Photo of a farmhouse partial sun gravel raised garden bed in San Francisco.

This small tract home backyard was transformed into a lively breathable garden. A new outdoor living room was created, with silver-grey brazilian slate flooring, and a smooth integral pewter colored concrete wall defining and retaining earth around it. A water feature is the backdrop to this outdoor room extending the flooring material (slate) into the vertical plane covering a wall that houses three playful stainless steel spouts that spill water into a large basin. Koi Fish, Gold fish and water plants bring a new mini ecosystem of life, and provide a focal point and meditational environment. The integral colored concrete wall begins at the main water feature and weaves to the south west corner of the yard where water once again emerges out of a 4” stainless steel channel; reinforcing the notion that this garden backs up against a natural spring. The stainless steel channel also provides children with an opportunity to safely play with water by floating toy boats down the channel. At the north eastern end of the integral colored concrete wall, a warm western red cedar bench extends perpendicular out from the water feature on the outside of the slate patio maximizing seating space in the limited size garden. Natural rusting Cor-ten steel fencing adds a layer of interest throughout the garden softening the 6’ high surrounding fencing and helping to carry the users eye from the ground plane up past the fence lines into the horizon; the cor-ten steel also acts as a ribbon, tie-ing the multiple spaces together in this garden. The plant palette uses grasses and rushes to further establish in the subconscious that a natural water source does exist. Planting was performed outside of the wire fence to connect the new landscape to the existing open space; this was successfully done by using perennials and grasses whose foliage matches that of the native hillside, blurring the boundary line of the garden and aesthetically extending the backyard up into the adjacent open space.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional drought-tolerant backyard gravel garden path in New York.

Would you rather have delicious homegrown veggies or beautiful organic flowers? No need to choose, they make great companions! In fact, Homefront Farmers knowledgeable gardeners can recommend complimentary pairings that will attract beneficial pollinators and ensure the success of all your fruits, berries, vegetables, and flowers. Have it all!

Denash photography, Designed by Jenny Rausch, C.K.D This project will be featured in Better Homes and Gardens Special interest publication Beautiful Kitchens in spring 2012. It is the cover of the magazine.

Download our free ebook, Remodeling a House, Creating a Home. DOWNLOAD NOW   Featured in Houzz International Editorial (Russia): http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/47414631/list Studio West Photography

The inviting fire draws you through the garden. Surrounds Inc.
Photo of a large traditional backyard stone landscaping in DC Metro with a fireplace.

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional backyard stone garden path in New York.

This is an example of a large traditional full sun side yard stone landscaping in Chicago for summer.

After a tear-down/remodel we were left with a west facing sloped front yard without much privacy from the street, a blank palette as it were. Re purposed concrete was used to create an entrance way and a seating area. Colorful drought tolerant trees and plants were used strategically to screen out unwanted views, and to frame the beauty of the new landscape. This yard is an example of low water, low maintenance without looking like grandmas cactus garden.

A once forgotten side yard turns into a charming gravel garden Martin Residence Cardiff by the Sea, Ca
Design ideas for a small mediterranean side yard formal garden in San Diego.

Complete renovation of historic Cow Hollow home. Existing front facade remained for historical purposes. Scope included framing the entire 3 story structure, constructing large concrete retaining walls, and installing a storefront folding door system at family room that opens onto rear stone patio. Rear yard features terraced concrete planters and living wall. Photos: Bruce DaMonte Interior Design: Martha Angus Architect: David Gast

The atrium features two 20-foot living walls. Photo by: Mark Surloff
Patio vertical garden - contemporary courtyard patio vertical garden idea in Miami with no cover

The Upper Garden with 'Ha-Ha' wall: One side of the sinuous retaining stone wall is faced with stone, the other face sloped and turfed, forms a green pool for the upper garden. The ha-ha wall backed by Annabelle Hydrangeas conceals the driveway from sight and extends the view to the lower garden as one looks out from the house through the Zelkovas.They are planted between the hydrangeas and act as a first buffer to the busy street set behind the Lower Garden. Photo credit: ROGER FOLEY

Formal Garden Design
Photo of a huge traditional backyard stone formal garden in Chicago.

The Upper Garden with 'Ha-Ha' wall: One side of the sinuous retaining stone wall is faced with stone, the other face sloped and turfed, forms a green pool for the upper garden. The ha-ha wall backed by Annabelle Hydrangeas conceals the driveway from sight and extends the view to the lower garden as one looks out from the house through the Zelkovas.They are planted between the hydrangeas and act as a first buffer to the busy street set behind the Lower Garden. Photo credit: ROGER FOLEY

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.

The garden that we created unifies the property by knitting together five different garden areas into an elegant landscape surrounding the house. Different garden rooms, each with their own character and “mood”, offer places to sit or wander through to enjoy the property. The result is that in a small space you have several different garden experiences all while understanding the context of the larger garden plan.

This is an example of a large traditional partial sun backyard gravel formal garden in San Diego for spring.