Nestled beside the putting green at La Cañada Flintridge Country Club, this hillside was reimagined as a living expression of the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains. Rather than relying on conventional ornamental landscaping, we designed a vibrant California chaparral and coastal sage scrub plant community that strengthens the site’s sense of place while providing year-round beauty for golfers and visitors alike.
Layered drifts of native buckwheats, sages, toyon, sugar bush, deer grass, coyote brush, and other California natives weave together to create texture, seasonal color, and habitat. A gently weeping boulder fountain provides both a visual focal point and a dependable source of water for birds and other wildlife, transforming the garden into a small ecological refuge within the club grounds.
Before & After
Before & After
Beyond its beauty, the landscape performs important work. Deep-rooted native plants stabilize the hillside, reduce erosion, lower long-term irrigation demands, and require significantly less maintenance than traditional ornamental plantings. The result is a resilient landscape that feels as though it has always belonged here – celebrating the ecology of the foothills while creating an immersive experience for everyone enjoying the course.
Native hillside below the main building – buckwheat, sage, coyote brush
Native hillside along putting green – buckwheat, sage, coyote brush
Native hillside along putting green – buckwheat, sage, coyote brush
Habitat & Biodiversity
This garden demonstrates that even highly maintained recreational landscapes can contribute to the health of the larger ecosystem. Throughout the seasons, hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, songbirds, both large and small mammals find food, shelter, and water among the diverse native plant community. Every bloom, seed head, and branch contributes to a richer web of life, making the garden as valuable to wildlife as it is beautiful to the people who experience it.
Water-Wise Stewardship
Inspired by Southern California’s “Summer-dry” Mediterranean climate, this landscape was designed to thrive with significantly less supplemental irrigation than conventional landscapes. Native plant communities work together to shade the soil, slow evaporation, build healthier soils over time, and create a resilient hillside that grows more beautiful as it matures.
Panorama