The espaliered apple fence has become a dense wall of leaves, hiding a multitude of ripening fruit. The multi-stem trees in the back ground are River Birch (Betula nigra 'Heritage'). Photo by Rob Cardillo

Sozinho Imagery
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary shade front yard stone garden path in Seattle for spring.

Design ideas for a traditional landscaping in New York.

Stone pathway, flower border with path, perennial garden, flowering trees, ground cover, flowering ground cover, mountain garden
Design ideas for a mid-sized rustic full sun front yard stone formal garden in Other for summer.

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.

Example of a large cottage gray two-story stone exterior home design in New York with a mixed material roof

The transition to several garden rooms, a gravel path leads from the rear terrace to the many spaces. The entry is flanked by the New England fieldstone seat wall, capped in blue stone. The path is lined with cushwa brick outlining the formal garden filled with boxwood, pachysandra ground cover, hydrangea, magnolia, and eastern redbud. Photo Credit: Linda Oyama Bryan

Jenn Verrier
This is an example of a traditional backyard landscaping in DC Metro.

This vegetable garden of 3 cedar raised beds was part of an over all drought tolerant garden.
This is an example of a small traditional full sun backyard gravel vegetable garden landscape in Los Angeles for summer.

Miller + Miller Real Estate A must see luxury house less than 3 miles from Downtown Naperville. Private and secluded home on a spectacular wooded lot that borders a 14-acre forest preserve. The front patio features perennials, a mahogany stream bridge, 2 mahogany pond decks overlooking koi ponds, waterfalls and 40′ English Arbor. 40′ English Arbor with Wisteria, Clematis, & Akebia. More than 75 trees on the property, along driveway & several ornamentals. Woodland garden with abundant daffodils, scylla, redbuds, columbine, bleeding hearts & lily of the valley. Kitchen garden.

Green roof in full sun is harder than in the shade. Sterilized shale is used here over slightly sloped rubber membrane with sedum plants plugged into shale and then watered with drip irrigation for first two summers depending on rain amount. Garden fence holds back deer, rabbits and ground hogs. Roof scuppers provide water to the butterfly garden. Raised beds mean less bending over and better weed control. tkd

Photo of a small contemporary partial sun backyard stone flower bed in Other.

Wes Stearns
Inspiration for a traditional side yard landscaping in Charlotte.

This newly planted garden is now very colorful and thriving in the presence of deer. Most all of our gardens in the hilly areas of the peninsula are designed and planted with deer in mind.

The goal of this project was to provide a lush and vast garden for the new owners of this recently remodeled brick Georgian. Located in Wheaton this acre plus property is surrounded by beautiful Oaks. Preserving the Oaks became a particular challenge with the ample front walk and generous entertaining spaces the client desired. Under most of the Oaks the turf was in very poor condition, and most of the property was covered with undesirable overgrown underbrush such as Garlic Mustard weed and Buckthorn. With a recently completed addition, the garages were pushed farther from the front door leaving a large distance between the drive and entry to the home. This prompted the addition of a secondary door off the kitchen. A meandering walk curves past the secondary entry and leads guests through the front garden to the main entry. Off the secondary door a “kitchen patio” complete with a custom gate and Green Mountain Boxwood hedge give the clients a quaint space to enjoy a morning cup of joe. Stepping stone pathways lead around the home and weave through multiple pocket gardens within the vast backyard. The paths extend deep into the property leading to individual and unique gardens with a variety of plantings that are tied together with rustic stonewalls and sinuous turf areas. Closer to the home a large paver patio opens up to the backyard gardens. New stoops were constructed and existing stoops were covered in bluestone and mortared stonewalls were added, complimenting the classic Georgian architecture. The completed project accomplished all the goals of creating a lush and vast garden that fit the remodeled home and lifestyle of its new owners. Through careful planning, all mature Oaks were preserved, undesirables removed and numerous new plantings along with detailed stonework helped to define the new landscape.

This beautiful custom stone cottage was tastefully designed by the architects of TS Adams Studio Architects. “Garden Cottage” is located in Highlands, North Carolina, located on a plateau in the southern Appalachian Mountains and nestled within the Nantahala National Forest. Highlands is a hidden gem of a town providing community charm, luxury mountain living and world-class golf. The unique and elegant details are evident throughout the interior and exterior of this Morgan-Keefe luxury custom home. Beautiful landscape, a slate roof, arched ceilings and shiplap walls are just a few of the features that make the Garden Cottage a work of art. J. Weiland

Small trendy backyard gravel patio photo in Other with a pergola

Photo of a traditional shade gravel garden path in New York.

Espaliered apple trees were used as a living fence for this garden space. The raised planting beds are built of cedar planking for extra height in the raised beds.