The crused shell driveway is traditional surface that is bordered by a bluestone walk that connects to both the front and back house entries. The relocated tool shed has an outdoor shower on the backside for cleaning up after coming back from the beach. Paul Maue

The City Salad Box is an all cedar table style planter. 4' x 2' with drainage holes and a storage shelf. It is perfect for growing vegetables and flowers on a balcony or small patio.

Bernardo GriJalva
Home design - transitional home design idea in San Francisco

Credit: Linda Oyama Bryan
Inspiration for a large modern partial sun backyard concrete paver formal garden in Chicago.

What was a patchy lawn looking onto an A/C unit proved to be very hard to upkeep, like most lawns: fluctuating between wet and soggy and dry and dusty. So the client—a film editor—wanted a natural play space for both kids and adults that was more attractive and easier to maintain. We replaced the lawn with irregular bluestone to give the garden a natural organic feel, and framed it in the back with a curved stone seating wall to maximize the seating area. We added privacy lattice work to the existing fence and in front of the AC unit for a consistent back screen. The result is a garden that is easy to keep up, spacious and inviting of those wielding toy trucks and cocktails alike.

Created for a couple moving to a smaller house and lot in order to “down¬-size” after their children had left home, this garden’s design presented many challenges. The wife, an ardent gardener, had a long wish list: a water feature; specific plants (including a river birch, a gingko tree, oakleaf hydrangeas, plants to attract butterflies, and trilliums), fragrance, a small patio, and a potting shed. She also wanted to eliminate grass from any part of the property, and to have space to plant annuals (in containers and other areas). In short, she wanted a small “dream garden” created from a site that even she characterized as “disastrous-looking” at the outset. The wife wanted pathways that would allow her to visit all parts of the garden. The patio space did not need to be sizable because of the high deck off the back of the house, but the views from the deck were important. We accomplished all of the clients' goals, and designed a series of small "garden rooms" in the backyard to create the illusion of a larger space. We also designed a "faux potting shed" front to screen the area under the deck and incorporated a raised planting bed for annuals and herbs, which was featured in an article in Fine Gardening the following year as an inventive way to disguise an eyesore in the landscape. This garden received an Award of Distinction in 2009 from the DC/MD/VA Landscape Contractors Association. A view from the deck into the corner of the back yard, with a crape myrtle to provide seasonal interest.© Melissa Clark Photography

Entering the garden from the side of the house. Photo Calafia Design. Custom ipe trellises built by TPW Carpentry
Inspiration for a contemporary partial sun stone formal garden in Chicago.

Small arts and crafts backyard stone patio photo in Baltimore with a fire pit and an awning

Grecian True "L" shaped, Centerville, MD
Pool - large modern backyard l-shaped and concrete lap pool idea in Philadelphia

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard mulch landscaping for summer.

Patio - small craftsman backyard stone patio idea in Baltimore with a fire pit and an awning

Paver patio in Indianpolis
Example of a mid-sized classic backyard concrete paver patio design in Indianapolis with a fire pit and no cover

Patio - small craftsman backyard stone patio idea in Baltimore with a fire pit and an awning

The Upper Shade Garden The small enclosed Shade garden occupies the site of the former owners’ “kitchen” garden. It was here, protected from the deer by rock and wire fencing, that the two elderly ladies grew vegetables and flowers for the house.

Photo of a small traditional full sun side yard concrete paver garden path for fall.

Example of a small arts and crafts backyard stone patio design in Baltimore with a fire pit and an awning

The Island House built by Glenn Layton Homes in Paradise Key South Beach, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Inspiration for a mid-sized victorian white two-story brick gable roof remodel in Jacksonville

Inspiration for a small craftsman backyard stone patio remodel in Baltimore with a fire pit and an awning

Inspiration for a timeless stone and rectangular pool remodel in New York