When we saw the generic staged landscape at this updated Piedmont home, we knew exactly what to do: remove everything and give it the Farallon treatment. The clean concrete edges became ideal containers for a collection of rare, exotic perennials. We turned the backyard into a tropical retreat with black bamboo, red Abyssinian banana and a playful water feature. Where the clients’ dining room faced a stark, imposing wall and fence, we installed a vertical garden — an ever-evolving living artwork that now enhances the view and sparks conversation at mealtime. As is standard in Farallon gardens, we installed a drip irrigation system with a Rachio smart controller and low-voltage landscape lighting for nighttime drama.