Situated in old Palo Alto, CA, this historic 1905 Craftsman style home now has a stunning landscape to match its custom hand-crafted interior. Our firm had a blank slate with the landscape, and carved out a number of spaces that this young and vibrant family could use for gathering, entertaining, dining, gardening and general relaxation. Mature screen planting, colorful perennials, citrus trees, ornamental grasses, and lots of depth and texture are found throughout the many planting beds. In effort to conserve water, the main open spaces were covered with a foot friendly, decorative gravel. Giving the family a great space for large gatherings, all while saving water.

Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in New York.

The property is one of the original farm houses located on the main street of a small town. It has been in the family for many years and our client just inherited the property. They were trying to have balance of preserving the old while realizing modern day living has its benefits too. The house had a large addition added using mostly old style materials, but designed with function and modern day luxuries. Our goal was to carry that theme to the outside. Our first problem we had to address was how to transition between the first floor elevation changes. The lower room was the husband’s office. He stated in the future he may have clients over and it would be nice to have an area to sit outside. The wife’s main concern was to renew the four corner garden. She also felt it was very important to be able to see it from the kitchen area. Finally there was an old wishing well stuck right outside the kitchen. They both felt it would be neat to be able to incorporate this in some how. They wanted a patio area with a built in grill to accommodate there family and friends. They also wanted to keep a large play area for the kids. We were able to pull this off successfully. We addressed the first issue by having a small lower level flagstone area. This area is large enough for 1 to 2 people to sit comfortably. It also provides a transition from his office to the larger patio area. We installed a simple small gravel sitting area opposite of the main patio. This provides our client a secluded place to relax or do business. Mrs.... told me she is amazed how much her and her husband enjoys this area. It is so peaceful looking at the small creek over a glass of wine. We built a natural limestone retaining wall to create the patio terrace. The stone was chosen to extend the houses architectural elements into the landscape. Irregular broken flagstone was used to give it a more casual feel. We installed three Serviceberries into the patio terrace to replace some trees that were taken down during the remodeling. She was very concern that they would block the view of the four corner garden. We new they were crucial to nestle in the terrace, so we placed them for a couple days for her to decide. Fortunately she agreed they not only kept the view open, but helped frame the garden. The four corner garden was designed to be viewed from afar and experienced up close. We wanted the space to have some formal structure while keeping with the casual farm house feel. Another natural limestone retaining wall was created. This leveled the garden terrace and helped associate it with the rest of the property. The four corner garden is nestled into the existing woods edge. This provides three distinct experiences to entering the garden; a more formal from the driveway, an open feel from the lower lawn, and a more natural / casual experience from the wooded area. The Plymouth brown gravel was used for the center of the garden. This helped highlight the stone post that was found during construction. The gravel also brings the sense of sound into the garden space. Lamb’s ear was chosen as a fun way to get kids interest in horticulture. The balance of using the new to create the old feel is what makes this project a success. The property has already hosted a local historical society event and won an award for its preservation efforts. When Mrs.... can’t find her husband, she knows he is either reading the newspaper by the grill or resting in the hammock along the wood’s path.

Gardens of every sort are an opportunity to enjoy the beauty found outdoors, including the often over-looked vegetable garden. The use of a fence or enclosure of some sort is helpful in keeping the gardens fruits safe from the occasional dig-happy pet as well as less welcome marauders such as rabbits and deer. By enclosing the space the fence itself helps to create its own little world within.

Stepping stone walkway, garden path in a Connecticut backyard
Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in Bridgeport.

Espaliered apple trees were used as a living fence for this garden space. The raised planting beds are built of cedar planking for extra height in the raised beds.

Sozinho Imagery
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary shade front yard stone garden path in Seattle for spring.

Photo by Samantha Robison
Small transitional backyard stone patio photo in Other with a pergola

Recessed panel runs the length of the counter to create a finished look and to hide the dog den from guests. Photo Credit: Betsy Bassett
Example of a mid-sized transitional u-shaped light wood floor and brown floor eat-in kitchen design in Boston with recessed-panel cabinets, white cabinets, gray backsplash, stainless steel appliances, an undermount sink, matchstick tile backsplash, a peninsula, gray countertops and soapstone countertops

Photo of a traditional shade gravel garden path in New York.

Combination of herbs, wildflowers and perennials line this narrow, flagstone walkway. Irregular cut stone in stone dust provides easy drainage.
Inspiration for a mid-sized craftsman full sun front yard stone landscaping in DC Metro.

Already partially enclosed by an ipe fence and concrete wall, our client had a vision of an outdoor courtyard for entertaining on warm summer evenings since the space would be shaded by the house in the afternoon. He imagined the space with a water feature, lighting and paving surrounded by plants. With our marching orders in place, we drew up a schematic plan quickly and met to review two options for the space. These options quickly coalesced and combined into a single vision for the space. A thick, 60” tall concrete wall would enclose the opening to the street – creating privacy and security, and making a bold statement. We knew the gate had to be interesting enough to stand up to the large concrete walls on either side, so we designed and had custom fabricated by Dennis Schleder (www.dennisschleder.com) a beautiful, visually dynamic metal gate. The gate has become the icing on the cake, all 300 pounds of it! Other touches include drought tolerant planting, bluestone paving with pebble accents, crushed granite paving, LED accent lighting, and outdoor furniture. Both existing trees were retained and are thriving with their new soil. The garden was installed in December and our client is extremely happy with the results – so are we! Photo credits, Coreen Schmidt

©toddhaiman2014
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional shade backyard gravel garden path in New York for spring.

Mid-sized elegant gray floor laundry room photo in DC Metro with white walls

Stone pathway, flower border with path, perennial garden, flowering trees, ground cover, flowering ground cover, mountain garden
Design ideas for a mid-sized rustic full sun front yard stone formal garden in Other for summer.

© Todd Haiman Landscape Design
Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary backyard concrete paver landscaping in New York.

this dog wash is a great place to clean up your pets and give them the spa treatment they deserve. There is even an area to relax for your pet under the counter in the padded cabinet.

The view from the seating area within the walk-through garden. 30” square bluestone steppers make up the path. The walkway is surrounded with many native perennials including liatris, echinacea and Joe Pye Weed. The paved area around the bench is comprised of reclaimed stone steps from the original front walk. Renn Kuhnen Photography

Design ideas for a large rustic full sun side yard mulch and wood fence landscaping in Minneapolis for summer.