Clay Tully Landscape Architecture

10/16/2026

Happy Friday! This Los Altos Hills project began as a forgotten corner of my clients’ garden, a dilapidated, overgrown space with dying plants and a fence falling over that had long gone unused. Today it’s being transformed into a beautiful, usable landscape designed around their love of hosting family gatherings and work events. Amphitheater seating wraps a central turf area for tables or dancing, with a stage for speakers and bands. The renderings capture the initial concept and vision, and the progress photos show it becoming real, because a built landscape always surpasses the rendering with real light, texture, and movement. Good design brings people together, and this space was made for celebrating!

08/14/2026

Happy Friday! Every square foot of your garden is an extension of your home’s living space, not just leftover land waiting to be used. With the right design, that space can become an outdoor lounge for relaxation, a home office, a spa and wellness retreat, a cooking and dining destination, or all of the above. I had an amazing experience working with these wonderful clients to bring this modern garden to life. Huge thanks to LUMACAST for their beautiful fire pit installation, which turns these evenings into an experience. Good design isn’t just about how a space looks, it’s about how much more life you can live in it.

05/07/2026

I love revisiting past clients and gardens and this one is a favorite. Four years old and looking better than ever. Drought-tolerant gardens can absolutely feel lush and bring the color.

Spring bloomers are going strong but should be winding down in the next month or so. The Lavender, Germander, and Hesperoaloe are ready to take over though, carrying the summer color all the way into fall.

Coming up for this garden, we will be adding a Palo Verde by the entry, refreshing a few sages, and giving the garden a little TLC and a seasonal tune-up.

05/01/2026

Gardens are meant for living and to be enjoyed especially on a Saturday night…Landscape lighting transforms your space into a 24-hour outdoor room and appreciate my client sending me this photo. Can’t wait to see the finishing touches with all the staging and pots going in!

04/21/2026

On the home stretch! Deck, artificial turf, pavers, and fire pit are in and looking incredible. Just waiting on the finishing touches with the louvre aluminum pergola, a few more plants to fill in, and final details before the big reveal.

04/16/2026

A huge thank you to Sarah Wilson at Homes & Gardens for featuring me in this piece on thermal garden design! With a warming climate and summers that seem to get hotter every year, designing outdoor spaces that stay cool and comfortable has never been more important and is a sure way to get you outside and actually enjoying your garden. Check out the full article and more of Sarah’s work here: https://www.homesandgardens.com/gardens/thermal-garden-design-trend

When the temperature soars, turn your outdoor space into a retreat from the heat. These cooling design-led ideas are easy to replicate in your own garden too

04/04/2026

California has a rebate program that actually pays you to swap out your lawn for beautiful new plants. As a landscape architect, sharing these incentives with clients is one of my favorite things, bringing people closer to their garden aspirations and dreams. The process is simple, the rebates can cover a significant portion of your new plants, and you have a stunning water-wise garden.

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Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) offers rebates to customers for replacing their lawn with water-wise landscaping. Front yards and back yards are eligible for conversion.

04/02/2026

Spring is here and it’s the perfect time to start planning for your summer or fall garden. Here’s a glimpse at a design that reimagined a homes entry focused on curb appeal and function, with a formal entry from the street, and in the back, an outdoor gazebo with fire pit for year round enjoyment.

Getting the design right takes time, and starting now means your space will be ready when the season peaks.

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03/31/2026

Deep in the build phase on this full backyard transformation. Grading, framing, and walls are all done and now we’re getting into the flatwork. The planting phase is just around the corner.

03/27/2026

Happy Friday! Hardscape is going in and things are starting to take shape! Seeing the pavers come together is always such a satisfying milestone and are the bones of the space. Next up, plants! Can’t wait to start greening everything up and bring this design to life.