The Mission Sanctuary

A Portola Valley project surrounded by natural beauty was the perfect setting for this Mission Sanctuary design. Greg and Julia are hardworking professionals, deeply committed, and completely devoted to their family. When they came to me for help with their yard, I was more than happy to do so.

Their lifestyle is very busy. They’re physicians who are on call and selflessly running their two kids around the Bay for sporting and school events. The last thing I wanted to create for them was another demand.

I wanted to create a space that allowed them to breathe and be present. 

Greg wanted low-water natives, and Julia wanted lots of lavender. Which, to anyone who has done garden maintenance, understands what this really means: either woody, dead-looking lavender for most of the year or detailed maintenance.

It’s not that lavender isn’t drought tolerant. It is. But it will also look like it hasn’t gotten any water, which, when you’re planting close to the house or in a space for gathering, isn’t always the look you’re going for.

But when beginning this project, I was much less worried about what kind of plants they wanted and focused more toward the kind of feeling I wanted them to have when they were in the space.

Their Spanish-style home was a natural starting point. The terra cotta steps and tile details around the house became inspiration for the new landscape, the materials and forms of the home helped guide the design.

I also knew that Julia’s natural Pitta constitution made the cooler tones of blues and lavender particularly appealing as a calming counterpoint to her otherwise busy life. Michael’s Vata nature called for something different: grounding, permanence, and less visual noise.

The garden needed to feel like them, but it also needed to give them something they didn’t always have in their daily lives: a place to slow down.

Arriving

When entering the backyard from the front, you’re greeted by a decorative gravel courtyard with existing trees: two loquats and an oak tree. I really wanted to make this entrance a grounding moment.

There’s nothing to do but take a breath and settle into home.

There’s no looking around to see what’s blooming or what needs to be cleaned up. Just a quiet, monastery-like courtyard setting the tone for what comes next.

Moving Through

The property had its challenges. A significant amount of grading had to be done, and the old swing set had to be removed. There were also some old, rickety stairs off the dining room sliding glass door that absolutely needed to be replaced.

We replaced those with a curved tile staircase, with stucco walls serving as the handrails. It tied the space together beautifully.

The existing levels of the property created a natural progression through the space. From the courtyard, you move upward toward the main outdoor living area.

Above the courtyard is a retaining wall, which used to be made of wood but was replaced with the same stucco finish used around the new DG patio. What had once felt like a collection of separate elements began to feel more connected.

When I first began designing, I knew I needed to add a water feature somewhere. Looking back, the only thing that remained from that initial design was the water feature.

A small reflecting pool made out of a pot eventually turned into a three-tiered, round fountain.

I’m not mad about it.

Gathering

They originally requested a patio and a pergola. To minimize any maintenance hassles, I wanted to put in pavers for the back patio. But in an effort to keep costs down, a DG patio was installed instead.

The patio is surrounded by a stucco wall that will have Ficus pumila climbing over it once it starts to take off. There’s also draping rosemary over the sides, and what Spanish mission-style sanctuary would be complete without olives and roses?

To make the seating area feel more like a room, we added two grapefruit trees at the corner of the patio. Grapefruit trees were chosen because they were a childhood memory of Julia’s, connected to her grandmother and the grapefruits Julia remembered her growing.

Because the children have a strong aversion to bees and insects, I tried to keep this area as close to free from flowers as possible. I made a space for some vegetables to grow beside the BBQ and filled the garden bed with yarrow. Which, yes, I realize pollinators enjoy. But I also thought it would be a low-maintenance, almost grass-like alternative to the garden bed area.

This space is also softened with Arctostaphylos ground cover and shrubs, Ceanothus, Sesleria autumnalis, Little Ollie shrubs, and, of course, lavender.

Resting

In the big open spaces, instead of filling them with plantings, boulders were chosen.

Again, this was chosen as a grounding element.

Instead of busy plantings that need water and maintenance, the boulders serve as an anchor for the space. They create a sense of permanence and quiet without asking anything of the people living around them.

The goal was never to fill every space.

Sometimes, the most important thing a garden can offer is room to breathe.

And ultimately, it’s not that I love the way the design turned out and looks, which I do.

I love the way it transformed the way they rest and spend time together.

A garden can be beautiful. It can be functional. It can reflect the architecture of a home and the personality of the people who live there.

But for me, the real measure of a garden is what it gives back.

For Greg and Julia, I hope this garden gives them a place to arrive, to gather, to slow down, and, for a little while, to just be.