The brief
he gardens in this tree-lined neighbourhood in suburban Los Gatos, California, are neat parcels of rectangular lawn – which are not, of course, suited to the dry climate. The owners of this ‘L-eichler' (as in a ‘like an Eichler') house – a mid-century modern home with an atrium in the centre – had a different look in mind when they approached landscape studio Terremoto. They wanted to rip out the tired hedges, rotting deck, old-fashioned fencing and lawn at the front and back to create spaces that were packed with plants for pollinators, where their two young daughters could roam. Aside from that, spaces for cooking and entertaining were a key requirement. “That was a really big part of the brief,” explains landscape architect Sarah Samynathan, who worked on the project with her colleague Alain Peauroi. “The clients
