Its not often that you overhear a gardener glowing about how s/he wants badly to return to a specific garden for maintenance if only just to be back in the garden itself!
Well, this is just one of those magic gardens which strikes an ideal balance of form and texture, movement and foundation, open spaces and softly directed, natural views.
We added a few small detail elements which together give the garden a sense of time & place:
We added locally harvested rock of various sizes, anchor-stones intersecting the boarder in many places and a neat bit of custom yet affordable garden art that makes this one of a kind retreat truly unique.
Its hard to believe that 90% of this area actually started as a conventional turf lawn, which never really performed well in the open and often hot environment. To minimize water usage across the board we opted for fast spreading evergreen trees and shrubs which are hardy, easy to prune and once established necessitate a very small fraction of the water it would take to maintain a typical lawn, to state it mildly.
This entire garden is run off of conventional, profe4sssional grade drip equipment of our specification. We use 360* 0-20gph drip heads on each plant to maximize water delivery to the exact root area, in the precise amount without switching valves or water-zones between plants, saving a substantial amount of both economic and environmental resource in the forefront through logical design.
To view more pictures visit this garden on our website.
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Taproot Garden Design & Fine Gardening Report:
Pruning and Transplanting Roses in the San Jose, California Bay Area.
Important Seasonal Note: Always prune & transplant roses during their winter dormancy period, December through February, to avoid transplant shock.
Step By Step
1) Remove all dead and unhealthy wood (usually brown in color)
2) Cut at a 45 degree angle above an outward facing bud
3) Cut out all branches that cross or those that are growing inward, to open up the middle of the plant and provide air circulation 
4) Shorten to 1/3 its current size 
5) Clean pruning shears every few cuts by dipping shears in at least 70% alcohol solution to prevent spreading disease between plants 
6) Dig a hole that is at least the width of the rootball, or about 2' wide and at least 1' deep 
7) Add amendments to the soil. We used Gardner & Bloome Organic Rose & Flower Planting Mix, which includes alfalfa meal and worm castings 
8) Build a mound in the middle of the hole, with a mix of the original soil and organic compost or planting mix 
9) Dig up and remove the rose from its old planting hole and clean all weeds, leaf litter, and soil from the base and rootball area 
10) Cut off any damaged roots 
11) Plant the rose immediately so that the roots don't dry out 
12) Spread the roots over the mound, making sure the crown is at ground level (add a banana peel directly on top of the mound for extra potassium)
13) Backfill with a mix of 50% original soil and 50% organic compost or planting mix 
14) Add a handful of Alfalfa Meal around the base of the Rose. Work lightly into top 3 inches of soil 
15) Tamp down with hands, being careful not to compact the soil around the crown 
16) Soak with water thoroughly; allow to drain, then soak again 
The end result; finished transplanting:
Suggested reading:
Jackson & Perkins Rose Pruning Site
http://www.jproses.com/code_tips/07pruning.cfm
Jackson & Perkins Rose Planting Site
http://www.jproses.com/code_tips/01planting.cfm
