Duy Tran Photography
Design ideas for an expansive traditional front yard partial sun formal garden for spring in DC Metro with concrete pavers.

Karen Bussolini
Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard partial sun formal garden in New York with concrete pavers.

Bluff landscape with Bocce court and Stepstone pavers make for a great outdoor living space. Holly Lepere
Photo of a mid-sized beach style backyard full sun outdoor sport court in Santa Barbara with concrete pavers.

Golf greens, putting greens, residential, commercial, heavenly greens, artificial turf, artificial grass, artificial putting greens, synthetic turf
Photo of a large traditional backyard xeriscape in San Francisco with concrete pavers.

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.

Inspiration for a large contemporary backyard full sun garden for summer in Los Angeles with a garden path and concrete pavers.

Lush colorful mixed border in full sun Lisa Mierop
Mid-sized traditional backyard full sun garden in New York with concrete pavers for spring.

Ciro
Expansive contemporary backyard full sun garden in San Luis Obispo with a water feature and concrete pavers.

This is an example of a large traditional backyard partial sun garden for summer in Chicago with a garden path and concrete pavers.

An interesting side yard garden. Often only seen as a transitional space - the side yard can be so much more Yes - anything is possible
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional side yard partial sun formal garden in Houston with a water feature and concrete pavers.

Plantings had to fit within the bounds of limited sun and nearby deer. Photo by William Healy
Large front yard partial sun garden in Cleveland with a garden path and concrete pavers for summer.

Landscape by Kim Rooney
Design ideas for a large modern backyard partial sun formal garden in Seattle with a water feature and concrete pavers.

© Lauren Devon www.laurendevon.com
Inspiration for a large traditional backyard full sun xeriscape in Other with decomposed granite.

A modern, contemporary landscape with our favorite low-water succulents and grasses, a limestone patio, and lots of color. Photo credit: Megan Keely

Stone & Paver Patios
Photo of a large transitional backyard garden in Other with a water feature and concrete pavers.

View through the front gate. Architecture by NAA+A. photo by Ralph Smith
Inspiration for an asian garden in Houston with concrete pavers.

Cast in place, concrete step pads are used through the woodlands to tie the informal spaces together. This lodge style bungalow is located on a small lake on the western side of Washington State.

Front entry showing arrival along custom window box.
Mid-sized modern front yard partial sun garden in Los Angeles with a fire feature and concrete pavers.

This is an example of a large contemporary backyard partial sun garden in Vancouver with concrete pavers.