Residential Landscape Portfolio | San Diego Outdoor Design & Craftsmanship - GTG

Cottage Industry Beach Garden

Our Cottage Industry Beach Garden was featured in the 2023 San Diego Horticultural Society Spring Garden Tour. Click here for detailed information about the garden and an interactive plant presentation!

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Stone West
Historic Rancho Santa Fe, CA

A hand-set stone path laid in decomposed granite winds through a raised garden bed, showcasing detailed craftsmanship and layered planting design in a sunlit landscape.

From harvest to home — a garden path.

Macro image of a discreet in-ground speaker nestled beside a young aeonium, blending modern audio elements with sculptural succulent planting in a detail-rich landscape.

Aesthetic Audio.

Drought-tolerant garden featuring a flagstone pathway bordered by colorful kangaroo paw plants, with the home subtly framed to the left--highlighting water-wise planting and natural stone integration in a refined residential setting.

A stone pathway set atop a bluff, weaving through a mulched planter bed and opening to expansive views of rolling hills and open sky--blending natural elevation with intentional garden design.

Mulch, stone, and sky in subtle sequence.

Outdoor kitchen showcasing a natural stone countertop paired with bar-height seating, set against a patio of brick pavers and outfitted with stainless steel features including a grill, beer tap, faucet, and sink--blending rustic texture with modern function in a curated outdoor living space.

Patio character shaped by stone and style.

Natural stone countertop with bar-height seating anchors an outdoor kitchen, surrounded by set brick pavers and detailed with stainless steel appliances--blending durable textures and clean finishes in a refined patio design.

Where cooking meets craft.

An inviting outdoor kitchen with bar seating, brick paver flooring, and stainless steel grill, tap, and sink--designed for effortless gatherings with timeless materials and thoughtful layout.

Rugged materials, refined outdoor living.

Dry-stacked stone steps capped with mortar-set natural stone, featuring a rich blend of gray and orange tones--showcasing skilled masonry and warm, layered texture within the landscape.

Stone and stem shape the garden’s rhythm.

Dry-stacked stone steps capped with mortar-set natural stone in soft gray and orange tones, framed by vibrant blooms--creating a harmonious blend of craftsmanship and color in a thoughtfully designed garden.

Bold stone meets bright blossoms.

A bocce ball game in play, framed through the foliage of an adjacent planter--capturing the lively activity amidst the greenery and landscape design.

From stone to sport, the garden comes alive.

View of stone steps leading down to a bocce ball court, blending structured stonework with the relaxed ambiance of the game area.

Structure and serenity.

"Macro shot highlighting the intricate craftsmanship of stonework around a seating area, with a masterfully crafted firepit as the focal point--showcasing the attention to detail and high-quality materials in outdoor design.

"Macro shot highlighting the intricate craftsmanship of stonework around a seating area, with a masterfully crafted firepit as the focal point--showcasing the attention to detail and high-quality materials in outdoor design.

"Macro shot highlighting the intricate craftsmanship of stonework around a seating area, with a masterfully crafted firepit as the focal point--showcasing the attention to detail and high-quality materials in outdoor design.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold
Designed in collaboration with Jessie Nolan
Photo Credit - Mario Covic Photography

Butterfly Sanctuary
Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Gently sloped garden bathed in sunset light, filled with soft purples, muted greens, and delicate textures that attract pollinators.

Petals, pollen, and pollinators.

Native flowering shrubs in the foreground, framed by a blooming jacaranda tree with a tall pine in the background.

A meadow mosaic.

Pathway edge lined with a mix of small and large pastel flowering shrubs, with a multi-trunked tree in the midground.

Drought defiant design.

Potted succulent arrangement spilling gracefully from the pot, with a vertical Juncus plant adding height in the landscape.

Terracotta tones and trailing tendrils.

A semi-hidden pathway through flowering garden beds with yellow and orange blooms, leading to a small child’s playhouse.

Miniature magic.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Baja Zen Poolside
Solana Beach, CA

Outdoor wooden seating arrangement beside a stone-coped pool, with a low garden bed framing the space.

Poolside peace.

Curving stone stairs with a dry-stacked stone wall, leading to a garden gate with a graceful raised planter bed in the background.

