1 LAVENDER FIELD
Nothing channels the French countryside like a lavender field—especially one that leads to a stone flower-arranging studio. Wendy Owen wanted her Sonoma, California, property to feel like a laidback, rustic French village. She channeled that atmosphere with lovely stone pavilions, stand-alone sheds for gardening, and outdoor cooking areas.
2 QUAINT FENCING
Emily Janak’s Wyoming mountain home strikes the perfect balance between quaint and polished. A well-kept lawn contrast with wild lavender within the garden’s wooden fence, and a canoe suspended under the upper-level extension brings dimension and character.
3 LIFE-SIZED CHESS
Tiered infinity pools might seem over the top, but the raised design can be a practical way to connect a Jacuzzi and swimming pool. Even better if yours is overlooking a cool landscape feature, like the life-sized chess board in this backyard designed by Ken Fulk. Yard games are always a win, especially if revelers who would rather lounge in the pool can hang nearby.
4 STRUCTURED GREENERY
Before designer Patrick Wade made over the backyard of this 1930s Spanish Revival, the space was badly overgrown. So he revamped the landscaping with fresh brickwork and sculptural greenery: boxwood spheres and hedges.
5 STONE PARTITION
A partial stone wall props up a pergola for shade, while a garden door beyond makes the cozy fireplace zone feel extra private and serene. But to keep it feeling open and green enough, Jeffrey Dungan’s team designed a wall that only extends halfway up past the sitting area.
6 BLOOMING FLOWER BORDER
Rows of hydrangeas and hedges offer a beautiful alternative to typical garden fences. The soft pastel colors are especially stunning and a natural fit for summer cottages, like this one in East Hampton designed by Robert Stilin.
7 STRATEGIC PAINT COLORS
Add more vertical greenery to a hardscaped patio by painting your fence or trellis Go Away Green. The paint color is popular among designers in outdoor areas for its magical camouflaging abilities! Here, Mimi McMakin used a mossy color on the chairs, too.
8 GRAVEL GROUND
Instead of a hard-to-maintain lawn, opt for gravel, but then bring in greenery with lush pots and topiaries scattered around the perimeter of the yard. If you love hosting, an outdoor table is essential—here, Gen Sohr anchored one with two wicker end chairs and special throws and cushions to make it cozier.
9 WINDOW BOXES
When you don’t have a front yard or even a sizeable porch, call on your windows for a beautiful landscaping opportunity as exemplified here by Sarah Bartholomew. A copper lantern lights the way home, picking up on copper flashed windows and gutters, and window boxes are enlivened with pretty white florals and greenery.
10 NATIVE PLANTINGS
Landscape architecture design studio Terremoto populated the garden of this Bel Air home with native species wherever possible and created “a gradient of wildness” on the steep hillside. The lush canopy of low-water, low-maintenance plants includes native grasses, sages and lilacs, and redbud trees.
11 FAUX PLANT WALL
Designer Alison Victoria’s brought her small urban backyard to life with a clever landscaping design. The trick to maintaining a low-maintenance garden wall that adds greenery? It’s faux! She removed the glass from an antique pier mirror that was formerly in the entryway of an old home and then nailed faux fir panels directly into the fence.
12 HAMMOCK WITH A VIEW
At a Seattle home by Studio DIAA that literally floats on water, the occupants hung a hammock for a truly restful backyard experience. They also like to place an essential oil diffuser on the cedar deck to maximize the spa vibes even further.
13 FLORAL DRIVEWAY
No front yard, no problem. Beautify your driveway instead. Bay Area designer Dan Carlson combined succulents and herbs for this low-to-the-ground garden -meets-driveway flanked by permeable pavers.
14 AL FRESCO BAR
Caroline Rafferty decked out a small bar prep zone (conveniently located right by the cabana) in saturated colors and stripes, then optimized the space with a ceiling fan and hidden remote-controlled hurricane shutters for the off-season. A home bar made of wicker makes it even more inviting.
15 OLIVE AND CYPRESS TREES
Landscape designer Marcello Villano incorporated olive and cypress trees in this Palm Springs courtyard as a nod to the homeowner’s Italian heritage.
16 SEATING PLATFORM
Terremoto Landscape designer and founder David Godshall opted for a creative hardscape as opposed to grass in this backyard. Not only do playful tiles allow for a welcome pop of color, but they’re also drought-friendly and easier to maintain. The lush flora surrounding the area allows for plenty of green despite the lack of grass.
17 SPILLING BOUGAINVILLEA
A lawn isn’t the only landscape design that’ll brighten up your front yard. Madeline Stuart gave this SoCal home by architects Wallace Neff and John Byers a sense of place with agave plants flanking the entrance and blooming bougainvillea spilling over the wall.
18 DECKED-OUT PAGODA
If a built-in landscape feature isn’t in the cards, consider a standalone structure. Landscape designer Jay Griffith’s standalone pagoda is a grown-up version of a treehouse hideaway. The floor cushions enhance the sense of intimacy while the curtains provide extra privacy.
19 BARREL CACTI
Similarly, barrel cacti and oversize agave plants add textural contrast to the plaster facade of this Palm Springs home by Sheldon Harte.
20 FRAMED BOCCE COURT
“We used a mix of traditional and drought-resistant plants,” says Denler Hobart, who framed this bocce court outside of a California home with brick, bluestone, boxwood, and hydrangeas.
21 INTEGRATED LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Designed by John Houshmand, a furniture maker from the Catskill mountains, this hacienda retreat in Mexico features Barragan-esque concrete exteriors that speak to the local design culture while also emphasizing the organic and natural desert environment. Every outdoor area was optimized for spending quality time in the fresh air: Potted cypresses line the rooftop courtyard lounge, a daybed reading nook is nestled between two exterior walls, passageways between rooms are covered overhead but wall-less, and a large pool connects to the jacuzzi, echoing the roofline of the home.
