What Bay Maples can do for you
Custom Water Features
We make custom fabricated water features including fountains and waterfalls. Give us a call if you’d like to add a custom water feature. Click the ‘Learn More’ button to see photos of water features.
Greywater is the unfiltered household wastewater we create every day whenever we do laundry, take a shower or bath, and wash our hands. If you are on the municipal grid, this is water you have already purchased. Why not reuse it? Maybe you don’t take your doggie bag from Chez Panisse either.
Greywater may contain traces of lint, dirt, food, grease, hair and certain household cleaning products. The beneficial nutrients in greywater make it appear “dirty,” but it is actually an environmentally conscious irrigation option. Many Californians already use their laundry and shower water to keep their gardens and yards vital and vibrant. During times of drought, reusing household greywater preserves our most precious resource, reduces dependency on imported water and protects watersheds.
Rainwater Collection
The thirty-year average for rainfall in the South Bay is 14.9 inches per year. With 1,000 square feet of roof space, you could collect close to 10,000 gallons of runoff annually.
Unlike greywater, rainwater can be stored indefinitely. Water collected in rainy months can be used for irrigation during the sunny months. With the right filters, rainwater can be used inside your home for flushing toilets and washing clothes. It can even be made potable. Here at Bay Maples we’re currently installing “pillow” tanks, which can be kept under homes or decks. We also install traditional above- and below-ground tanks.
We typically don’t latch onto trends, but when rustic wood furniture with natural edges became a trend, we couldn’t have been happier. Focusing on reclaimed lumber, salvaged timber and up-cycled wood, we can fabricate and build most anything. Everything from cool tables and benches, water features and mobile bars for your backyard, our custom woodworking and fabrication services are second to none.
Sometimes you know what you want, you just don’t know how to get there. Sometimes you don’t really know what you want. The Bay Maples design team is adroit at bringing our client’s ideas, hopes and wants to fruition. Color palettes, edible gardens and materials for upcycling consideration all come into play when designing the right garden.
“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.”
-Allan Armitage
Our team works hard to ensure that every client absolutely loves their native garden. That’s why we strive to preserve your style while also demonstrating long-term sustainability through plant choice and water conservation. We use ecologically beneficial methods, which include: soil augmentation with compost; sheet composting with used cardboard to inhibit weed growth; custom garden features made from reclaimed wood and other materials; and mulching to reduce evaporation. Our sustainable approach is not only environmentally friendly, it allows us to price services very competitively.
“Every green natural place we save saves a fragment of our sanity and gives us a little more hope that we have a future.”
– Wallace Stegner
The Bay Maples Garden Management Team is made up of experienced horticulturalists—all them versed in California native plants and low-impact gardening methods. Whether your garden is brand new or well established, we will design a thoughtful, long-term management plan to ensure it thrives. Garden management services can be scheduled on a weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or seasonal basis. Our services will be tailored to your garden’s needs, according to the specific site and your personal preferences.
Construction of Garden Features
At Bay Maples we take pride in our ability to design and construct unique garden features, including arbors, fences, decks and greenhouses. Often made of reclaimed, in-shop milled redwood, these features will blend with and enhance any garden. Take a look through our gallery. We are confident you will appreciate the aesthetic and how these garden additions enhance curb appeal.
“I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.”
– Andy Warhol
About Bay Maples
Alan Hackler created Bay Maples Wild California Gardens to address the divide between California’s ongoing water needs and the human desire to live in harmony with a well-maintained and beautiful landscape. Bay Maples creates low-impact, water-saving gardens through the use of native plants, recycled or repurposed materials, and irrigation strategies involving greywater and rainwater catchment. At Bay Maples, we take pride in crafting truly unique designs, which you will find both aesthetically pleasing and cost effective.
“There is no lack of water here unless you try to establish a city where no city should be.”
– Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness