Landscape Design and Build
From wind-tolerant planting and ranch-scale outdoor living to drainage and driveways, our in-house design and build team designs and builds outdoor spaces for Harmony properties on the coastal ranch land between Cayucos and Cambria.
Start here
The right approach follows how you want to use the space. Pick what you're actually after below, and the materials and layout mostly follow from it. Every project shown was built here in the Central Coast, so the choices are suited to this climate.
01 Finding the sheltered ground Before anything is drawn we work out where the wind actually drops on the property. Terrace placement relative to structures, landform, and existing planting does more for comfort here than any amount of furniture or heating. See landscape projects 
02 Salt-tolerant materials Marine air is hard on fixings, fasteners, and finishes further inland than most people expect. We specify corrosion-resistant hardware and durable surfaces so a coastal terrace still looks right in its tenth year. See durable material choices 
03 Planting that belongs here Coast buckwheat, coyote brush cultivars, coffeeberry, manzanita, seaside daisy, ceanothus, and native grasses read as part of the surrounding hills, handle wind and salt, and need very little water once established. See low-water designs 
04 Ranch-scale outdoor living A built-in kitchen or grill scaled to the property rather than the patio gives ranch-scale entertaining somewhere to happen, without competing with the wind-sheltered terrace it sits beside. See rural-property projects 
Best for Ranch and hacienda-style Harmony homes, and anyone who wants a shaded courtyard sheltered from the coastal wind.
On your property Needs real windbreak structure and terrace placement in the lee of a building or landform; the plant list stays coastal (rosemary, santolina) rather than a full inland Mediterranean palette.
Best for Homeowners who want a true garden to tend, not just a yard to maintain.
On your property A harder fit against Harmony's open grassland and onshore wind; where it works, it stays close to the house with deer- and wind-resistant substitutes doing most of the work.
Best for Classic ranch-style homes, and anyone who wants a familiar, symmetrical look with year-round color.
On your property Restraint matters more than symmetry on Harmony's open grassland; a formal traditional layout tends to look imported against the long views here.
Best for Modern ranch builds, and anyone who wants clean lines and architectural planting over a traditional garden look.
On your property A clean, restrained palette actually suits Harmony's open sky and long views better than a busier planting scheme would.
Best for Anyone who wants low water use and low maintenance on rural, well-and-septic ranch land.
On your property A very strong fit given Harmony's well-water dependence and coastal grassland setting; the palette leans native and wind-tolerant throughout.
Best for Homeowners who want a garden to look at and sit beside as much as gather in.
On your property An uncommon request this far out on open ranch land, though a sheltered courtyard close to the house could support a restrained version.
Best for A compact courtyard or entry sequence rather than a full property treatment.
On your property Less relevant given Harmony's large ranch parcels, though a sheltered terrace near the house is itself a small, well-defined space worth designing carefully.
Before We work out where the wind actually drops on the property, and note well, septic, and access details on the long private drives common here.
Design We present concepts weighted toward restraint: a sheltered terrace, native and Mediterranean planting that matches the surrounding hills, and materials that hold up to marine air.
Selection Coast buckwheat, coyote brush cultivars, coffeeberry, manzanita, and seaside daisy are chosen and specified for your property, not nursery pot size.
Installation Grading and drainage are planned around leach field locations and rural runoff paths before anything goes into the ground.
Established Efficient, well-appropriate irrigation and mulching help plants establish against wind and salt exposure. We provide care instructions for long-term, low-maintenance success.
Things worth knowing before a first consultation.
Terrace placement relative to structures, landform, and existing planting does more for comfort here than furniture or heating ever could.
Marine air is hard on fixings, fasteners, and finishes further inland than most people expect. Corrosion-resistant hardware and durable surfaces keep a terrace looking right in its tenth year.
On rolling grassland with an open sky and long views, an over-designed backyard looks imported. Simple, native-matched plans hold up better here.
Many Harmony properties run on a well and a septic system. Irrigation is designed to be efficient, and grading is planned around leach field locations.
Access, staging, and material delivery on a long rural approach are planned during the Site Analysis, and drives and entry courts are frequently part of the scope.
Irrigation lines, septic laterals, and buried utilities need to be located before grading or planting begins, and mature tree roots need enough clearance that nearby digging does not damage the tree.
No quote written off a photograph can account for what your property is like.
Access, engineering, permits, finishes and scope vary a lot from one property to the next, so the investment and the schedule for your project are set once we have seen the site and the design is settled.
Tell us about the property and what you want the space to do. We will walk through the design, site and permitting factors likely to shape it.
The company used its own crews, treated the yard and homeowner with respect, and got the job done on time. Having the same team throughout meant consistency and accountability. We appreciated their professional approach and the respect they showed our property.
Everyone involved was outstanding and professional, from demolition to stone installation. We chose them again for our second project. That speaks volumes about their quality and reliability.
Yes. Harmony sits within our San Luis Obispo County service region, and we work up and down the Highway 1 corridor from Cayucos through Cambria. Use the address checker on our Harmony location page to confirm coverage for your exact property.
Salt- and wind-tolerant natives such as coast buckwheat, coyote brush cultivars, coffeeberry, and seaside daisy, paired with corrosion-resistant hardware and durable paving. Just as important is placement: a terrace tucked into the lee of a structure or a landform is far more comfortable than one exposed to the onshore flow.
Yes. Access, staging, and material delivery on a long rural approach are planned during the Site Analysis, and drives and entry courts are frequently part of the scope rather than an afterthought.
Yes. For natural pools, ponds, waterfalls, streams, and ecosystem-focused water features, we recommend working with our sister company, California Waterscapes.
Cost and timeline depend on scope. A sheltered terrace and planting plan is a different investment than a full property design with drives, drainage, and outdoor living. Our five-step design-build process is built to keep confirmed projects on schedule and on budget, and a consultation is the fastest way to get numbers for your property.
Schedule a consultation with one of our designers to discuss your project goals and explore what's possible on your property.
What happens next: we set up a visit, measure the property and talk through what you want the space to do. Then you get a design to look at before you commit to anything.
