Closeup of Carex testacea (Orange Sedge), a clumping grass-like plant, surrounded by decomposed granite and next to a patio of Three Rivers Flagstone. Photo: Eileen Kelly, Marin Landscape and Garden Designer and owner of Dig Your Garden Landscape Design located in San Anselmo, CA.

Lauren Hall-Behrens
Photo of a modern landscaping in Portland.

Design ideas for a mediterranean front yard vegetable garden landscape in Los Angeles.

Taking inspiration from the agrarian site and a rustic architectural vernacular this terraced hillside garden evolved in response to time and place. The design vision was to celebrate the site, preserve the oak trees, accentuate views and create opportunities for modern day recreation and play. Michele Lee Willson Phototgraphy

Halkin Photography www.halkinphotography.com
Example of a trendy playroom design in Philadelphia

Garden arbor and picket fence separate the side yard from the front yard creating outdoor rooms. The view to the front yard frames a sitting area with Adirondack chairs. Photo by Bob Trainor

This seating wall was embedded into a hill in the front garden, effectively lowering the visitor closer to eye level for better viewing of the unique foliage. Photo by Jay Sifford.

photo:Frank Oudeman
Design ideas for a small contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard gravel landscaping in New York for summer.

One of the stranger requests I have been given was to design a custom "double Queensized" bed. The client’s requested a special bed that would allow each to have their “own” bed and comforters, yet still be together… So we created a large platform bed with 2 queen mattresses inset into the platform, each on it’s own control for adjusting firmness. The master suite was enormous in size, so in order to make it more intimate, we installed a remote curtain that separates the sleeping quarters from the sitting area.

Inspiration for a contemporary full sun backyard landscaping in Los Angeles.

Example of an eclectic carpeted bedroom design in Other with gray walls

Photo: Charlotter Albers © 2013 Houzz
Inspiration for a landscaping in Burlington.

Spice Ball™ in landscape
This is an example of an eclectic partial sun landscaping in Chicago.

"Paradise Found" ~ How an architect used unwanted land to build his dream home. The house began with a marriage proposal. On the pretext of scattering wildflower seeds, architect Ron Sutton brought his then girlfriend, Lisa Kincheloe, to a grassy plot of land overlooking Northern California's Petaluma River. When they reached the spot near Novato where the house now stands, he led her through the home as he imagined it. "He showed me where all the rooms would be and how it would be laid out," says Lisa. Then Ron proposed, and she accepted. Two years and two children later, the new home is a reality. Many years ago, the electric company ran large, ugly power lines across the River near this site. Ron says this is why the land remained undeveloped after the farmhouse that used to be on the site burned down. "The property had been on the market for more than a year without a single offer," he says. "The owner tried to give it to a government agency, but even they didn't want it. But when I saw it, I got excited because it was exactly what I'd been looking for. "Ron positioned the 2,200-square-foot house so that the old oak trees on the property screen out views of the enormous power lines. From the house, all you see is the sparkling river and the waving grasses in the marsh that surrounds it. Imagining the house was the easy part; getting it built was a challenge. Because of the proximity to wetlands and power lines, the design had to be approved by a gauntlet of local, state, and federal agencies. THE BARN IDEA, UPDATED Barns--the ones Ron remembers from growing up in rural Minnesota and the one standing on the property--inspired the home's design. "Barns are beautiful and simple. They have an open floor plan, big openings to the outdoors so livestock and equipment can pass through, and lots of storage," Ron says. "I adapted those ideas for the house." The house has an open plan. Large, barnlike doors slide on tracks to screen the office and bedroom for privacy. Huge sliding glass doors line the east side of the house. When they roll aside, no barrier exists between the living area and the landscape. It is, indeed, large enough for a tractor to pass through. PERSONAL TOUCHES Sentimental objects surround the Suttons. They were married in the house before it was finished, and they registered at a nursery so guests could give flowers and trees for the landscaping as gifts. "When we show people around, we point out the plants they gave us," Ron says. ~By Mary Jo Bowling

Bobo® hydrangea in the landscape. It is about half the size as most panicle hydrangeas.
Photo of a small eclectic partial sun landscaping in Chicago.

Coast live oak, November, Los Altos, CA Photo by Bill Marken
Photo of an eclectic landscaping in San Francisco.

staghorn fern mounted on teak panel

Allenaim Photography
Example of an eclectic home design design in Philadelphia

Inspiration for a traditional landscaping in Boston.