garden design victoria

Sooke

A River Runs Through It

This elegant landscape flows seamlessly between two properties. With its mix of boulders, smaller rocks, and hardy plants, it’s as eye-catching as it is easy to maintain.

A desert-inspired rock garden

The Vision

Two neighbouring households shared the same vision for their connecting front gardens, desiring a visually interesting and cohesive look, deer-resistant plants, and a way to deter cars from parking out front. We came up with the idea of a dry river bed studded with succulents (not requiring irrigation) and dotted with island plantings.

A desert-inspired rock garden

Our Process

We stripped both front properties with a mini excavator, excavating the centre of the river bed at a slightly lower grade to give it a natural appearance. We then placed boulders artistically throughout the space and along the street edge to deter parking. The river bed was created using landscape fabric and three sizes of rock, while the beds are edged in a hand-poured four-inch cement curb, which at times runs through boulders. Plantings add movement and softness.

Before: a shot of the property before landscaping
A desert-inspired rock garden
Before: a shot of the property before landscaping
Neighbours pose for a photo. Their shared garden space is in the foreground.
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A desert-inspired rock garden
  • “Catherine and Marty took our vision of a natural looking, low maintenance yard, and translated it into a beautiful creekbed in both our front yards transforming the look of our homes. We spend far more time in the front, receive constant compliments on the design, and enjoy watching the evolution of the perennial plantings.”

    – Jenn & Mike H. and Peg R., Sooke

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