Design an Exotic Backyard: Vanessa Kuemmerle's Ever-Evolving Garden

A Playground for Experimentation

Vanessa Kuemmerle’s 2,300-square-foot Emeryville, California garden is an eclectic mix: a black tree fern grown from a spore, bromeliads from a drugstore, South African bulbs from friends. Front yard is sunny and drought-tolerant; side yard shaded and lush; rear courtyard tropical in containers. She continually adds, modifies, deletes as plants grow and new favorites appear. “It’s changed a million times.”

Furnishings and Decor

Finds from salvage shops to Bali markets: a street-found plywood daybed with bamboo posts, Quan Yin sculpture, mirrors, sconces. Understated palette—sage, lime, charcoal, maroon, aqua—links spaces; hits of red add exotic impact.

Creative Evolution

When a 5-foot shrub froze, revealing striking branches, she glued aqua glitter on it as temporary art. Now its seedlings pop up. “A garden is a living work of art.”

Expert Design Tips

• Don't be a plant snob. Shop everywhere—Longs Drugs, Home Depot, botanical gardens, specialty stores. Favorite: Dry Garden in Oakland, Pottery & Beyond in Emeryville, Ohmega Salvage and Urban Ore in Berkeley.
• Play with scale. Big-leafed plants up front, small-leafed in back; layer to emphasize depth. “Densely layered plants give an Alice in Wonderland feel—everything is jumbo.”