An 11-Year-Old Angeleno Turns His Family’s Yard Into a Graywater Garden

This story is part of our annual look at the state of American design. This year, we’re highlighting work that shines through an acrimonious moment—and makes the case for optimism.

Mere minutes after setting foot in the sloped backyard of Poonam Sharma and Ali Jeevanjee in Mount Washington, a hillside Los Angeles neighborhood, the couple’s 11-year-old son, Surya, starts listing Southern California plant and bird species with the alacrity of a Pokémon enthusiast. He’s eager to show off the family’s cascading garden, which vibrates with blooms and the hum of pollinators.

But the garden wasn’t always so diverse and engaging. Poonam and Ali, principals of LOC Architects in L.A., bought the home in 2013, and until 2021 a lawn was the defining landscape feature. The family would eventually find help in Keely Luna and Parker Davis of Hardy Californians, a landscape design studio that specializes in sustainable native plant gardens. Impressed by Surya’s enthusiasm and knowledge, the pair quickly recognized a kindred spirit they could collaborate with.