Stone and concrete steps create a textured modern staircase.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

San Leandro Way
San Diego, CA

A maroon-colored tree with vibrant foliage stands in the foreground of a lively front yard, its base surrounded by stone mulch. The house can be seen in the background, adding a balanced and welcoming touch to the landscape.

A new view of an inviting entrance.

A private seating area surrounded by lush plants, featuring a driftwood chair nestled in the space. The foreground is made of laid flagstone, with a ground cover of dymondia creating a soft, natural floor. The tranquil scene invites relaxation in a garden oasis.

Secluded seating amidst stone and soft greenery.

A view of the backyard beyond a patio, framed by a lattice pergola. Each pergola post is adorned with potted succulents, adding color and texture. The foreground is covered in soft dymondia, creating a lush and welcoming transition from the patio to the garden beyond.

Succulents and lattice frame a peaceful view.

A view inward towards a cozy seating arrangement beneath the shade of a lattice pergola. The space is framed by potted succulents and the soft dymondia ground cover, creating a tranquil and inviting atmosphere for relaxation. The design emphasizes comfort and connection with nature.

Pergola shade sets the scene.

Landscape construction by Gravel To Gold
Designed By Katie Pelisek of Pelican Landscape Design
Photo Credit Michael Andrews

Carlsbad Court
Carlsbad, CA

A modern backyard pool features freshly installed lavender-colored coping that subtly echoes the soft hues of surrounding drought-tolerant plantings. The landscape behind the pool is lush yet water-conscious, with layered textures and foliage selected for resilience and seasonal interest, creating a refreshing visual balance between hardscape and garden.

Cool tones meet lush, drought-wise planting.

A gently curving mulch pathway winds through a series of hugelkultur-inspired raised garden beds, celebrating regenerative planting principles. On one side, a soft, spreading carpet of Korapia groundcover adds green texture and contrast. Clean-lined, modern landscape lighting subtly illuminates the path, marrying sustainable garden techniques with contemporary design elements.

Earthy beds, bright ideas.

A welcoming front entryway features paver stepping stones that wind gracefully through a thoughtfully arranged drought-tolerant garden. The planting palette showcases climate-appropriate selections with layered textures and colors, offering a warm and sustainable first impression. The resilient landscape highlights water-wise choices without sacrificing visual appeal.

Welcome begins in the garden.

Landscape construction by Gravel To Gold
Designed by Lisa Bellora at Ornamental Gardens

Craftsman Complement
Del Mar, CA

Outdoor fireplace made of brick and stone, featuring a natural stone hearth and mantle, bathed in full sun with a retained garden in the background.

Rustic outdoor fireplace with rich details and textured stone.

An adobe-colored tile patio with a white limestone retaining wall capped with brick and mortar, creating a layered space for an elevated garden and a low planter. The scene is illuminated by soft landscape lighting, highlighting the textures and plantings as the light changes.

Stylized soil retention.

An adobe-colored tile patio with a white limestone retaining wall capped with brick and mortar, creating a layered space for an elevated garden and a low planter. The scene is illuminated by soft landscape lighting, highlighting the textures and plantings as the light changes.

Causeways and crafted spaces are where function meets form.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Mercado
Del Mar, CA

Front yard with custom stone water feature, layered drought-tolerant plantings, and manicured paths guiding guests toward a stained-glass front door.

Professionally designed coastal landscape featuring a tranquil entry water feature, lush tropical plantings, and raised garden beds, creating a peaceful and welcoming atmosphere around the home.

A fresh welcome.

Backyard view showcasing mature plumeria trees, raised vegetable beds, and curated greenery that complements the home’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Lush coastal plant palette in both front and backyards, designed for year-round interest and low maintenance, with elements supporting outdoor living and dining.

Backyard view showcasing mature plumeria trees, raised vegetable beds, and curated greenery that complements the home’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Your private oasis.

Backyard view showcasing mature plumeria trees, raised vegetable beds, and curated greenery that complements the home’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

Calm skies, crafted spaces.

Lush coastal plant palette in both front and backyards, designed for year-round interest and low maintenance, with elements supporting outdoor living and dining.

