Landscape Design in Fair Oaks, CA
Resort-style backyards, modern patios and planting designed for Fair Oaks lots, mature oaks and long summer evenings.
Designing for Fair Oaks lots and canopy
Fair Oaks has some of the most generous residential lots in the Sacramento area, many of them shaded by valley oaks that were here long before the houses. It is a short drive from our Roseville studio, and the kind of place where a backyard can become a true destination.
Whether the lot is an acre under the oaks or a tidy suburban yard, we start with how you want to use it, then design every path, patio and planting bed around that.
Oaks, sun and soil come first
Mature oaks shape everything here: where shade falls, where roots run and where you can and cannot dig. We plan pools, patios and footings to keep heavy work out of the root zone and leave the canopy healthy.
In the open sun beyond the trees, we lean on Mediterranean and California-adapted plants like olive, lavender, salvia, grasses and roses, grouped by water need and set on efficient drip.
A resort of your own under the oaks
This family wanted to use every bit of a large Fair Oaks lot. We planned the yard as a series of destinations: a rectangular pool and spa at the center, a covered dining patio off the house, a putting green, and quiet gravel paths that wander out to wood arbors at the edges of the property.
Brick seat walls and raised planters tie the new work to the home, and layered planting softens every edge, from olive trees and grasses to roses and flowering perennials under the oaks.
A modern Fair Oaks patio built for entertaining
On a more compact lot, this Fair Oaks backyard replaced worn-out lawn with large-format concrete pavers set in gravel joints, a modern grid that reads clean from the covered patio and from above.
A linear fire feature anchors the gathering space, a hot tub tucks into the corner, and block planters with sculptural sphere pots bring height and greenery along the fence line.
Lighting that makes the evenings
In Fair Oaks the best hours of summer come after sunset. On both of these projects, lighting was designed with the plan: lit pool coping and seat walls, uplit olives and oaks, glowing arbors at the end of the paths and soft lights tucked under wall caps.
We keep the light warm and low, so the garden glows without washing out the night sky or spilling into the neighbors' yards.
See it before it is built
A project this size has a lot of moving parts, so we model it in 3D first. You walk through the pool, the patios and the planting from every angle, and decisions get made on screen instead of in the field.
The 3D model also gives your contractors a clear picture of the finished garden, which keeps bids accurate and the build on track.
Oaks, permits and Sacramento County rules
Fair Oaks is in unincorporated Sacramento County, where native oaks are protected on private residential lots. Pruning or removing a native oak requires a County tree permit, and work on limbs or roots over two inches must be done by an ISA Certified Arborist.
We design to keep pools, patios and trenches clear of oak root zones from the start, and coordinate with your arborist so the permit process does not hold up construction.
Questions we hear in Fair Oaks
-
No. Palmatum is a design studio. We produce the complete plan set, with hardscape, planting, lighting and irrigation notes, so you can bid it to the contractor of your choice and compare bids on equal terms. If you would like a recommendation, we are happy to point you to Fair Oaks installers we trust.
-
Often, yes. We map the oaks and their root zones first, then place the pool, patios and utilities to stay clear of them. Native oaks are protected in unincorporated Sacramento County, so any pruning or work near them is planned with a certified arborist and a County tree permit when needed.
-
Native oaks want to stay dry in summer, so we keep lawn and thirsty plants out from under the canopy. Shade-tolerant, low-water choices like ceanothus, coffeeberry, heuchera, sedges and native grasses work well, with mulch over the root zone instead of regular watering.
-
Yes. We design the pool layout, decking, seat walls, shade structures, lighting and planting as one plan, so the whole yard works together. Your pool builder and landscape contractor both bid from the same drawings.
-
An initial 60-minute consultation is $200 to $400 depending on property size and scope. We walk the property together, talk through how you want to live in the space, and start sketching ideas on the spot.
Start your Fair Oaks garden
Tell us about your yard and how you want to use it. We will walk the property with you, talk through what works and what does not, and start shaping the plan from there. We also design throughout Carmichael, Orangevale, Citrus Heights and the greater Sacramento region.