This garden was created over a time period of 15 years. We have designed 5 distinct gardens bound by a common palette of materials in order to complement the architecture of this California Contemporary home, in Oakland California.

Closeup of Carex testacea (Orange Sedge), a clumping grass-like plant, surrounded by decomposed granite and next to a patio of Three Rivers Flagstone. Photo: Eileen Kelly, Marin Landscape and Garden Designer and owner of Dig Your Garden Landscape Design located in San Anselmo, CA.

This garden was created over a time period of 15 years. We have designed 5 distinct gardens bound by a common palette of materials in order to complement the architecture of this California Contemporary home, in Oakland California.

This is an example of a modern rooftop landscaping in New York.

Matthew Williams
Inspiration for a small modern partial sun backyard stone garden path in New York.

A couple by the name of Claire and Dan Boyles commissioned Exterior Worlds to develop their back yard along the lines of a French Country garden design. They had recently designed and built a French Colonial style house. Claire had been very involved in the architectural design, and she communicated extensively her expectations for the landscape. The aesthetic we ultimately created for them was not a traditional French country garden per se, but instead was a variation on the symmetry, color, and sense of formality associated with this design. The most notable feature that we added to the estate was a custom swimming pool installed just to the rear of the home. It emphasized linearity, complimentary right angles, and it featured a luxury spa and pool fountain. We built the coping around the pool out of limestone, and we used concrete pavers to build the custom pool patio. We then added French pottery in various locations around the patio to balance the stonework against the look and structure of the home. We added a formal garden parallel to the pool to reflect its linear movement. Like most French country gardens, this design is bordered by sheered bushes and emphasizes straight lines, angles, and symmetry. One very interesting thing about this garden is that it is consist entirely of various shades of green, which lends itself well to the sense of a French estate. The garden is bordered by a taupe colored cedar fence that compliments the color of the stonework. Just around the corner from the back entrance to the house, there lies a double-door entrance to the master bedroom. This was an ideal place to build a small patio for the Boyles to use as a private seating area in the early mornings and evenings. We deviated slightly from strict linearity and symmetry by adding pavers that ran out like steps from the patio into the grass. We then planted boxwood hedges around the patio, which are common in French country garden design and combine an Old World sensibility with a morning garden setting. We then completed this portion of the project by adding rosemary and mondo grass as ground cover to the space between the patio, the corner of the house, and the back wall that frames the yard. This design is derivative of those found in morning gardens, and it provides the Boyles with a place where they can step directly from their bedroom into a private outdoor space and enjoy the early mornings and evenings. We further develop the sense of a morning garden seating area; we deviated slightly from the strict linear forms of the rest of the landscape by adding pavers that ran like steps from the patio and out into the grass. We also planted rosemary and mondo grass as ground cover to the space between the patio, the corner of the house, and the back wall that borders this portion of the yard. We then landscaped the front of the home with a continuing symmetry reminiscent of French country garden design. We wanted to establish a sense of grand entrance to the home, so we built a stone walkway that ran all the way from the sidewalk and then fanned out parallel to the covered porch that centers on the front door and large front windows of the house. To further develop the sense of a French country estate, we planted a small parterre garden that can be seen and enjoyed from the left side of the porch. On the other side of house, we built the Boyles a circular motorcourt around a large oak tree surrounded by lush San Augustine grass. We had to employ special tree preservation techniques to build above the root zone of the tree. The motorcourt was then treated with a concrete-acid finish that compliments the brick in the home. For the parking area, we used limestone gravel chips. French country garden design is traditionally viewed as a very formal style intended to fill a significant portion of a yard or landscape. The genius of the Boyles project lay not in strict adherence to tradition, but rather in adapting its basic principles to the architecture of the home and the geometry of the surrounding landscape. For more the 20 years Exterior Worlds has specialized in servicing many of Houston's fine neighborhoods.

This project was designed to compliment the clients simple lifestyle and minimalist taste. The entry courtyard is cool and clean, the sideyard has a wide expanse of lawn surrounded with low maintenance shrubs and trees. The back deck was made for entertaining. Eating and living areas defined by not only furniture but with large planters used as "room" dividers. The rest of the garden is mass planted with groundcover, shrubs and perennials.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern full sun backyard landscaping in DC Metro for summer.

Andrew Takeuchi http://www.atakphoto.com

YardDoc designed and created multiple rock landscapes for customers in Austin, TX. These drought resistant landscapes liven up your yard with unique designs and individual beauty. While we craft every landscape to the yard and customer, we present examples here to inspire you. In this garden, we worked with the existing trees and hedges. We added ferns and succulents to round out the look. Next, we laid mulch, then placed two planters, one containing a small tree. We created a path using dark river rocks, and large, asymmetrical, flat-topped stones as a walkway through the garden. We created shallow retaining walls of natural stone, along the path, to keep mulch free of rocks and vice versa. Finally, we placed solar lights so this area remains functional and enjoyable at night. Overall, we think this adds a wonderful, fairytale feel to this space, without the commitment to extensive maintenance and care installing a faerie garden entails.

Low maintenance no mow front yard garden installation
Design ideas for a modern partial sun front yard walkway in New York.

YardDoc designed and created multiple rock landscapes for customers in Austin, TX. These drought resistant landscapes liven up your yard with unique designs and individual beauty. While we craft every landscape to the yard and customer, we present examples here to inspire you. In another, stream inspired, design we worked in mulch around the tree to one side. Then placed two types of river rock to form our artificial streambed and bank on the other side. We placed large stones next to the concrete path to add a touch of color and symmetry. We worked with the existing garden, only adding a few drought-resistant plants. Finally, we placed larger, flat river stones as a pathway through the garden and hedge.

Design ideas for a modern gravel landscaping in St Louis.

Rock outcroppings make a striking background for new lounge areas in this compact Los Angeles hillside garden. Working with the attributes of the site, we added native plants to drape over the stone, and converted hollowed stone planters into a firepit and water feature. New built-in seating and a cozy hammock complete the relaxing space, and dramatic lighting makes it come alive at night. Photo by Martin Cox Photography.

Modern redesign for a Harlem Brownstone
This is an example of a mid-sized modern backyard wood fence landscaping in New York.

concrete , steps, exterior, slope, exterior recess lights Barry Schwartz Photography
Inspiration for a modern hillside landscaping in Los Angeles.

Entrance plantings include Agave 'Blue Flame', Aeonium Zwartkop (deep burgundy succulent) and Asparagus Fern. One year after planting. © Eileen Kelly, Dig Your Garden Lanscape Design http://www.digyourgarden.com

Jeffrey Edward Tryon
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern partial sun backyard brick formal garden in Philadelphia for fall.

Photography by Studio H Landscape Architecture & COCO Gallery. Post processing by Isabella Li.
Photo of a modern landscaping in Orange County.