Rustic themed containers with annuals with variegated leaves or white flowers. Some containers were vintage ceramic pipes tied with burlap bows. The client painted garage window frames with a metallic copper.

Rustic themed containers with annuals with variegated leaves or white flowers.
Inspiration for a mid-sized shabby-chic style shade backyard mulch formal garden in Chicago for spring.

Rustic themed containers with annuals with variegated leaves or white flowers. Some containers were vintage ceramic pipes tied with burlap bows.
Photo of a mid-sized shabby-chic style shade backyard mulch formal garden in Chicago for spring.

In south Seattle, a tiny backyard garden needed a makeover to add usability and create a sitting area for entertaining. Raised garden beds for edible plants provide the transition between the existing deck and new patio below, eliminating the need for a railing. A firepit provides the focal point for the new patio. Angles create drama and direct flow to the steel stairs and gate. Installed June, 2014. Photography: Mark S. Garff ASLA, LLA

Perched on a hillside cul-de-sac lot in Brentwood CA, the Gagne Residence enjoys an unusually private street condition and views toward the ocean, city, and surrounding tree lined hills. To maximize dwelling and garden area on the mostly sloped site, the house is broken into two general volumes, one volume responding to the level and orientation of the street, the other, wrapping and descending along the hill’s contour, acting as retainer while providing a third dwelling level and preserving ample area for a garden. Photo credit: Eric Staudenmaier

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.

This is a spiral garden located on the edge of a formal sunken lawn area on the edge of Lake Michigan. Nautilus design motifs on this historical David Adler house and limestone balcony served as inspiration for the Nautilus Spiral Garden designed as a garden terrace for their breakfast lookout. Bluestone pavers alternated with pea gravel and a tapestry design of flowering groundcovers take you in and out of the space. Containers wit herbs and topiary accent this purple and blue themed flower garden.Deirdre Toner

Photo by Tina Witherspoon. Metal art screens by Pepperbox.
Photo of a mid-sized eclectic partial sun backyard stone garden path in Seattle.

We are excited to introduce a new landscape lighting line by FXLuminaire that we discovered at the ASLA expo a few weeks ago. Why are we excited? -Color spectrum 30,000 possibilities for each individual fixture -Dimming control for each individual fixture -Smartphone App to control themes and colors For more information on these new landscape lighting products call Garden Artisans! 609-371-0099 609-647-0666 www.gardenartisansllc.com FXLuminaire

Photo by Tina Witherspoon.
Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic partial sun side yard stone garden path in Seattle.

Photo: Faith Towers © 2017 Houzz
Example of an eclectic deck design in Boston

Inspiration for a mid-sized timeless red one-story brick exterior home remodel in Austin

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.

Design ideas for an asian landscaping in DC Metro.

Design ideas for a landscaping in New York for winter.

A bit of modern and a bit of old world welcomes you to the front of this warm and inviting unique piece of architecture.
Example of a mid-sized brown one-story wood gable roof design in Los Angeles

Terren Landscapes http://www.terrenlandscapes.com 2014 PLNA Awards for Landscape Excellence Winner Category: Residential $120,000 & Over Award Level: Silver Project Description: The goal of the Vaccaro project was to change the existing non-functional landscape into multiple entertainment spaces while working within the tight confines of impervious coverage requirements. The project consisted of removing, redesigning and re-installing existing hardscaping, front and rear, reconfiguring the driveway to accommodate more parking, handling storm water on-site, and increasing the aesthetic appeal of the property. The client was remodeling the home in the theme of a rustic French country estate and in our design we endeavored to adhere to this chosen theme. The existing driveway was a circular driveway located off of the main axis of the front door. Reconfiguring the driveway improved vehicular flow, provided additional parking, and reduced impervious space. By consolidating the parking to the side of the house where the garage is located, we maintained the French theme in encouraging arriving cars to pull up closer to the home's entry. We also worked with the architect in the renovation of the home to position the garage windows so that they were placed in the voids of the arbor we constructed over the parking spaces by the garage. The rustic arbor creates a vertical element and delineates the pedestrian walkway from vehicular traffic. The main walkway spans the front of the home so that it extends down to the parking area to guide visitors to the main entrance. To handle the storm water generated by the driveway, we installed a rain garden, which was placed in the front right side yard. The rain garden area was excavated, the soil in the planting areas was heavily amended with compost, sand, and diatomaceous earth, and mostly native plant material was installed to help absorb excess water. In the bottom-most area of the basin filter fabric was laid to help prevent migration of the stone into the soil and decorative stone was spread to slow the flow of water. Storm water is held until it successfully infiltrates the soil, and the plant material provides a natural habitat that supports butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. The existing front patio was removed and the size increased to make the space more functional. To increase function and circulation we worked with the architect to create a dining room that extends to the out-of-doors by adding French doors to the front of the home, which open to the new gravel front terrace. The homeowner desired a planting scheme that would create delineation between the front yard and the gravel terrace without blocking the morning sunlight. To achieve this we chose standardized Physocarpus 'Diablo' to compliment the warm cream-colored stucco of the home and provide structure to the patio space. In the rear of the property we removed the existing brick patio and installed a dry-laid quartzite patio that nicely compliments the cream-colored stucco. We redesigned the rear patio space using 45 degree angles to represent the old French design theory of bisecting spaces with diagonals. Utilizing this design theory created more interesting patio spaces and allowed us to soften the sharp angles by planting the negative spaces between the house and patio. Seat walls were also designed and installed to create more seating without sacrificing impervious space. Per the homeowner's wishes, we also designed a separate area in the rear of the yard for a natural boulder fire pit, which is located along the axis of the kitchen window. Half of the ring utilizes boulders for seating for a small gathering while the other half allowed the homeowner's addition of colorful Adirondack chairs to finish the fire circle. Incorporating the French theme throughout, we also designed and installed a small vegetable garden in the side yard so the homeowner could grow her own vegetables and herbs. Photo Credit: Terren Landscapes

This transitional home blends a modern aesthetic with a character home in a historic neighborhood of Metro Vancouver. Featuring custom architectural concrete, paving stones, horizontal cedar fencing and siding, backyard metal trellis and a very unique and modern landscape, this home is a perfect space for entertaining.

This garden space along the existing drive provided an opportunity for multi-season appeal and continuation of the Asian theme via iconic garden elements like boulders and stone lanterns - Jeff Stapleton