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Landscape Design and Build
Templeton is quieter and more rural than its wine-country neighbors to the north, and that character, along with the same hot, dry summers, shapes every landscape our in-house design and build team plans and constructs here.
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 Fire-conscious, drought-tolerant planting Valley oak companions, western redbud, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, sages, buckwheats, and deer grass are common choices, selected for defensible space and low water use. See the defensible space guide 
02 Heat and shade design Hot, dry summers make shade structures, pergolas, and lawn reduction recurring priorities for Templeton's inland location. We plan shade and airflow around how you actually use the yard. See shade structures 
03 Hardscape that fits rural acreage Stamped concrete and paver hardscape sized and detailed for Templeton's rural-scale properties, laid out to leave room for the water-wise, reduced-turf planting around it. See hardscape designs 
04 Rural-property planning Expansive lots, drainage and erosion, and rural access all factor into planning a property at Templeton scale. We design around the whole parcel, not just the patio. See rural-property projects 
Best for Spanish Colonial, Tuscan, Mission Revival and other stucco-and-tile homes, and anyone who wants a shaded courtyard built for outdoor entertaining.
On your property A natural fit for Templeton's rural, oak-studded properties and hot, dry summers; shade structures matter more here than in a coastal Mediterranean setting.
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 Needs the most water-conscious version of this style given Templeton's hot, dry summers, with a shorter bloom window than a coastal English garden.
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 Templeton's established in-town lots; on rural acreage the symmetry usually gets scaled to the entry rather than the whole property.
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 Templeton's newer rural-estate builds; shade has to be engineered into the hardscape given how hot the paving gets through summer afternoons.
Best for Anyone who wants to cut water use and maintenance without the yard looking bare, and a strong fit for large rural-acreage lots.
On your property One of the most common styles built here, given Templeton's hot, dry summers and oak-studded, rural-scale lots.
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 A harder fit for Templeton's hot inland climate; where it works, it's usually a shaded courtyard close to the house rather than open acreage.
Best for In-town side yards and courtyards, anyone on a smaller parcel who assumes their yard is too small to do much with.
On your property Less common in Templeton given the larger, rural-scale lots typical here. Best suited to in-town properties on smaller parcels.
Before We assess sun exposure, existing oak trees, drainage, and defensible-space requirements across the full parcel, not just the area closest to the house.
Design We present concepts across our landscape design styles, Mediterranean, English Garden, Traditional, Modern, Drought-Tolerant, Japanese Zen, or Small-Space, weighted toward what actually holds up through a hot inland summer.
Selection Valley oak companions, western redbud, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, sages and deer grass are chosen for fire-conscious defensible space and low water use, not nursery pot size.
Installation Site grading, drainage and erosion management, and proper planting for rural-acreage scale. Large trees and shrubs installed to specification for health and longevity through hot summers.
Established First-year drip irrigation, mulching, and pruning ensure plants establish through Templeton summer heat. We provide care instructions for long-term, water-wise success.
Things worth knowing before a first consultation.
Valley oak companions, western redbud, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, sages, buckwheats, and deer grass are common choices, selected for defensible space and low water use.
Hot, dry summers make shade structures, pergolas, and lawn reduction recurring priorities. Shade and airflow get planned around how you actually use the yard.
Mediterranean, English Garden, Traditional, Modern, Drought-Tolerant, Japanese Zen and Small-Space designs each carry a distinct plant palette, material palette, and maintenance level.
Efficient drip irrigation, mulch, and reduced turf help control water costs across larger, rural-scale properties without sacrificing a lush, livable yard.
Expansive lots, drainage and erosion, and rural access all factor into planning a property at Templeton scale, not just the patio closest to the house.
Irrigation lines, septic laterals, and buried utilities need to be located before grading or planting begins, and mature oak root zones 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.
We hired Pacific Outdoor Living in October 2020, after living in the house for about 30 years. They did a complete backyard renovation converting a relatively unusable sloped backyard with a very small patio into a 2 tiered outdoor entertaining showpiece with room to host and entertain 20+ people. We couldn't be happier with their ideas and design for the space.
Pacific Outdoor Living replaced the original landscaping with drought-tolerant plants, making the yard look like a completely different home. The transformation was stunning and immediately improved our curb appeal. We were thrilled with how they handled the planting design and modern aesthetic choices.
Yes. Templeton is within our San Luis Obispo County service region, and our in-house design-build team works throughout the area. The quickest way to confirm your exact property is to use the address checker on our Templeton location page.
We favor drought-tolerant, fire-conscious planting such as western redbud, toyon, manzanita, ceanothus, sages, and deer grass, paired with defensible-space planning and efficient drip irrigation. A Site Analysis helps confirm what will hold up best on your specific property.
One in-house team designs the landscape and then builds it, so the same crew that plans defensible space and irrigation zoning across your acreage is the crew accountable for installing it correctly.
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 planting refresh is a different investment than a complete rural-acreage landscape with defensible space and irrigation. Our five-step, in-house design-build process is built to keep confirmed projects on schedule and on budget, and a consultation is the fastest way to get numbers specific to 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.
