Landscaping a rural Napa property presents both opportunities and challenges that are rarely encountered in more urban settings. This unique project, located on Dry Creek Road east of Napa, combined beautiful natural surroundings, country living, and an unforgettable chapter in North Bay history.
In the spring of 2017, Details Landscape Art was referred to a wonderful couple living on this peaceful property tucked away in the oak-covered hills beyond the Mayacama Mountains. From our first visit, we knew this would be a special project.
The journey from Petaluma followed winding Trinity Road over the mountains before descending into Napa Valley and arriving at this beautiful rural setting.
Designing a Rural Napa Property
At the time, the homeowners were remodeling their main residence and temporarily living in a fully furnished barn on the property.
Adjacent to the barn was a meadow approximately fifty feet wide and one hundred fifty feet long. Winter rains had created a natural swale through the center of the field, offering an opportunity to work with the existing topography rather than against it.
We designed a meandering dry creek bed that followed the natural drainage pattern through the meadow.
Dry creek bed on a rural Napa property
Since the property was located on Dry Creek Road, we joked with the homeowners that the dry creek bed might become a wet creek bed during the rainy season.
Large Sonoma fieldstone boulders were grouped naturally among ornamental grasses, while varying sizes and colors of gravel created the appearance of a seasonal stream channel. A dedicated drip irrigation line ran through the center of the planting area to support the grasses and surrounding vegetation.
Boulders and ornamental grasses line this rural Napa property creek bed
Plant Selection for a Rural Napa Property
Both sides of the creek bed were planted in a style appropriate for a country landscape.
Large lavatera, sprawling Ceanothus ‘Yankee Point’, and Westringia rosmariniformis formed the backdrop along the welded wire fence. In the foreground, colorful foliage provided year-round interest while maintaining a natural appearance.
Elsewhere on the property, we landscaped around the main residence and the swimming pool area.
To enclose one side of the pool, we constructed a white-painted two-post, three-tier arbor that complemented the trim of the home and added architectural interest to the landscape.
Pass-through arbor on this rural Napa property
The overall design sought to preserve the rural character of the property while creating beautiful and functional outdoor spaces.
The 2017 Fires
By early October, most of the project had been completed.
Then came the devastating North Bay fires of October 2017.
The homeowners were evacuated, and all roads to the property were closed while firefighters battled the blazes. Power was lost, which shut down the pump supplying water from the property’s spring-fed storage tanks.
More than 250 newly installed plants suddenly had no irrigation.
For over two weeks, nobody knew whether the home or landscape had survived.
When access was finally restored, we were relieved to discover that the house remained standing. Even more remarkably, nearly three-quarters of the newly installed plants had survived without water.
Until the water system was restored, we hauled buckets of water from the swimming pool to keep the remaining plants alive.
Once power returned, we replaced melted drip lines, reset the irrigation controllers, and installed replacement plants where necessary. Working with the insurance company, the homeowners were reimbursed for the restoration costs.
A Successful Rural Napa Property
The project was completed several weeks later than originally planned, but the homeowners were deeply grateful that their home had survived and thrilled with the finished landscape.
This featured garden demonstrates how thoughtful design can complement the natural beauty of a rural Napa property while adapting to unexpected challenges.
At Details Landscape Art, we believe the finest landscapes respect the character of the land, work with nature, and create beautiful outdoor environments that endure for years to come.