Stanford Residence — the mid-century wood house seen from down the street, a no-mow fescue meadow and mounds of blue fescue running to the sidewalk
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Stanford

Stanford Residence

Where there was nothing but weeds — a no-mow native meadow, deer grass and blue fescue either side of a full-range bluestone walk.

Deer grass in full seed head against the wood siding, silver-blue fescue and a bluestone edge below

Out front of this mid-century wood house there was nothing but weeds and bare dirt, and the owners were done with it. They wanted an entry that felt native to the site and true to the architecture.

A no-mow fescue meadow took their place, rolling right up to the front walk. It uses a fraction of the water, and holds its shape through the dry months.

The design relies on a loose, layered palette of drought-tolerant grasses and structural succulents. The hardscape, including a full-range bluestone entry walk, stays plain, so the siding and the meadow carry the front.

The design was mine, and Seven Scapes, the design-build practice I ran at the time, built the landscape. The drainage was subcontracted, and the work attached to the house, the railing included, was built by others. The landscape was installed in 2012.

Grasses and low planting on the side slope below the deck, orange California poppies scattered through them
The side garden below the deck.
Before — the same house from across the street in 2011, bare dirt and dry weeds between the sidewalk and the deck
Before — just weeds and bare dirt.
After — the same view from across the street: no-mow fescue meadow, deer grass and blue fescue either side of the bluestone walk
After — the same view, the meadow’s first October.
Project credits
Design & landscape buildSharon DeBell
DrivewayPeninsula Concrete
Fences & latticeJ. Perretti Decks
PhotographySharon DeBell
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