This garden house was designed by owner and architect, Shirat Mavligit. The wooden section of outer wall is actually the outer section of a central volume that creates an enlarged open space bisecting the home interior. The windows create a view corridor within the home that allows visitors to see all the way through to the back yard. Occupants of the home looking out through these windows feel as if they are sitting in the middle of a garden. This architectural theme of volume and line of site is so powerful that it became the inspiration for the modern landscape design we developed in the front, back, and side yards of the property. We began by addressing the issue of too much open space in the front yard. It has no surrounding fence, and it faces a very busy street in Houston’s Rice Village Area. After careful study of the home façade, our team determined that the best way to set aside a large portion of private space in front of the home was to construct a landscape berm. This land art form adds a sense of dimension and psychological boundary to the scene. It is built of core 10 steel and stands 16 inches tall. This is just high enough for guests to sit on, and it provides an ideal sunbathing area for summer days. The sweeping contour of the berm offsets the rigid linearity of the home with a softer architectural detail. Its linear progression gives the modern landscape design a dynamic sense of movement. Moving to the back yard, we reinforced the home’s central volume and view corridor by laying a rectilinear line of gravel parallel to an equivalent section of grass. Near the corner of the house, we created a series of gravel stepping pads that lead guests from the gravel run, through the grass, and into a vegetable garden. The heavy use of gravel does several things. It communicates a sense of control by containing the vitality of the lawn within an inorganic, mathematically precise space. This feeling of contained life force is common in modern landscape design. This also adds the functional advantage of a low-maintenance space where only minimal lawn care is needed. Gravel also has its own unique aesthetic appeal. Its dark color compliments both the grass and the house, providing an ideal lead-in to the space of the vegetable garden. This same rectilinear geometry was applied to the side yard, but the materials were reversed to add dramatic effect. Here, the field is gravel, and the stepping pads are made from grass. Heavy gauge steel planters were set into the gravel to house separate plantings of Zoysia. The pads run from the library to the kitchen, allowing visitors to travel between the two as if they are walking on a floor decorated with grass. The lawn in all three yards is planted with Zoysia grass. This species of grass is frequently used in modern landscape design because it requires only moderate amounts of water to retain its exceptionally fine texture. When mowed, it presents a clean, well-manicured lawn that compliments the conservatism of the home.

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.

Mid-sized modern backyard full sun xeriscape in Santa Barbara with gravel, a wood fence and with lawn edging for spring.

A grass path through a rock garden featuring a large rock fountain.
Mid-sized modern courtyard partial sun garden in Los Angeles with gravel and with lawn edging for spring.

Цветник с декоративными кустарниками и многолетними цветами и злаковыми травами - подчеркивает парадную зону входа. Автор проекта: Алена Арсеньева. Реализация проекта и ведение работ - Владимир Чичмарь

This is an example of a modern partial sun formal garden for spring in Dallas with with lawn edging, gravel and a wood fence.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape for spring in Perth with with lawn edging and decking.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary backyard partial sun garden for spring in Madrid with with lawn edging and river rock.

週末はご夫妻で庭仕事。手入れの行き届いた庭は四季折々に美しく緑が映える。手前のミモザは種から育てたエピソード。丹精込めた植物との歴史もこの家の歴史と重なる。
Mid-sized front yard full sun outdoor sport court in Other with with lawn edging and natural stone pavers for spring.

お家のリフォームに伴い、お庭のリフォームもしたいと、houzzでdeergardenのことを知っていただき、お声をかけて頂きました。お子様がまだ小さいのと、ご主人様が芝生の庭に憧れがあったことから広々とした芝生のお庭にすることになりました。子供たちが小さいうちは存分にこのお庭で楽しんでいただき、お子さんの成長と共にお庭も少しづつ変えていく考え方を共感出来て良かったです。

Conception de jardin comment traiter la pente a partir d'une page blanche.
Photo of a mid-sized modern sloped driveway for spring in Paris with with lawn edging, mulch and a metal fence.

お家のリフォームに伴い、お庭のリフォームもしたいと、houzzでdeergardenのことを知っていただき、お声をかけて頂きました。お子様がまだ小さいのと、ご主人様が芝生の庭に憧れがあったことから広々とした芝生のお庭にすることになりました。子供たちが小さいうちは存分にこのお庭で楽しんでいただき、お子さんの成長と共にお庭も少しづつ変えていく考え方を共感出来て良かったです。

Photo of an expansive modern front yard partial sun xeriscape for spring in Brisbane with with lawn edging.

This is an example of a small modern backyard partial sun xeriscape for spring in San Diego with with lawn edging and decking.

Backyard with instant turf
Photo of a mid-sized traditional backyard full sun xeriscape for spring in Melbourne with with lawn edging and decking.

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary backyard full sun xeriscape for spring in Perth with with lawn edging and natural stone pavers.

La propriétaire de ce jardin souhaitez un espace dinatoire et un espace solarium. Une végétation luxuriante en rapport avec ses nombreux voyages équatoriaux. Nous avons donc opté pour un grand plancher en bois exotique et une végétation de sous bois du sud est asiatique.

Large traditional backyard full sun garden in London with with lawn edging, natural stone pavers and a wood fence for spring.

雑木と枕木のアプローチ
This is an example of a mid-sized scandinavian front yard full sun outdoor sport court for spring in Nagoya with with lawn edging and decking.