Backed by an arching clump of Chinese maiden grass, this bamboo bench provides a spot to relax and listen to frogs in the nearby lily pond.
Landscape & Gardens
Inspired Landscape
A refuge for both people and wildlife, this copper-infused landscape shines as one of the 2007 Homes of the Year


This seating area, one of several in the garden, is flanked by a ‘Little Gem’ southern magnolia. Clumps of blue oat grass meander casually across the path, while containers of golden upright yew and golden Japanese forest grass add a punch of color. The tough, drought-resistant ground-cover near the redwood is Robbiae spurge.


The low copper-clad wall picks up the warm tones from the home’s roof. The slope is planted with clumps of blue oat grass, New Zealand flax and bronze sedge.


Clumps of Chinese maiden grass arch over the path.
Collaboration between homeowners and architects—and the inspiration of a massive California coast redwood tree—led to this award-winning landscape design. Nancy Carosso and Peter Shirley had already established a number of key elements in the outdoor spaces around their Magnolia Craftsman-style home before bringing in landscape architects Randy Allworth and Su Yang of Allworth Nussbaum.

The redwood, with its furry, reddish bark, dominated the rear garden, and its extensive roots and year-round shade called for drought-tolerant plantings. Seeing the need for a retaining wall, Carosso came up with a bright idea: “I looked at the sun shining on the trunk of the redwood, and I thought of copper,” she recalls. “I imagined building a wood-framed wall and covering it with copper, and my husband and son did just that. The redwood is sheltering and seems to repel mosquitoes, so we created a gravel-covered seating area beneath it.”

With some strong design ideas in place—handsome home, pleasing color scheme, copper-clad wall and towering redwood—the homeowners wanted to complete the landscape, but they were unsure how to bring the elements together into a cohesive whole. They asked Allworth and Yang to create a garden to complement this 1915 Craftsman-style home. “I knew what I wanted; Randy made it work,” Carosso says.

Today the outdoor space flows smoothly from the east-facing front sidewalk, through a neatly defined entryway, stepping through a small side garden to the wooded seating areas at the rear of the home. The overall result is a smart, contemporary-yet-casual series of outdoor rooms.

The underlying design element was the home itself, with its blend of attention to detail and nonchalance, Allworth says. He describes its interior as “beautiful, warm and sophisticated, yet relaxing and cozy.”

“The new landscape renovated nearly every square foot of the property,” Allworth notes. Starting from the front street, a new concrete retaining wall was created to address the steep slope. Invasive plants, such as Himalayan blackberries, were removed, and a root barrier was added at one side of the property to keep them from creeping back. The soil was amended throughout, and drought-tolerant plants of appropriate style and color were chosen.

Clumps of blue oat grass dot the landscape, tying the spaces together. This low-maintenance evergreen grass has buff-colored flower heads that dance on the wind.

Above the new front planting area, a second low, copper-clad wall was built to screen lower-level windows from the street, keeping the focus on the generous front porch. This simple structure also creates a modest entry area, with new stairs leading up to the existing deck over the garage.

For stair treads throughout the garden, Allworth chose Wilkeson sandstone. “Its high iron content oxidizes when exposed to rain, subtly changing its color to a warmer shade,” he explains. “We added a red, cutleaf Japanese maple and copper strips to the stair risers to the deck to repeat the copper theme and warm tones.”
A new paved seating area was created with naturalistic plantings that create a mood somewhere between woods and beach. With grasses, easy groundcovers and comfortable seating, it’s easy to relax here.

Well-chosen accents add a splash of drama throughout the garden. A turquoise pot with a fish fountain creates a miniature water feature. Egg-shaped, tangerine-colored pots show off upright golden yews encircled with golden Japanese forest grass. At the very back of the garden, a bamboo bench, backed with maiden grass, provides a resting spot near a lily pond.

With thoughtful care and attention, this garden has made the transition from a turn-of-the-century fruit orchard to a contemporary, waterwise, welcoming outdoor space. This enjoyable and fruitful collaboration of owners and landscape architects created a sanctuary that will shelter and nurture families—and wildlife—for many generations to come. 

Design Details
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS  Randy Allworth and Su Yang, Allworth Nussbaum, 207 First Ave. S., Ste. 300, (206) 623-7396 or allworthnussbaum.com


Carolyn Jones has worked in all areas of horticulture in the Pacific Northwest, most recently as director of Great Plant Picks.