Saturday, January 1, 2011

Kids just want to have fun.

I was organizing my photo files and came across this memorable garden.
It was designed over a decade ago, so that would make the child that played in this garden a young teenager now. I wonder how this space has transformed and how it is used now ?
Does the young teenage boy still visit his fort ? Does he skateboard now ?
Does his parents still grow vegetables in their small raised garden ?
It’s been a few years since I last bumped into these folks.
Wow, how the time does pass quickly !

I worked with this young family to carve out a flat usable space on their steep Marin hillside so that they could plant a few vegetables, watch their son learn to ride his tricycle and enjoy a place to relax in the sun.

This was truly a collaborative project. With the husband building his sons play fort , gate and storage structure while the contractor worked on the grading, plumbing , terracing, masonry and mosaic work.

Below the entry to the play yard showing the gate, playhouse and the tricycle riding ring.
From Untitled Album


The raised stone planter provides just enough space to grow a few vegetables and herbs along side of the tricycle path.
A small patio adjacent to the storage shed gives Mom and Dad a place to sit and watch over their son.
From Untitled Album


On hot summer days the fountain could be turned on while the the kids would run and ride their bikes through the stream of water emanating from the mosaic swirl
From Untitled Album

3 comments:

Laurie Brown said...

I love that mosaic blue spiral for the water spout! That is just inspired!

Laguna Dirt said...

love the mosaic path. does it function like a fountain, in that after going down the drain the water recirculates? very cool! and what a lasting memory for the kids who were lucky enough to grow up there.

Deviant Deziner, aka Michelle said...

Janine,
The water flows thru a pipe that takes it to the fruit orchard that is down hill from the flat area.
It doesn't recirculate.
It's a dual purpose design. Cooling off the kids while watering the fruit orchard below.