Landscape Installation

Landscaping that works in this climate

The San Gabriel Valley has hot dry summers, sporadic rain, clay soil in the valleys, and decomposed granite on the hillsides — plants that thrive elsewhere die here in a season. Ryan selects by your yard’s actual conditions: sun, soil, slope, and water.

What we install

• Drought-tolerant plantings — natives (ceanothus, manzanita, buckwheat), Mediterranean species (lavender, rosemary, sage), succulents, and ornamental grasses; 50–70% less water than turf
• Trees & large specimens — fruitless olives, crape myrtles, California oaks, and citrus, placed for the canopy they’ll be in a decade
• Ground cover & mulch — plants, decomposed granite, bark, and gravel to stop erosion and weeds
• Grading & drainage — done before any plant goes in: graded away from the foundation, plus French drains, catch basins, and swales where needed

Designing for Altadena’s conditions

Ryan maps sun and shade zones (a south slope bakes; under the oak is deep shade) and puts the right plant in the right spot. He amends Altadena’s clay or decomposed-granite soil so roots establish, and designs fire-resistant, defensible-space landscaping — low-fuel plants spaced off structures, non-combustible ground cover within 5 ft of the home, and hardscape breaks. Every install gets a matched drip, bubbler, and spray irrigation system.

Why Ryan, not a landscaping company

Ryan is both the designer and the installer. A landscaping company sends a designer who draws a plan, then a crew who may not follow it. When Ryan hits a buried slab or a tree conflicts with a sprinkler line, he adapts on the spot — the difference between a yard that looks good on paper and one that holds up.