The view of Cat Mountain from the street really shows the privacy of the patios below. The long steel planters separate the lawn from the front beds and add direction to the entrance. This photo was taken by Ryann Ford.

Inspiration for a large traditional front yard full sun garden in Richmond with with lawn edging and brick pavers.

Because the IdealMow lawn needs no support from toxic chemicals to maintain its aesthetic, it is a healthy, safe place for pets and kids to play. It's also resilient to their traffic.

Giardino esterno
This is an example of a large country front yard full sun formal garden for winter in Florence with with lawn edging, brick pavers and a wood fence.

The problem this Memorial-Houston homeowner faced was that her sumptuous contemporary home, an austere series of interconnected cubes of various sizes constructed from white stucco, black steel and glass, did not have the proper landscaping frame. It was out of scale. Imagine Robert Motherwell's "Black on White" painting without the Museum of Fine Arts-Houston's generous expanse of white walls surrounding it. It would still be magnificent but somehow...off. Intuitively, the homeowner realized this issue and started interviewing landscape designers. After talking to about 15 different designers, she finally went with one, only to be disappointed with the results. From the across-the-street neighbor, she was then introduced to Exterior Worlds and she hired us to correct the newly-created problems and more fully realize her hopes for the grounds. "It's not unusual for us to come in and deal with a mess. Sometimes a homeowner gets overwhelmed with managing everything. Other times it is like this project where the design misses the mark. Regardless, it is really important to listen for what a prospect or client means and not just what they say," says Jeff Halper, owner of Exterior Worlds. Since the sheer size of the house is so dominating, Exterior Worlds' overall job was to bring the garden up to scale to match the house. Likewise, it was important to stretch the house into the landscape, thereby softening some of its severity. The concept we devised entailed creating an interplay between the landscape and the house by astute placement of the black-and-white colors of the house into the yard using different materials and textures. Strategic plantings of greenery increased the interest, density, height and function of the design. First we installed a pathway of crushed white marble around the perimeter of the house, the white of the path in homage to the house’s white facade. At various intervals, 3/8-inch steel-plated metal strips, painted black to echo the bones of the house, were embedded and crisscrossed in the pathway to turn it into a loose maze. Along this metal bunting, we planted succulents whose other-worldly shapes and mild coloration juxtaposed nicely against the hard-edged steel. These plantings included Gulf Coast muhly, a native grass that produces a pink-purple plume when it blooms in the fall. A side benefit to the use of these plants is that they are low maintenance and hardy in Houston’s summertime heat. Next we brought in trees for scale. Without them, the impressive architecture becomes imposing. We placed them along the front at either corner of the house. For the left side, we found a multi-trunk live oak in a field, transported it to the property and placed it in a custom-made square of the crushed marble at a slight distance from the house. On the right side where the house makes a 90-degree alcove, we planted a mature mesquite tree. To finish off the front entry, we fashioned the black steel into large squares and planted grass to create islands of green, or giant lawn stepping pads. We echoed this look in the back off the master suite by turning concrete pads of black-stained concrete into stepping pads. We kept the foundational plantings of Japanese yews which add green, earthy mass, something the stark architecture needs for further balance. We contoured Japanese boxwoods into small spheres to enhance the play between shapes and textures. In the large, white planters at the front entrance, we repeated the plantings of succulents and Gulf Coast muhly to reinforce symmetry. Then we built an additional planter in the back out of the black metal, filled it with the crushed white marble and planted a Texas vitex, another hardy choice that adds a touch of color with its purple blooms. To finish off the landscaping, we needed to address the ravine behind the house. We built a retaining wall to contain erosion. Aesthetically, we crafted it so that the wall has a sharp upper edge, a modern motif right where the landscape meets the land.

A walkway is bordered with synthetic lawn and drought tolerant landscape w/ Australian natives and succulents. Mexican Beach cobble and white precast concrete are additional accents to this space.

Inspiration for a large front yard garden in Denver with with lawn edging and river rock.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary front yard garden in Melbourne with with lawn edging.

A great example of a front yard makeover that turns a simple sloped front yard with old dead grass and a couple of trees into a functional, beautiful stepped yard that still incorporates some grass but also stepped raised planters, natural rock, and wide substantial concrete steps and sitting areas for tremendous curb appeal!!!

Inspiration for a traditional front yard garden in Austin with with lawn edging and concrete pavers.

A complete view of this stunning front yard gives the full scope of the space- the lawn, shrubs, retaining walls, gravel, and pavers. This home is a prime example of the benefit of hiring a landscape design and installation team can do for a space.

Interlocking paver patio, free standing pergola design
Inspiration for a mid-sized front yard full sun formal garden in Denver with with lawn edging and river rock.

Traditional front yard driveway in Other with gravel and with lawn edging.

Our clients wanted a re-designed entry-way for family and guests. Natural stone pavers line the landscaping and driveway. Brick elements and plants keep the natural traditional element of the house.

Photo of a mid-sized mediterranean front yard partial sun xeriscape for fall in Los Angeles with with lawn edging and brick pavers.

Natural rock rundle flagstone for the patio and waterfall as well as retaining wall and slab steps make this project have tons of "wow" factor!!
Inspiration for a mid-sized front yard xeriscape in Calgary with with lawn edging and mulch.

Walking past the Retreat is a delight, rain or shine, and in any season. Lined with Cleveland, Pitchers and White Sage, the garden scents the street with a distinct array of minty-fresh fragrance year round. In spring, blooms add to the delight, as does the sweet scent of California Lilac floating down from the top of the slope.

The existing excavated limestone boulders were strategically repositioned to not only serve as functional components but also as visually striking features to the modified design of the dry creek pathways and planted areas. The trees are viewed as an opportunity to utilize dark Whittlesey mulch to provide contrast, water retention, and tie in to other defined beds and oak clusters on the property. The front walk is comprised of sawn limestone pavers surrounded by crushed limestone rock mulch and accented by river rock dry creek bed that follows through to the backyard. The pavers lead down to a poured-in-place concrete path that grants access to outdoor utilities and matches the driveway seamlessly.

Livit Site + Structure, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, 2022 Regional CotY Award Winner, Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living Over $250,000
Photo of a large modern front yard driveway in Minneapolis with with lawn edging.