The inviting fire draws you through the garden. Surrounds Inc.
Photo of a large traditional backyard garden in DC Metro with natural stone pavers and with fireplace.

The arbor over the swing is intended to shade the sitting area in this hot yard as the sun comes from the left side of the swing. Evergreen Pandorea vines eventually grew over the top. The style mimicked that of the already existing pergola on the deck. The swing gives the family a resting place to watch people practicing on the putting green.

This is an example of a small contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in London with natural stone pavers and a container garden.

Small contemporary backyard garden in New York with a container garden and natural stone pavers.

Porcelain paving with a tile inlay to zone the comfortable seating area.
Small contemporary garden in London with a container garden.

Bliss Garden Design
This is an example of a contemporary backyard garden for fall in Seattle with a container garden and gravel.

Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard garden in Other with a container garden.

Large picture windows looked out onto the empty narrow side yard. Our solution was to create a dramatic 3D modular installation with CorTen Planters filled with low maintenance cacti.

Dan Solomon
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern front yard partial sun xeriscape for summer in Los Angeles with a container garden and concrete pavers.

Roberto silva
Inspiration for a small traditional backyard formal garden in London with a container garden and decking.

NR Photography
Design ideas for a country garden in Portland with a container garden.

A crescent garden container filled with coleus, petunias, new guinea impatiens, mandevilla, and potato vine.
Inspiration for a traditional front yard partial sun garden for summer in New York with a container garden.

Exterior Worlds was contracted by the Bretches family of West Memorial to assist in a renovation project that was already underway. The family had decided to add on to their house and to have an outdoor kitchen constructed on the property. To enhance these new constructions, the family asked our firm to develop a formal landscaping design that included formal gardens, new vantage points, and a renovated pool that worked to center and unify the aesthetic of the entire back yard. The ultimate goal of the project was to create a clear line of site from every vantage point of the yard. By removing trees in certain places, we were able to create multiple zones of interest that visually complimented each other from a variety of positions. These positions were first mapped out in the landscape master plan, and then connected by a granite gravel walkway that we constructed. Beginning at the entrance to the master bedroom, the walkway stretched along the perimeter of the yard and connected to the outdoor kitchen. Another major keynote of this formal landscaping design plan was the construction of two formal parterre gardens in each of the far corners of the yard. The gardens were identical in size and constitution. Each one was decorated by a row of three limestone urns used as planters for seasonal flowers. The vertical impact of the urns added a Classical touch to the parterre gardens that created a sense of stately appeal counter punctual to the architecture of the house. In order to allow visitors to enjoy this Classic appeal from a variety of focal points, we then added trail benches at key locations along the walkway. Some benches were installed immediately to one side of each garden. Others were placed at strategically chosen intervals along the path that would allow guests to sit down and enjoy a view of the pool, the house, and at least one of the gardens from their particular vantage point. To centralize the aesthetic formality of the formal landscaping design, we also renovated the existing swimming pool. We replaced the old tile and enhanced the coping and water jets that poured into its interior. This allowed the swimming pool to function as a more active landscaping element that better complimented the remodeled look of the home and the new formal gardens. The redesigned path, with benches, tables, and chairs positioned at key points along its thoroughfare, helped reinforced the pool’s role as an aesthetic focal point of formal design that connected the entirety of the property into a more unified presentation of formal curb appeal. To complete our formal landscaping design, we added accents to our various keynotes. Japanese yew hedges were planted behind the gardens for added dimension and appeal. We also placed modern sculptures in strategic points that would aesthetically balance the classic tone of the garden with the newly renovated architecture of the home and the pool. Zoysia grass was added to the edges of the gardens and pathways to soften the hard lines of the parterre gardens and walkway.

Design ideas for a country garden in San Francisco with a container garden.

Cushion moss, Ivory Prince Lenten Rose and Western Sword fern
Photo of a small traditional backyard shaded garden for spring in New York with a container garden.

The office garden
Design ideas for a contemporary backyard garden in San Diego with a container garden.

Country backyard partial sun garden in New York with a container garden and gravel.

Patterned bluestone, board-on-board concrete and seasonal containers establish strength of line in the front landscape design. Plants are subordinate components of the design and just emerging from their winter dormancy.

Photo of a partial sun garden for summer in New York with a container garden.