Landscape Design and Build
From wine-country-inspired design to complete backyard construction, our Central Coast design and build team plans and builds outdoor spaces tailored to Santa Maria's agricultural heritage, transitional climate, and family-focused entertaining style.
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 Wine country aesthetics Vineyard-inspired landscaping, rustic materials, and entertaining-focused design celebrate Santa Maria's agricultural heritage and wine-country character. See landscape projects 
02 Transitional climate planning Santa Maria's position between coast and inland creates unique microclimates. We plan around sun, wind, soil conditions, and seasonal variations specific to your property. See more designs 
03 A patio that fits the lot A curved patio and lawn layout planned around the actual shape of a Santa Maria side yard, rather than a rectangle dropped onto the property. See patio designs 
04 Agricultural heritage integration Farm-inspired design elements and materials connect outdoor spaces to Santa Maria's agricultural and wine-country roots. See outdoor kitchens 
Best for Spanish Colonial, Tuscan, Mission Revival and other stucco-and-tile Santa Maria homes, and anyone who wants a shaded courtyard built for wine-country entertaining.
On your property A natural match for Santa Maria's wine-country character; the transitional climate means shade structures matter as the property sits further inland.
Best for Homeowners who want a true garden to tend, not just a yard to maintain, especially on a property with brick, stone or cottage-style architecture.
On your property Santa Maria's transitional climate supports this style reasonably well, though the plant list still leans water-conscious given the region's agricultural water priorities.
Best for Classic and Mediterranean-adjacent homes, and anyone who wants a familiar, symmetrical look with year-round color.
On your property Works well on Santa Maria's established in-town lots; the agricultural heritage here often shows up as rustic material choices within a traditional frame.
Best for Modern and mid-century homes, and anyone who wants clean lines and architectural planting over a traditional garden look.
On your property Suits Santa Maria's newer builds well, paired with vineyard-inspired plantings kept to a more restrained, architectural palette.
Best for Anyone who wants to cut water use and maintenance without the yard looking bare, and a strong fit given regional water conservation priorities.
On your property A common choice here, given Santa Maria's transitional climate and the water conservation priorities that shape agricultural water use across the region.
Best for Homeowners who want a garden to look at and sit beside as much as gather in, and a natural fit for a shaded courtyard close to the house.
On your property Less commonly requested in Santa Maria's wine-country context, but works well in a shaded courtyard on a larger estate lot.
Best for Side yards, courtyards and compact lots, anyone who assumes their yard is too small to do much with.
On your property A good fit for Santa Maria's in-town properties on smaller parcels, away from the larger agricultural-adjacent lots.
Before We assess sun, wind, soil, and seasonal variation specific to your property. Santa Maria's transitional climate between coast and inland means this can change from block to block.
Design We present concepts across our landscape design styles, Mediterranean, English Garden, Traditional, Modern, Drought-Tolerant, Japanese Zen, or Small-Space, weighted toward the wine-country aesthetic Santa Maria is known for.
Selection Coffeeberry, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, and sages are chosen and specified for your property and its transitional microclimate, not nursery pot size.
Installation Site grading and soil preparation account for Santa Maria's agricultural-adjacent soils, with drainage worked out ahead of time rather than discovered after the fact.
Established First-year irrigation, mulching, and pruning ensure plants establish through Santa Maria's transitional climate. We provide care instructions for long-term, water-wise success.
Things worth knowing before a first consultation.
Vineyard-inspired landscaping, rustic materials, and entertaining-focused design celebrate Santa Maria's agricultural heritage and wine-country character.
Santa Maria's position between coast and inland creates unique microclimates. Sun, wind, and soil conditions get planned around your specific property, not the region average.
Mediterranean, English Garden, Traditional, Modern, Drought-Tolerant, Japanese Zen and Small-Space designs each carry a distinct plant palette, material palette, and maintenance level.
Coffeeberry, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, sages, and buckwheats thrive here while supporting the water conservation priorities common to the region.
Santa Maria properties often have unique permitting requirements for wine-country estates and agricultural land. Our team coordinates with local officials to make the approval path clear before construction begins.
Irrigation lines, sewer 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.
After redoing the backyard, Pacific Outdoor Living also handled the driveway, walkway, and outdoor kitchen, creating a home made for hosting. Each project coordinated seamlessly with the others, and the vision came together beautifully. We now have an outdoor space perfect for entertaining and family gatherings.
Other companies struggled with the steep hillside, but Pacific Outdoor Living transformed it into a three-tier patio space with thoughtful design and execution. Their expertise in handling difficult terrain made all the difference. The final result is stunning and has completely changed how we use our property.
Yes. Santa Maria is within our Northern Santa Barbara County service area. Use the address checker on our Santa Maria location page to confirm coverage for your specific property.
Native plants like coffeeberry, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, and sages thrive in Santa Maria's transitional climate. We also use climate-adapted ornamentals and grapes for the wine-country aesthetic.
One in-house Central Coast team designs the landscape and then builds it, so the same crew that plans your wine-country planting and irrigation is the crew accountable for installing it correctly.
Water-wise planting, drip irrigation, smart controllers, mulch, and reduced turf keep landscapes healthy while respecting Santa Maria's water conservation priorities.
Absolutely. Santa Maria properties are perfect for wine-country entertaining. We design outdoor kitchens, gathering spaces, and vineyard-inspired landscaping that celebrate the region's character.
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.
