Garden Style/Design – Groundswell Landscaping

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts

May 1, 2018

Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Garden Philosphy, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips

At Groundswell Landsacping we provide the complete range of services from initial design through construction to continuing landscape maintenance and development. Our collective experience in each project phase informs subsequent phases and future projects. We are a plant savvy company, and believe in the value and beauty that plants bring to projects. Young gardens can be vibrant and colorful, attracting birds and butterflies, providing seasons of astonishment and surprise as plants burst into color and flower. Planted landscapes are not…

Front yard living transformation.

January 26, 2017

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Front Yard Landscapes, Garden Style/Design, Projects

We transformed this Carlsbad front yard from the traditional developer front lawn to a drought tolerant dynamic and inviting front yard living area. Creating an enclosed front patio allowed the owner to leave the front door open and have her dogs out front without having to worry about them running off. Check out the photos below.

Show Stoppers & Focal Points

May 27, 2016

nathansmithdesign

Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Front Yard Landscapes, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips, Projects

Landscape scenes read better and have more impact if there is a focal point, a singular place where the eye goes to. Sometimes focal plants can make a statement with a big exclamation point as in the case of this pictured Nolina nelsoni. The plant has been in this particular Solana Beach garden for a good six years now and is fulfilling (exceeding!) the role that I had envisioned for it in this landscape at its inception. As it is with so many…

Focus on front yard drought tolerant landscaping

May 18, 2016

nathansmithdesign

Be Water Wise, Drought Tolerant Landscaping, Front Yard Landscapes, Garden Philosphy, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips, Projects, Uncategorized

Re-doing your front yard with drought tolerant landscaping yields more value than you might imagine. A well executed front yard landscape can have positive effects on your home value, your neighborhood, the broader environment, your social interactions and your quality of life. A new front landscape can significantly improve the curb appeal of your home. Very often the outside of the house sells the inside. Make a good first impression of your home by making the approach to the front…

Terrain talks drought tolerant landscape design

February 6, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Garden Philosphy, Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips

Questions of sustainability swirl in our heads daily as we go about the business of improving residential landscapes during the drought. At Terrain we’re constantly reevaluating our approach and refining our techniques with an eye toward superior results. Lance and I sat down to chat about some of the things that have popped up in recent weeks and I’ve transcribed our conversation below. Lance: Hey Nate, I have more and more people asking me each day if replacing their front lawn with artificial turf is a wise…

January Plant Pick: Aloes

January 13, 2015

nathansmithdesign

Garden Style/Design, Landscape Tips, Plant Picks

Aloes…Succulent, structural, striking, sexy! Many species are at their peak this time of year and can be outstanding additions to any garden! Attached is a recent photo from Terrain partner Nathan Smith’s garden. Looking fab! [fb_button]

Steel, Plants and Wood

May 24, 2014

nathansmithdesign

Garden Style/Design

Rusted steel planters look nice. We recently did these planters for a small project down in Hilcrest. Love the red flowered Russellia spilling over the edge. The Phormium cultivar ‘Black Licorice’ exceptional black foliage which reads nicely too! Here’s another view of this project in the late afternoon light. Freshly planted. It will grow in nicely!