Nestled at the end of a long flag lot driveway in Amagansett, NY, a young couple purchased the property with intentions to construct a second home for their growing family. A home that would not only be comfortable for the immediate family but also serve and grow on busy summer weekends to accommodate extended family, friends, children and guests. The tight lot along with the sizable program culminated in the building envelope being pushed to every limit, restriction and regulation one could imagine. The resulting architecture possesses a traditional Hamptons cottage exterior juxtaposed with modern elements that help break up the single mass. Centered on the entry façade is a large double story window that shrouds the floating switchback staircase on the interior. A bluestone patio wraps three sides of the home, which, in the rear, leads to a small in ground pool with a frameless glass railing. In the interior, custom white washed white oak floors run throughout the home as well as on the floating central staircase. For a more modern style of living, the open living, kitchen and dining area serve as one large entertaining space. In an area surrounded by sprawling Mcmansions, this tightly knit home functions more similar to that of a large NYC apartment by serving the perfect balance between maximized form with the right amount of function given the strict parameters. Large glass sliders open the living and dining rooms to the backyard patio and pool creating harmony between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Shaker style cabinets in the kitchen pair with a more contemporary staircase softened by the warmer wood tones of the vertical slats that surround it.

Barrington This beautiful home has many deer visit everyday that ate everything previously planted. Desperate for foliage- we designed the gardens to be mostly deer resistant. We also planted a few roses to try our luck at deterring the deer. The home owner was willing to spray "anti deer spray" on the roses in hopes she could grow blooms without the buds being eaten. It worked as long as no one took a vacation and there wasn't many rain days.

Shrubby St. John's wort early in blooming period. Location is in west central Maryland. Photo by Curtis Adams, July, 2015.
Photo of a rustic landscaping in DC Metro.

Ostrich fern. Photo by Jay Sifford.
Eclectic home design photo in Charlotte

With two small children and a third on the way, the owners of an original eighteenth century Cape were quickly out-growing it, but they had no desire to move away from the Cape Cod home and location they loved. They simply needed a reconfigured layout and more space. Their goals included repurposing some existing rooms, adding a new kitchen/family area plus screen porch on the first level, and creating a master suite and roof deck with an outdoor shower on the second level, connected by a new stair. Our challenge was to improve the flow between existing spaces, and design the two-story addition without overwhelming the pint-sized original Cape. We took advantage of the lower grade at the rear of the property to step the first floor of the addition down two steps from the existing main level. This allowed us to align the second floor in the addition with the existing second floor, while gaining ceiling height in the new first-floor kitchen/family area. We composed a cross-gabled form for the addition to improve the second floor headroom, while maintaining the existing eave line. We then extended some existing shed dormers to gain headroom and enhance function. We also expanded the outdoor living area with privacy walls along the roof deck. New, larger, double–hung windows that match the lite configuration of the existing windows, along with new side-wall shingles and trim which resemble the existing exterior treatment help to tie the new addition to the old Cape. Though there’s no mistaking the new for the old, the two are simpatico. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the Yarmouth Port Antique Cape Renovation and Addition. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. photo by Katie Hutchison

This fine-textured broadleafed evergreen grows as tall as it is wide, reaching a maintainable size of 3 feet and resembling a little green muffin. It’s an exceptionally compact boxwood excellent for use in smaller gardens for borders and focal areas. Densely branched, the tiny, green foliage is abundant and adds a distinctive note to the landscape, retaining its color particularly well in winter. The moderate rate of growth makes these boxwoods ideal for carefree edging in a wide area of the US. Other splendid characteristics include deer resistance and tolerance of dry soils once established. FEATURES Bloom/Feature Plant Type Shrubs Evergreen or Deciduous Evergreen USDA Zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Zone Detail Hardy to -20°F USDA zones 5–9 Key Features Deer resistant, evergreen foliage provides year-round interest. Use Hedge, border, mass planting Exposure Full sun to part shade Bloom Season Insignificant Dimension 3' H x 3' W Growth Rate Moderate CARE Water Keep soil moist Soil Type Well-drained garden soil Fertilizer Apply a balanced slow release each spring. Pruning Shape in early spring to maintain shape PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS • water before planting • plant in full sun to part shade • dig hole 2X the width of pot • backfill and plant 1”-2” above soil level • water and add more soil if needed • mulch plants

Photo: F. D. Richards, via Flickr, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 2.0 Generic American Elderberry / Sambucus nigra ssp. canadensis

The meandering flagstone pathway is planted with dymondia margaretae and blue chalksticks (Senecio serpens). The blues are often punctuated with dark browns of aeonium arboreum and phormium jack spratt.

Naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum) with Catalina humminbird fuchsia (Epilobium canum 'Catalina'). Photo by Pete Veilleux, East Bay Wilds

With two small children and a third on the way, the owners of an original eighteenth century Cape were quickly out-growing it, but they had no desire to move away from the Cape Cod home and location they loved. They simply needed a reconfigured layout and more space. Their goals included repurposing some existing rooms, adding a new kitchen/family area plus screen porch on the first level, and creating a master suite and roof deck with an outdoor shower on the second level, connected by a new stair. Our challenge was to improve the flow between existing spaces, and design the two-story addition without overwhelming the pint-sized original Cape. We took advantage of the lower grade at the rear of the property to step the first floor of the addition down two steps from the existing main level. This allowed us to align the second floor in the addition with the existing second floor, while gaining ceiling height in the new first-floor kitchen/family area. We composed a cross-gabled form for the addition to improve the second floor headroom, while maintaining the existing eave line. We then extended some existing shed dormers to gain headroom and enhance function. We also expanded the outdoor living area with privacy walls along the roof deck. New, larger, double–hung windows that match the lite configuration of the existing windows, along with new side-wall shingles and trim which resemble the existing exterior treatment help to tie the new addition to the old Cape. Though there’s no mistaking the new for the old, the two are simpatico. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the Yarmouth Port Antique Cape Renovation and Addition. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. photo by Katie Hutchison

Spring Sonata™ is in perfect tune with today’s gardens. It offers dense growth, glossy green foliage, and a massive display of white flowers in spring. Growing 4 feet high and 5 feet wide, Spring Sonata™ blooms 2 to 3 weeks later than other Indian hawthornes, extending the bloom season. In fall and winter, dark purple fruit cover the plant, adding welcome color. Use it in foundation plantings, mixed borders, or containers. It’s also a great choice for the beach, because it tolerates salt spray. FEATURES Bloom/Feature White flower clusters in spring Plant Type Shrubs Evergreen or Deciduous Evergreen USDA Zones 7,8,9,10 Zone Detail Hardy to 0°F Key Features Year-round interest, attracts birds/butterflies, salt tolerant Use Accent, container, mass planting, slope, hedge Exposure Full sun to part shade Bloom Season Spring Dimension 4' H x 5' W Growth Rate Moderate to fast growth CARE Water Water as needed Soil Type Well-drained garden soil Fertilizer Early spring Pruning Shape after spring bloom PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS water before planting plant in full sun to part shade dig hole 3X the width of pot, backfill and plant 1”-2” above soil level water and add more soil if needed mulch plants

This area has a bit more controlled design with just the prairie dropseed next to the rocks. Very attractive prairie grass that leans over in an attractive fashion.

Patrick & Topaze McCaffery - Taproot Garden Design "A Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) and four Mendocino Reed Grasses (Calamagrostis foliosa) grace this tile-inlaid concrete planter. Specific tiles from Fireclay Tile were personally chosen by the homeowners and integrated into the final installation."

Great Blue Lobelia / Lobelia siphilitica Photo: rockerBOO, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

We had a several challenges to face with this project. Not only did we need to update a dated landscape to accommodate two seemingly different design tastes (modern & minimalistic vs natural english garden), we were tasked with improving the property’s drainage, improving the driveway access, reducing water usage and plant maintenance, and fixing a crumbling wall. To marry the two design tastes, we started with the more modern elements of metal planters and softened the landscape with mass plantings of ornamental grasses and native sedge. These grasses act as a turf replacement that do not need to be mowed and require less regular watering. On each side of the yard we constructed new cedar fences to provide updated and additional privacy. In addition, we poured a new concrete wall to replace the existing retaining wall and play off the new modern vibe.

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.

With two small children and a third on the way, the owners of an original eighteenth century Cape were quickly out-growing it, but they had no desire to move away from the Cape Cod home and location they loved. They simply needed a reconfigured layout and more space. Their goals included repurposing some existing rooms, adding a new kitchen/family area plus screen porch on the first level, and creating a master suite and roof deck with an outdoor shower on the second level, connected by a new stair. Our challenge was to improve the flow between existing spaces, and design the two-story addition without overwhelming the pint-sized original Cape. We took advantage of the lower grade at the rear of the property to step the first floor of the addition down two steps from the existing main level. This allowed us to align the second floor in the addition with the existing second floor, while gaining ceiling height in the new first-floor kitchen/family area. We composed a cross-gabled form for the addition to improve the second floor headroom, while maintaining the existing eave line. We then extended some existing shed dormers to gain headroom and enhance function. We also expanded the outdoor living area with privacy walls along the roof deck. New, larger, double–hung windows that match the lite configuration of the existing windows, along with new side-wall shingles and trim which resemble the existing exterior treatment help to tie the new addition to the old Cape. Though there’s no mistaking the new for the old, the two are simpatico. Katie Hutchison Studio collaborated with Geoffrey Koper Architect of Yarmouth Port, Mass. on the Yarmouth Port Antique Cape Renovation and Addition. Kitchen fit-out and interior finishes, fixtures, and furnishings by others. photo by Katie Hutchison

White flowering Helleborus nigra, also know as the Christmas rose or Black Hellebore - winter flowering perennial, semi-evergreen foliage
This is an example of a traditional partial sun landscaping in New York for winter.