapes begin with a clear understanding of how a property is actually used, and are built to serve it for decades.
The clients already kept chickens and goats and grew vegetables on their homestead in a Los Angeles County canyon. They wanted a landscape that brought these uses together and made the property more attractive and easier to use.
We developed a master plan that could be carried out in phases to suit the clients’ budget and timeline. Each completed phase could work on its own while contributing to the overall plan.
Designed from the ground up
Soil conditions, drainage, and daily use guided the design from the start. Planting and irrigation were planned around the gardens and animal areas.
- Site analysis first: We documented solar exposure, canyon topography, drainage patterns, and soil conditions before specifying any design or planting.
- Irrigation by plant needs: Hydrozoned irrigation delivers measured amounts of water to fruit trees, berries, vegetables, and ornamentals, reducing waste while supporting plant performance.
- Planning for people and animals: We planned durable paths, protection for young plants, and planting choices that accounted for the goats’ access and browsing.
Good for people & goats
Planning for goats meant considering where they would move and which plantings needed protection. We surfaced pathways to withstand daily animal traffic, protected young and high-value plantings through establishment, and selected plants with the goats’ access and browsing in mind. Productive beds remain directly accessible to the clients for harvesting and maintenance.
The layout connects the gardens and animal areas, with paths that support daily feeding, harvesting, and maintenance.
Built one season at a time
Phasing put these principles into practice. Phase one addressed the site engineering everything else depends on. We graded and amended the clay-heavy transitional soil to help reduce prolonged waterlogging, resolved drainage across the slope, and specified protections against the property’s established gopher pressure.
The master plan gave every phase a defined purpose — while preserving the flexibility for the landscape, and the clients, to grow.
