Here, an old unused driveway and ivy bed have been replaced with a dry streambed of native sandstone boulders and cobbles collected from on site.

The streambed acts as a percolation zone to retain rainwater on the site and send it down into the rootzone of the overhanging native oak trees. Strolling paths run along the stream, and mostly native plantings surround the area. A salt-finish concrete path leads from the street through the garden and across the creek to the front door. Locally-produced ceramic low-voltage lights illuminate the path and plantings. A ceramic double-elephant mask by a local artist peers from the shrubbery and water flows from its trunks into a small basin at ground level.

Additional photos show some of the other work on the property designed by County Landscape & Design, including an entry garden and a split-level deck.

Plantings are very diverse and include coast live oak, toyon, lemonade berry, coffeeberry, Ceanothus, many native grasses, rushes and sedges, monkeyflower, snowberry, Penstemon, California poppy, flannelbush, Matilija poppy, native and non-native ferns, meadow rue and many others.

Sunset Magazine considered doing a story on this streambed, but decided not to, saying that, "it just looks like a natural creek." Since most man-made waterways look obviously artificial, this can be considered a high compliment. Owen Dell has spent decades studying natural and man-made streambeds and believes in putting them in wherever appropriate, for their environmental value as well as for their beauty.

This garden has been visited by many groups from local botanic gardens, universities and others.