Bluemer

To achieve the desired look in the backyard at the Bluemer Residence, several designs were produced. The wish list included a new Fireplace, BBQ, entertaining area, water feature, and vegetable garden.
The existing garden included a steep slope punctuated by an assortment of overgrown trees and iceplant. Underused and much maligned grass areas were ditched in favor of a zero-maintenance combo of saw-cut concrete and Decomposed Granite patios. A stuccoed retaining wall holds back the newly graded slope, planted with a mix of ornamental grasses, Agave Americana, and Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis ‘Pigeon Point’). The water feature serves multiple purposes, connecting the side and back yards by way of ‘floating’ exposed aggregate pavers. A poured in place concrete formation holds a galvanized steel scupper that spills into the reflecting pool. Three ‘Desert Museum’ Hybrid Palo Verde (no thorns) trees trucked in from Palm Springs complete the theme for this garden.