Lush coastal plant palette in both front and backyards, designed for year-round interest and low maintenance, with elements supporting outdoor living and dining.

Lush coastal plant palette in both front and backyards, designed for year-round interest and low maintenance, with elements supporting outdoor living and dining.

Lush coastal plant palette in both front and backyards, designed for year-round interest and low maintenance, with elements supporting outdoor living and dining.

Seamless flow from inside to out.

Vibrant flowers and foliage framed with scattered stone boulders.

Combining comfort and craftsmanship.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold
Photos courtesy of Debbie Carpenter

French Country Style
Solana Beach, CA

Foreground of a field of lavender with fresh mulch, a curved paver pathway leads towards the off-white colored house with a grey-toned stone work chimney.

Formal meets graceful with structured planting and curving pathways.

Rows of lavender plants with a stone pathway leading to a graceful metal arbor or archway.

Lavender landscape dotted with bees and soft green stems.

Raised planter filled with pink flowers in the foreground, the background shows a patio with a central raised planter crafted from natural stone with a seating stone cap, behind that is the outdoor seating space adjacent to the living space of the residence.

Weaving your living space into the landscape.

The begining phase of landscape construction, here the grading is accomplished and the plans are in view in the foreground while the professional contractor measures and marks the open graded field.

From grading to glistening flower fields our team is with you.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Lake Washington
Seattle, WA

A sloped stone pathway leads through a series of raised planters retained by block shaped natural stone with dark mulch and vibrant pacific Northwest planting arrangements as the path leads to the front door of the brickwork house stoop with a pastel yellow front door.

Stone beds echo the brick, rooting the house in the garden.

A custom brick arched doorway in the garden holds a custom dark hardwood door with scrolling metalwork framed in its center.

Create your perfect secret garden.

A peaceful gathing of adults centered in a manicured landscape on a stone patio with attractive and quality outdoor furniture.

Host with ease as your garden sets the perfect scene.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Madison Park
Seattle, WA - In collaboration with Master Gardener Megan Smith and Landscape Architect Andrew Schulman.

Formal brick work with capped pillars forms both patio retention as well as lends structure to a tiered garden with a triple basin fountain in the bottom center creating a animated focal point.

Steady structure lets softness thrive.

A curved garden pathway constructed of brick and quietly contrasting concrete framed with vertical shrubberies leads to a ramped wooden deck with railings.

Materials meet in quiet contrast.

Symmetrical plantings around a triple basin water fountain feature.

University of Washington
Seattle, WA - In collaboration with University of Washington Master Gardener

A cool grey flagstone path leads through a shade garden framed with rich deep green ground cover planting with a mature tree in the background and a birdbath placed as an attractive focal point.

From cool shady paths...

A wooden arbor with a lattice stile construction frames the entryway to a sunny lawn and a curving planter bed replete with blooming shrubs, grasses, and drought tolerant cacti and succulents.

...to glittering sunny glades.

A square raised pond featuring a metalwork leaf-shaped fountain, creating a soothing water feature in the center. Surrounded by lush greenery in a shaded garden, the pond adds a peaceful focal point to the space, blending natural elements with artistic design.

A tranquil pond with a leafy splash.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Queen Anne
Seattle, WA

Friends and family sitting around a fire pit with potted plants in the foreground and fresh landscape in the background.

Celebrate surrounded by beauty - your garden is ready.

An outdoor dining set up is displayed on the outdoor furniture with the custom grill or barbeque in the back ground surrounded by the newly installed landscape.

Let your landscape welcome guests before you do.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Leschi
Seattle, WA

A stone pathway leads to a small seating area on a lush green lawn, all of this is supported by a large, curved, stone retaining wall.

Your garden getaway.

A colorful and curved stone retaining wall with large grass shrubs at the top.

Built to withstand, our stonework sets the stage.

A full view of a courtyard framed in by stone steps that lead to a higher terrace that is adjoined to the planting beds while the low foreground highlights the stone patio and curved retaining wall.

Natural rise, quiet rhythm - steps that belong.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold

Madison Valley
Seattle, WA

A small front yard landscape with a concrete pathway leading through the curving planters with graceful arching landscape lights along the edges.

The smallest details matter.

Landscape designed and built by Gravel To Gold