Landscape Design in Beverly Hills
Estate gardens for the canyons, the hills, and the Flats
Beverly Hills asks more of a garden than almost anywhere in Los Angeles. The architecture is strong, the lots range from level Flats parcels to steep canyon hillsides, and the expectation is a landscape that feels finished on day one and only improves with age. Orchard designs, builds, and cares for gardens across the city, working alongside architects, interior designers, and homeowners from the first site walk through long-term stewardship.
Our work here spans full estate landscapes, hillside rebuilds, pool and terrace surrounds, privacy planting, and the quiet, well-made details that hold it all together: stone, water, light, and plants chosen for this climate rather than against it.
Neighborhoods we serve in Beverly Hills
Trousdale Estates, Beverly Hills Flats, Benedict Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, Beverly Crest, Beverly Park, Beverly Hills Post Office, Franklin Canyon
Designing for Beverly Hills
Designing for Beverly Hills sites
North of Sunset the ground rarely sits still. Trousdale, Benedict Canyon, and Coldwater Canyon lots are cut into slopes, which means retaining walls, drainage, and slope stability are part of the design conversation from the start, not an afterthought handed to a contractor. We plan terraces, stairs, and planted slopes together so the hillside reads as one composition and holds through a wet winter.
In the Flats the challenge inverts. Lots are generous and level, the streets are lined with mature canopy, and the garden has to negotiate between a formal street presence and a private, usable backyard. We tend to use structure near the house, looser planting toward the edges, and mature specimen trees to give a new garden immediate scale.
Planting that belongs here
Beverly Hills gardens have a long history of thirsty lawns and clipped hedges. We build on that formality with a more resilient palette: California natives and Mediterranean-climate plants such as coast live oak, toyon, manzanita, olive, lavender, and ornamental grasses, arranged with the same rigor as a traditional estate garden. The result reads as refined rather than rustic, and it holds up through drought restrictions and hot summers.
Where a lawn is wanted for children, dogs, or events, we size it deliberately and irrigate it efficiently rather than defaulting to turf across the whole parcel.
Fire, water, and permits
Much of hillside Beverly Hills sits in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. We design defensible space into the garden, keeping the first five feet from the house free of combustible material, spacing trees and shrubs on slopes, and choosing plants with lower fuel loads, without turning the property into gravel.
The City of Beverly Hills reviews landscape and hardscape work through its own Community Development department, separate from the City of Los Angeles, with water-efficient landscape requirements for larger projects. We handle drawings, submittals, and inspections as part of project management so the homeowner is not the go-between.
Work in Beverly Hills
- Oak Pass — Beverly Hills, CA
Beverly Hills FAQ
Do you work on hillside properties in Trousdale and the canyons?
Yes. Hillside sites are a large share of our Beverly Hills work. We coordinate retaining structures, drainage, and planted slopes with the design so the garden is stable and reads as one piece.
Is Beverly Hills in a fire hazard zone, and how does that affect the garden?
The hillside areas north of Sunset are mapped as Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. We design defensible space into the plan: an ember-resistant zone immediately around the house, well-spaced planting on slopes, and lower-fuel species, while keeping the garden lush and finished.
Who pulls permits for landscape work in Beverly Hills?
We do, as part of project management. Beverly Hills has its own permitting process, separate from Los Angeles, and larger projects must meet water-efficient landscape requirements. We prepare drawings and submittals and manage inspections.
Can you work with our architect or interior designer?
That is how most of our Beverly Hills projects run. We join early, align the landscape with the architecture and interiors, and carry the shared design language outside.
Do you offer ongoing garden care after the build?
Yes. Our care program keeps the garden to the standard it was designed to, with seasonal pruning, irrigation tuning, and replanting as the garden matures.
How do we start?
Schedule a consultation. We walk the property, discuss how you want to live outside, and follow up with a scope and design proposal.