Design: Kingsbury Garden Designs Photo: Hoi Ning Wong © 2014 Houzz
Elegant patio photo in San Francisco

Inspiration for a small contemporary full sun backyard stone water fountain landscape in Toronto for summer.

Location: Cohasset, MA, USA When my clients purchased this historic house, they saw that this garden held great potential, even though the property had been somewhat neglected. They wanted the new landscape to evoke the feeling of an Olde Maine house that time had forgotten. Sitting on the front veranda in the shade of the treasured Horse Chestnut and Maple trees that flank each side of the house, we explored the possibilities together. The front yard sloped a bit too much for comfort, so we determined that building a stone wall in the middle would create a terrace, making both parts of the lawn more usable. Visions of parties and children's weddings came to mind. We put a set of elegant arching steps in the middle, leading down to the sunken garden. Large, mature Rhododendrons were planted at the base of the Horse Chestnut and Maple trees just off the front veranda. Boxwoods undulate beneath the trees with Vinca as a ground cover. Ticonderoga stone was used for the walls and steps, which was the closest match to the existing stone foundation. The exquisite masonry by Doug Brooks Masonry makes this staircase as elegant as a tiered wedding cake.

Cast iron bench on brick patio with clipped boxwood hedge. Lush plantings of Hydrangea & Astilbe fill the borders. Photo by David E. Perry
Inspiration for a large traditional backyard landscaping in Seattle.

Stone spheres interspersed with round and conical boxwoods add a contemporary touch and draw the eye down the central axis in the front yard. Photo by Jay Sifford.

Location: Hingham, MA, USA This newly constructed home in Hingham, MA was designed to openly embrace the seashore landscape surrounding it. The front entrance has a relaxed elegance with a classic plant theme of boxwood, hydrangea and grasses. The back opens to beautiful views of the harbor, with a terraced patio running the length of the house. The infinity pool blends seamlessly with the water landscape and splashes over the wall into the weir below. Planting beds break up the expanse of paving and soften the outdoor living spaces. The sculpture, made by a personal friend of the family, creates a stunning focal point with the open sky and sea behind. One side of the property was densely planted with large Spruce, Juniper and Birch on top of a 7' berm to provide instant privacy. Hokonechloa grass weaves its way around Annabelle Hydrangeas and Flower Carpet Roses. The other side had an existing stone stairway which was enhanced with a grove of Birch, hydrangea and Hakone grass. The Limelight Tree Hydrangeas and Boxwood offer a fresh welcome, while the Miscanthus grasses add a casual touch. The Stone wall and patio create a resting spot between rounds of tennis. The granite steps in the lawn allow for a comfortable transition up a steeper slope.

Dana Schock and Associates
Inspiration for a huge traditional backyard landscaping in Boston.

Front yard.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional full sun front yard stone formal garden in Boston.

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

Behind the boxwoods, ‘The Rocket’ ligularia and ‘Purpurkerze’ astilbe offer large flowers and bridge the height difference between the boxwoods and fence. Westhauser Photography

Photo of a large traditional partial sun front yard stone landscaping in Chicago.

Landscape Architect: Howard Cohen Photography by: Bob Narod, Photographer, LLC
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional backyard outdoor basketball/tennis/multi-game court in DC Metro.

Jennifer Cheung
This is an example of a large traditional backyard formal garden in Los Angeles with a fire pit.

View of garden Photo by Sean Shanahan
Example of a classic patio design in DC Metro

We incorporated a traditional style with a hardy plant selection for this design. All plant species are native to the North East area and relatively medium to low maintenance. A various selection of color was used including a specialty magenta roseum elegans rhododendron collection, which provides a tasteful amount of color complementing our darker house color/ Boxwood shrubs a timeless classic evergreen add structure to our design while providing an interesting texture. Because of their evergreen nature, they also give our client great color over the winter months.

The finished patio and garden features dry-laid flagstone with a hand-cut circular border. A base of arborvitae and boxwood create the bones of the formal garden and provide screening. The door at the back remains accessible but is hidden by large camellias in blue and white ceramic pots. Designed by Mary Kirk Menefee; installed and styled by Merrifield Garden Center. Photo: Mary Kirk Menefee

Design: Marilee Gaffney of Marilee Gaffney Design Seasonal color: Jackie Gray of Merrivale Design Photo: Margot Hartford © 2015 Houzz
Example of a classic exterior home design in San Francisco

Using boxwood and bluestone, this traditional estate was designed with gracious patios, lawns and gardens to enjoy all four seasons.
Inspiration for a timeless pool remodel in San Francisco

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.