A stepping stone path meanders through drought-tolerant plantings including Dymondia, Rosemary 'Barbeque', and Euryops. The owner's favorite roses are integrated with Penstemon 'Apple Blossom' and variegated Tulbaghia 'Silver Lace' to provide color and contrast. Photo © Jude Parkinson-Morgan.

Stepping stones lead you to...
Photo of a small traditional partial sun backyard stone garden path in Portland for spring.

Giovani Lunardi
This is an example of a tropical side yard brick garden path in Portland.

Photo by Samantha Robison
Small transitional backyard stone patio photo with a pergola

Behind the Tea House is a traditional Japanese raked garden. After much research we used bagged poultry grit in the raked garden. It had the perfect texture for raking. Gray granite cobbles and fashionettes were used for the border. A custom designed bamboo fence encloses the rear yard.

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.

An English Garden. Anthony Sblendorio
Inspiration for a traditional full sun stone garden path in New York.

This is an example of a farmhouse landscaping in Los Angeles.

Landscape contracting by Avid Landscape. Carpentry by Contemporary Homestead. Photograph by Meghan Montgomery.
Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional full sun side yard stone vegetable garden landscape in Seattle for fall.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional shade backyard stone garden path in Minneapolis.

Inspiration for a farmhouse partial sun wood fence landscaping in Santa Barbara.

Design ideas for a traditional brick formal garden in Boston.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional shade backyard stone garden path in Minneapolis.

A quintessential 1925 bungalow located in the charming neighborhood of Virginia Highland in Atlanta, this project included a renovation of the kitchen, family room and powder room on the first floor, and the laundry and primary bath on the second. The Copper Sky Design + Remodel team reconfigured the first floor to better accommodate additional cabinetry and an island in the kitchen by borrowing space from what was a full bathroom and converting it to a half bath. Upstairs, unfinished attic space was converted to a roomy laundry room while the 200 square foot primary bath remained in its original footprint.

Atlantic Archives, Richard Leo Johnson
Eclectic girl playroom photo in Jacksonville

Large transitional white two-story brick house exterior photo in Birmingham with a hip roof and a shingle roof

2-32-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more2-3 Bed Townhomes from $559,000 A 55+ active adult community — 102 single-level homes inside elevator-served buildings with private decks. Resort-style pool, poolhouse, outdoor kitchen, pickleball courts, Victory Gardens, a dog park, and walking paths adjacent to the Country Club of Halifax's 18-hole golf course. read more

The industrious clients came to us with dreams of a new garage structure to provide a home for all of their passions. The design came together around a three car garage with room for a micro-brewery, workshop and bicycle storage – all attached to the house via a new three season porch – and a native prairie landscape and sauna structure on the roof. Designed by Jody McGuire Photographed by Corey Gaffer

Stepping stones in a minimal gravel paved area lead past two lounge chairs to the intimate dining area. The herringbone-patterned limestone patio dissipates into a lush planting bed filled with loose swaths of shade-loving perennials and seasonal bulbs. Beech hedging, and formal clipped evergreens, surround the space and provide privacy, structure and winter interest to the garden. On axis to the main interior living space of the home, the fountain, is the focal point of the garden. A limestone water wall featuring an engraved pattern of fallen Honey Locust leaves nods to the centrally located mature Honey Locust tree that anchors the garden. Water, flowing down the wall, falls a short distance into a pool with a submerged limestone panel. The light noise of the falling water helps soften the sounds of the bustling downtown neighbourhood, creating a tranquil back drop for living and entertaining.