Amanda Shipman
Small country backyard full sun garden in Hertfordshire with a garden path and brick pavers for summer.

This beautiful English-inspired garden features Mexican bush sage, gulf muhly grass, blackfoot daisy, moonbeam coreopsis, coneflower, and rosemary.
This is an example of an australian native country backyard garden in Dallas with gravel.

Photo of a country front yard garden in Hampshire.

Recycled timber green wall, Photography by Andy Jones
This is an example of a small country courtyard partial sun xeriscape for spring in Newcastle - Maitland with a vertical garden and concrete pavers.

Country garden in Hertfordshire.

Stone steppers lead to an irregular lannon stone fire pit area in this creekside backyard in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Westhauser Photography
Photo of a small country backyard partial sun garden for summer in Milwaukee with a fire feature and natural stone pavers.

Photo of a mid-sized country backyard shaded garden for summer in Charlotte with a garden path and natural stone pavers.

Our homeowners were looking for a garden where they could sit by the fire, grow vegetable and hear the sound of water. Their home was new construction in a modern farmhouse style. We used gravel and concrete as paving. Board formed concrete firepit keeps it feeling modern. The vegetable beds supply season vegetables and herbs.

Our client’s garden was bereft of any interest, other than a large shed at the end of the garden, and a small patio outside the house. An unattractive stand of conifers dominated one side of the garden, and overpowered the space. These two areas were linked using a bold design of interlinking circles, with a cobbled path snaking its’ way down the garden to create a feeling of greater width and depth. A dry stone wall sets off the patio, and frames the entrance into the main part of the garden. A feature pot is set on a plinth at the bottom end of the garden, where it is visible from the house. The planting is colourful and interesting, with box balls used to reinforce the circular theme. The conifers have been removed and replaced with attractive ornamental trees that will provide more year round interest

Cold frames are a terrific way to extend the growing season on both ends; serving as mini-greenhouses they allow your garden to keep producing in cold weather months when growing would otherwise be impossible. These beautiful, locally made cedar cold frames measure 24″x 44″ and slope from 5″ in front to 24″ in back (custom built sizes are also available). A temperature sensitive piston automatically opens and closes the lid as-need to create a perfect climate for your plants.

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.

This is an example of a country garden in Minneapolis with a retaining wall.

A grand wooden gate introduces the series of arrival sequences to be taken in along the private drive to the main ranch grounds.
Photo of a country front yard full sun driveway for summer in Denver with with privacy feature and a stone fence.

Oversized step stones make access easy, and maintenance is a thing of the past with a deep layer of gravel.
Photo of a small country front yard partial sun xeriscape for winter in Sydney with with outdoor playset and natural stone pavers.

This is an example of a large country side yard full sun garden in Other with mulch.

Design ideas for a large country backyard full sun garden for summer in San Francisco with gravel and a vegetable garden.

Country garden in Stuttgart.

Design ideas for a mid-sized country backyard shaded garden for summer in Charlotte.

Lisa Stafford
Design ideas for a country garden in Geelong.