Landscape designer to the rescue!

This is the LANDSCAPING AFTER post you've all been waiting for. I'm sure you've all been waiting for it, right? Well, you've already seen some pics in previous posts of the landscaping "after." There are the pictures of what I look like decorated for a baby shower, and what I look like outside at night by the fire pit. Awesome, right?

Well, let me tell you a little about how I got so pretty. It wasn't by the dirt and sweat of my owners, let me tell you. They know nothing about gardening and construction and all that stuff. But they do know what they like and how to organize the resources to get it done. They're experts at that. The resource in this case was the cashola and the right designer.

(Sound the trumpet now)
Stephanie Bartron to the rescue!
Stephanie Bartron of SB Garden Design lives in the neighborhood. My owners found her through Barbara Bestor's book: "Bohemian Modern: Living in Silver Lake." She and her team worked some magic and gave me the ultimate makeover.

Stephanie Bartron had great vision. It was her idea to remove the majority of the ugly planter to make room for a table and built in seating. Well, she had all the ideas, actually. Things I hadn't thought of myself. She designed an amazing space that everyone is thoroughly enjoying! It's, as they say in the real estate industry, an "entertainer's paradise"! Truly.

The cracked concrete patio became small gravel and the perfect location for the fire pit (as you can see in the nighttime photo.) My owners love to sit out there with friends at night and stare at the flame. I don't get the appeal, personally. Staring at fire, I mean. Probably because I'm a house and fire is my enemy. But the humans like it. As long as it's enjoyed at a safe distance from me, I guess I'm okay with it.

Anyway, back to the yard. Where the dead tree and dirt slope used to be is now lush long "never-mow" grass. Stephanie calls it the "bad hair cut" grass. Everyone loves it for its lushness and low-maintenance quality. That's Pablo there in the picture. Pablo is the beast on fours that calls me home. He loves that grass.

Don't you love all the bamboo? It's of the clumping variety, by the way. They went with the bamboo fence at the entrance... as you'll see in the picture of the stairs. That's how you get to me, by the way. Through the bamboo gate, down the stairs to the front door. That fencing you see was custom made. Custom= expensive. That's what I hear. But I sure love the design. Thank you, owners, for splurging on that. It's not only safe, but also striking and unobtrusive.

Okay, enough about me blabbing on and on about my makeover. I'll just bullet-point the rest.

So here are some of the highlights:

*Installed a Weathermatic Irrigation System
*New retaining walls
*Poured concrete
*Concrete spacers
*Built-in grill with spacious concrete serving counter
*Built-in concrete seating
*New bamboo fence and gate
*New, bigger and safer landing at entrance
*Beautiful gas fire pit in gravel "lounging area"
*Custom railings
*New deck (to replace the dilapidated eye sore that came before)
*Architectural, drought-resistant landscaping
*Built-in lighting in the stairs
*up lights
*pendant lights over the outdoor dining area
*vegetable and herb garden