CLCA, California Landscape Contractors Association

What do you want to see when you look out your kitchen window? A garden full of herbs? Roses? Flowering perennials? And how do you want to relax on a quiet evening at home? By taking a seat in the midst of a serene Japanese-styled landscape? How about walking through a Mediterranean-inspired garden you've had specifically designed for good looks and easy care?

To create an environment that suits you to a T, why not consider a specialty garden-one that offers a little getaway in your own back yard. Members of the California Landscape Contractors Association are well versed in the design and installation of gardens that focus on homeowners' unique and personal garden needs. Here are just a few you might want to ask about.

Less Is More

Easy-maintenance gardens that are also frugal water-users are becoming more and more attractive to California homeowners. "Xeriscaping doesn't have to mean cactus and lava rock," says award-winning landscaper Jeffrey Sheehan of Confidence Landscaping in Campbell. "Australian plants or Mediterranean-style plants-lavender, sages, California natives and propagated varieties-are all on the list." The right plants, used in conjunction with sophisticated irrigation systems that synchronize watering times and amounts to weather conditions, can result in striking plantscapes that require little care. Sheehan, whose firm consistently wins awards for its Xeriscapes, offers this advice: Make sure your garden is created by a professional. Overplanting will defeat your purpose. Even if you put in the most sophisticated irrigation system, if the garden is overplanted it will need more water and require more maintenance. "It takes an appropriate design to maintain a Xeriscaped area to perform to its original intentions," he says.

Cool, Green and Serene

Japanese-style gardens have been created all over the world for more than a century, and there may not be a more appropriate home for them than here in Northern California. Typically composed to offer a peace-filled and spiritual retreat, today's landscape contractors render harmonious combinations of suitable plantings, statuary, water features, pergolas and even small bridges and teahouses. One of the basic goals of a Japanese-style garden is to recreate a large natural environment in a small area. "Anything people want, we will build," says Ron Zabarte of Zabarte Garden Company in Martinez. "My imagination is open. "We build teahouses and tubs, and we also build waterfalls and koi ponds. You really can go on and on." What better way to add a little Zen to your existence?

Glory In The Flower

There's no question that European designs have significantly influenced the mix of plants in annual and perennial gardens. When Americans return from travels abroad, many set out to recreate the bright and cheery cottage gardens they've seen in Britain. Others are drawn to the sophisticated formality of historic French estates. With the right mix of blooms and landscape features, European styles are readily achievable. "People tend to like a little bit of everything," Zabarte says of the European-style garden. "We put in roses, herbs, iris, lavender, calla lilies, yellow or pink-we use lots of color for punch." Stepping stones and benches are a must. "People also like to plant flowers they can cut," says Zabarte, a former commercial artist. "Color and plant composition are very important."

Gourmet Gulch

Once you're accustomed to a ready supply of fresh and savory herbs, it's hard to go back to store-bought. Kitchen gardens can be planted according to taste, but some of the most popular plants include easy-to-cultivate oreganos, thymes and sages. To add color and interest, accent your herb plantings with edible flowers such as calendulas, pansies and nasturtiums.

Queen of the Flowers

Roses are among the most glorious of all flowers-and surprisingly, many varieties are not fussy at all. Generally you should not allow water to pummel the petals or settle onto leaves. Irrigation is best at ground level. Most roses take full sun, but others can tolerate light shade. When you plan your special rose garden, it's best to buy when they are in full bloom so you'll pick complementary colors. The palette ranges from white to the deepest darkest reds, so make sure your colors don't clash. Your specialty rose garden can also be quite practical. To keep the world at bay, simply screen an unsightly view by sending a climbing rose up an arbor or planting a rose garden in front of a fence. You'll create your own little world, and there's nothing that looks quite so tidy as a row of roses displayed in front of a clean, white fence.

— Joan Waters