The unique challenge of this landscape is integrating the diverse interests of the well-traveled owners into a harmonious plan that highlights quintessential California flora. Walking surfaces vary to match the garden themes: raked gravel in the Japanese meditation garden, flagstone around the swimming pool designed as a water feature, and a cobblestone walkway to the koi pond that serves as a small ecosystem for birds, frogs, and good-luck dragonflies. “He liked Italian and Monterey cypress, and junipers, while she liked palms, edible fruits, and olive trees,” says Trace. “Both of their personal choices mingled really well in the garden.”