Overgrowth and crumbling concrete kept this steep backyard from being a comfortable gathering space.	New walls, a new deck, and plants.	Another view of the new steps, deck and walls.
Another “before” view.	Detail of the deck and custom-built bench.	Detail of the stairs leading up the slope.
A water-thirsty lawn was all but gone and needed replacing.	A planter of drought tolerant grasses, decomposed granite, and a modern new fence.	A key pad gate, succulent garden, and a “river” of beach pebbles flow through the yard.
In this case, a growing family needed some softness in the backyard.	A section of concrete was removed to make room for a moderate amount of grass. The existing cinderblock wall was capped for additional privacy.	Citrus trees and other Mediterranean drought tolerant plants were added to the borders to eventually screen the block wall.
A plant enthusiast wanted to incorporate some of her favorite plants and have her entrance appear more welcoming.	Removal of the chain link fence, and swapping of a portion of the lawn for an explosion of drought tolerant flowering plants did the trick.
A fence going down for the count.	A nice save.
A faltering wall that wasn’t too pretty, either.	Smooth as butter with new block, new plaster, and painted…. the color of butter!
Inherited “art?” from a previous owner.	The former volcano feature replaced with smooth brick, expanding the area for entertaining.
A blank slate, lacking focus.	A shady place to gather, especially once the vines weave around the structure.
Old gate.	New gate. We do a lot of these, so we threw in an example.