It's all about the voluptuous curve! Evergreen and deciduous flowering shrubs, specimen trees, big leaf hydrangeas, small leaf spiraea, dwarf blue conifers, flowering perennials, textural bark. Bring it all together in a landscape designed for four seasons of interest. Garden Mates "The seamless circle of the seasons"

Clear Redwood Fence & Gate
Photo of a mid-sized farmhouse full sun front yard garden path in Los Angeles.

Inspiration for a mid-sized rustic front yard brick garden path in Wilmington.

Florida front yard garden design landscape design
This is an example of a front yard landscaping in Miami.

landscape design and photography by Melanie Rekola
Inspiration for a partial sun front yard landscaping in Toronto.

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.

Inspiration for a large traditional full sun front yard concrete paver and wood fence formal garden in New York with a pergola for spring.

Colorful and lush flowers create a magnificent border along the front of the home. We combine both hardy-in-Texas perennials with season color so your landscape is beautiful each season. The beautiful traditional architecture of this home demanded a lush English style garden design. The deep landscape beds accommodate an abundance of color and foliage interested throughout the year. The clean, contemporary pool design complements the more traditional architecture and landscape design. Put it all together and you have a beautiful and lush retreat for relaxing and entertaining in style.

Steve Lambert Karley Rose Fountain Grass
This is an example of a large shabby-chic style drought-tolerant and full sun front yard concrete paver landscaping in San Francisco for summer.

Striking Texas native botanical design with local river rock top dressing. Photographer: Greg Thomas, http://optphotography.com/

Note how we always have large bluestone pieces at the edge because we lay out the pattern with AutoCAD. There are two more granite steps at the driveway. See the granite lamp post.

This brand new front garden was installed by Southern City Farm in Metairie Louisiana.
Photo of a traditional landscaping in New Orleans.

Photo of a front yard brick garden path in San Diego.

This brand new front garden was installed by Southern City Farm in Metairie Louisiana.
Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in New Orleans.

This is an example of a traditional landscaping in Boston.

Design ideas for a front yard stone garden path in San Diego.

All photos by Linda Oyama Bryan. Home restoration by Von Dreele-Freerksen Construction
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard stone garden path in Chicago.

Clark Dugger Photography
Inspiration for a large contemporary full sun backyard gravel landscaping in Los Angeles.

Photographer: Roger Foley
Inspiration for a traditional front yard formal garden in DC Metro.