The GardenOwl Audits
Deep-dive diagnostics, design critiques, and visual master plans to solve your toughest landscape challenges.
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Retaining Wall on a Steep Slope: Where You Can Dig (and What Will Break It)
New yard, big slope, and a block retaining wall? Here’s how to add paths and planting berms without overloading the wall or causing a failure.
Planting a Tall Hedge in a 2‑Foot Strip: What Actually Works in Los Angeles
Tight 2 ft bed next to a wall in LA? Here’s how to get a tall, full privacy hedge without wrecking your brick or ending up with sick, overgrown plants.
My Neighbor Butchered the Shared Hedge: What Happened and How Do I Fix This View?
Your lush privacy hedge is now three Dr. Seuss poles and a gap. Here’s why it happened, what your neighbor was thinking, and how to reclaim the view.
Flat, Beige, and Boiling: How We Turned This Rock Yard Into a Welcoming Desert Front Entry
Case study: taking a hot, flat, all‑gravel front yard and adding shade trees, curves, and a new entry sequence to create a welcoming desert home.
Shade Along a West-Facing Fence: How to Get Afternoon Lawn Cover Without Cracking Your Retaining Wall
Perth coastal sand, hot west sun, shared retaining wall. Here’s how to plant natives for afternoon shade over your lawn without wrecking the fence.
Fixing an Awkward Porch Gable: Simple Updates for a Modern Cottage Front Entry
That tiny porch gable over your front door looks tacked on. Here’s how to resize, reframe, and recolor it for a clean modern cottage entry on a budget.