I have posted photos from John Solomon's house a number of times. I was just there last week and for quite a while he has been working on the garden.
As I am getting ready to move into my house this week, I am beginning to think about the outdoor areas and taking a closer look at what other people have done.
The Taylor house is in one of the Arroyos in the foothills of the Angeles Crest Mountains in upper Glendale. There is a lot of nature surrounding the house. I really like the more architectural hardscaping right against the house and then a quick transition to a very natural environment that blends into the actual nature.
He used native, drought-resistant plants, a rain-gauge linked to water sensor makes sure that there is no irrigation used after rare, natural rain.