Do you work in Encino?

Yes, on both sides of Ventura Boulevard and up into the hillside properties toward Mulholland. We are in Woodland Hills and the west Valley constantly, so Encino sits on the regular route and there is no travel charge.

I have mature oaks. Can you landscape without harming them?

Yes, it is the thing we are most careful about on Encino properties. The rules are simple and non negotiable. Do not raise grade over the root zone. Do not run irrigation that keeps the trunk flare wet. Do not trench through the root plate. Keep the area under the canopy free draining and lightly planted with material that does not want summer water, because that is what kills established oaks.

Are oaks protected here?

Many mature native oaks are, and the rules cover work within the protected zone around the trunk, not just the tree itself. That includes trenching, grading, and paving under the canopy. We check what applies to your specific trees before anything starts rather than finding out afterward.

What can I plant under an oak?

Not much, and that is the correct answer. Established native oaks want a dry summer, so lawn or thirsty planting under the canopy is the classic way to lose one. A light layer of natural leaf mulch, some shade tolerant natives that need no summer irrigation, or simply a clean decomposed granite surface all work and all keep the tree healthy.

Can you landscape around a pool?

Yes, it is a common Encino project. Priorities are a deck that is not painfully hot barefoot, a surface that is not slick when wet, planting that does not drop constantly into the water, and drainage that pushes water away from the pool. Turf around a pool keeps clippings and mud out entirely.

My lot is large. Should I convert the lawn?

Usually a good part of it. On a big Encino property a full lawn is a lot of square footage to keep green through a Valley summer, and much of it is often decorative rather than used. Keeping a real green area where the family actually spends time and converting the rest to low water planting looks better and costs far less to run. Where the whole yard needs rethinking, that becomes a full renovation .

Do you build retaining walls and terraces?

Yes. On the hillside properties toward Mulholland it is regular work. Past a certain height a wall needs a permit and often an engineered design, and drainage behind the wall matters more than anything visible. We tell you which category your wall falls into before we build it.

Do you do outdoor kitchens and fire features?

Yes. On larger properties there is room to give a seating area its own defined space rather than squeezing it against the house. Shade comes first out here, then a fire feature, then cooking. More on our outdoor living page .

Can you handle drainage on a sloped lot?

We can. It is normally the first thing addressed. Water coming off a grade needs a deliberate route or it finds its own and takes soil with it. We regrade, install drains and catch basins, and where the design suits it build a dry creek bed that handles real volume and looks intentional.

Do you install landscape lighting?

Absolutely, and on Encino properties it does a lot of work. Long driveways and deep front yards need light for safety, and mature trees uplit at night are the best return on any fixture you can buy. Warm color temperature, brass fixtures on exposed runs, and aimed after dark on a return visit.

Do you do the design as well as the build?

Both under one contractor. The plan is drawn by the people who have to build it, which means it is realistic and priced honestly from the start. See our landscape design page .

What plants suit an Encino property?

It depends heavily on exposure, and these lots often have both deep shade under canopy and full sun elsewhere. Sun areas take Mediterranean and native material, olive, lavender, rosemary, salvia, grasses, and succulents. Shaded areas under oaks want low water natives or nothing at all.

Planting and irrigation generally do not. Retaining walls above a set height, patio covers and structures, and any work in the protected zone around a mature oak can. We identify what applies at the estimate and handle the process where it is required.

How long does a project take?

A focused area is a couple of weeks. A full property with hardscape, walls, drainage, and planting runs longer, and larger Encino lots sit at the long end because there is simply more of everything. You get a real schedule at the estimate.

How do we get started?

We walk the property, look at the trees first, then the grade, drainage, and how you use the space, and talk through the budget. Then you get a real number. Request a free quote and we will arrange it.

Encino, CA Service Area | Daniels Landscaping

Encino, CA

Large lots, mature oaks, and pools. Encino properties reward a plan that respects what is already growing there.

How do you landscape around Encino oaks?

Daniels Landscaping works throughout Encino, on both sides of Ventura Boulevard and up into the hillside properties toward Mulholland. Turf, planting, pool surrounds, hardscape, retaining walls, and lighting, all planned around the mature oaks these properties are known for. Licensed at LIC #1138709, design and build under one contractor, free walkthrough. Encino is named for the oaks, and they are still the defining feature of the place. The area sits on natural springs that supported a valley oak grove long before any of the housing arrived, and the properties south of Ventura Boulevard toward Mulholland still carry serious mature canopy. The most famous of them, the Encino Oak, stood for centuries before it finally came down in the late nineties. That history has a practical consequence. On an Encino property the trees are usually the most valuable thing in the yard, and the fastest way to ruin one is bad landscaping. Raising the grade over a root zone suffocates it. Running new irrigation that keeps the trunk flare permanently damp rots it. Trenching straight through the root plate for a cable run does damage that shows up three years later when it is too late. We plan around all of that, and where a tree is protected we check what is allowed before anything gets cut or dug. The rest of the work here is what you would expect on larger, more established properties. Pools are everywhere, so pool surrounds, decking, and planting that does not constantly drop into the water are regular jobs. Slopes toward the hills mean terracing, retaining walls, and drainage. Long driveways and deep front yards mean lighting matters, both for safety and for how the house presents at night. Big lots also mean big water bills, so a good share of what we do here is converting the parts of a property that were only ever lawn out of habit into low water planting, while keeping a proper green area where the family actually uses it. Licensed at LIC #1138709, design and build under one contractor.