Hillside Garden Designed by Kim Rooney Landscape architect, located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle Washington. This photo was taken by Eva Blanchard Photography.

Heaven on earth! All Margie could think of while on this site was, "All I need is a tent out here with this view and I'd be happy." The small weekend home on the flank of the rolling grassy coastal plain in Hollister Ranch (near Gaviota, CA) faces breath-taking panoramic views of ocean, islands, coastal plain, foothills and mountains. This place is all about a great outdoor space with just enough house for in case it rains! The pocket sized garden makes a titanic impact bringing a little intimate, livable space to the expansive scenery. Restrained plantings take their cue from the glorious setting. Sweeps of native grasses and succulents dot the garden with olive trees for shade. Dramatic succulents in pots as juxtapose the simple background. The goal was to blend a few practical uses such as wind protected dining and lounging, a hot tub and a fire pit into the nearly undisturbed surroundings. The cedar hot tub is tucked into hillside and surrounded by fieldstone walls and fish-scale flagstone. A small flash-heater provides a warm water shower under an olive next to the tub for de-sanding before plunging into the tub for post-surf warm-up. Meandering gravel paths and lyrical fieldstone "tole work" on the floor plane brings movement to the garden and ties the long narrow space together. The campfire circle (fueled by propane) and lanterns in the trees invite outdoor evening entertainment. Driftwood details - surf rack, stools around the fire pit, posts for hanging lanterns - complete this idyllic surf camp. Cowabunga, dude!

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

It was pretty much a blank area but with some elevation issues. The seating wall served 2 purposes as a seating space but also to retain some of the patio. Natural fieldstone steppers lead from the driveway area to the patio. An assortment of perennials and plantings soften the hardscape project. Serviceberry, hybrid dogwood, and a large dwarf pine are the anchor plants. We also created a raised vegetable garden space off the patio too. Marc Depoto (Hillside Nurseries Inc.)

Tamara Alvarez
Design ideas for a mid-sized tropical side yard brick landscaping in Miami.

Mark Tessier Landscape Architecture designed this textural, drought tolerant, warm modern garden to complement the mid-century design of the home. The use of various materials including gravel, wood, and concrete mixed with a lush drought resistant planting palette offer a homeowners and visitors a multi sensory environment. Photos by Art Gray

Bliss Garden Design
Inspiration for a traditional gravel landscaping in Seattle.

This project presented unique opportunities that are not often found in residential landscaping. The homeowners were not only restoring their 1840's era farmhouse, a piece of their family’s history, but also enlarging and updating the home for modern living. The landscape designers continued this idea by creating a space that is a modern day interpretation of an 1840s era farm rather then a strict recreation. The resulting design combines elements of farm living from that time, as well as acknowledging the property’s history as a horse farm, with staples of 21st century landscapes such as space for outdoor living, lighting, and newer plant varieties. Guests approach from the main driveway which winds through the property and ends at the main barn. There is secondary gated driveway just for the homeowners. Connected to this main driveway is a narrower gravel lane which leads directly to the residence. The lane passes near fruit trees planted in broken rows to give the illusion that they are the remains of an orchard that once existed on the site. The lane widens at the entrance to the gardens where there is a hitching post built into the fence that surrounds the gardens and a watering trough. The widened section is intended as a place to park a golf cart or, in a nod to the home’s past, tie up horses before entering. The gravel lane passes between two stone pillars and then ends at a square gravel court edged in cobblestones. The gravel court transitions into a wide flagstone walk bordered with yew hedges and lavender leading to the front door. Directly to the right, upon entering the gravel court, is located a gravel and cobblestone edged walk leading to a secondary entrance into the residence. The walk is gated where it connects with the gravel court to close it off so as not to confuse visitors and guests to the main residence and to emphasize the primary entrance. An area for a bench is provided along this walk to encourage stopping to view and enjoy the gardens. On either side of the front door, gravel and cobblestone walks branch off into the garden spaces. The one on the right leads to a flagstone with cobblestone border patio space. Since the home has no designated backyard like most modern suburban homes the outdoor living space had to be placed in what would traditionally be thought of as the front of the house. The patio is separated from the entrance walk by the yew hedge and further enclosed by three Amelanchiers and a variety of plantings including modern cultivars of old fashioned plants such as Itea and Hydrangea. A third entrance, the original front door to the 1840’s era section, connects to the patio from the home’s kitchen, making the space ideal for outdoor dining. The gravel and cobblestone walk branching off to the left of the front door leads to the vegetable and perennial gardens. The idea for the vegetable garden was to recreate the tradition of a kitchen garden which would have been planted close to the residence for easy access. The vegetable garden is surrounded by mixed perennial beds along the inside of the wood picket fence which surrounds the entire garden space. Another area designated for a bench is provided here to encourage stopping and viewing. The home’s original smokehouse, completely restored and used as a garden shed, provides a strong architectural focal point to the vegetable garden. Behind the smokehouse is planted lilacs and other plants to give mass and balance to the corner and help screen the garden from the neighboring subdivision. At the rear corner of the garden a wood arbor was constructed to provide a structure on which to grow grapes or other vines should the homeowners choose to. The landscape and gardens for this restored farmhouse and property are a thoughtfully designed and planned recreation of a historic landscape reinterpreted for modern living. The idea was to give a sense of timelessness when walking through the gardens as if they had been there for years but had possibly been updated and rejuvenated as lifestyles changed. The attention to materials and craftsmanship blend seamlessly with the residence and insure the gardens and landscape remain an integral part of the property. The farm has been in the homeowner’s family for many years and they are thrilled at the results and happy to see respect given to the home’s history and to its meticulous restoration.

The “handrill” of Corten steel follows the peastone and steel steps down a steep slope to pour into a round basin, emptying into a channel that meanders through the narrow back garden at ground level, ending finally in a boulder fountain. Devised to minimize root disturbance for the tall existing pines on the property, the continuous Corten steel structure is supported by concrete tubes rather than a foundation that would have required extensive excavation. Architect: Wolf Architects, Inc. General Contractor: GF Rhode Construction, Inc. Landscape Contractor: Robert Hanss, Inc. Steel Fabrication: Wovensteel and Richard Duca Water Systems: Pond Creations by Sean Photo by Susan Teare.

Wes Stearns
Inspiration for a traditional side yard landscaping in Charlotte.

The Ardent Gardener Landscape Design
Photo of a large traditional full sun side yard gravel landscaping in Salt Lake City for summer.

Hillside Garden Designed by Kim Rooney Landscape architect, located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle Washington. This photo was taken by Eva Blanchard Photography.

Inspiration for a landscaping in San Francisco.

Photo of a landscaping in San Francisco.

The technique of equal 'cut and fill' are employed here to help traverse this sloped hillside back yard. 4' wide crushed gravel paths allow side-by-side, hand-ind-hand strolls through the garden. Photography by: Joe Hollowell

This was a "dead zone" side yard, between my clients' house, garage, and a neighbor's close-in fence. Too often, these side yard spaces are overlooked, or even forgotten. We chose to make it a welcoming place to visit. The inviting pathway of cobble pavers, connects the front yard to back yard living spaces. Colors and textures overflow and fill the space with easy-care plantings. Credit: Tad Anderson. All rights exclusively reserved.

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.

Hillside Garden Designed by Kim Rooney Landscape architect, located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle Washington. This photo was taken by Eva Blanchard Photography.

This was a Illinois Landscape Contractors Excellence in Landscape Awards, Gold Award wining project in 2008. This home was also featured on the Glen Ellyn Garden walk.