Foto © Flavio Massari
Design ideas for a mid-sized mediterranean galley eat-in kitchen in Bari with a single-bowl sink, recessed-panel cabinets, light wood cabinets, marble benchtops, stainless steel appliances and beige floor.

This rooftop garden on Manhattan's Upper East Side features an ipe pergola and fencing that provides both shade and privacy to a seating area. Plantings include spiral junipers and boxwoods in terra cotta and Corten steel planters. Wisteria vines grow up custom-built lattices. See more of our projects at www.amberfreda.com.

Photos : Eric Laignel
Mid-sized contemporary rooftop and rooftop deck in Paris with a container garden and no cover.

Frank Dahl
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary full sun garden in Stuttgart with a retaining wall and gravel.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary backyard patio in London with no cover.

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary three-storey white exterior in Frankfurt with a flat roof.

Our Houston landscaping team was recently honored to collaborate with renowned architectural firm Murphy Mears. Murphy Mears builds superb custom homes throughout the country. A recent project for a Houston resident by the name of Borow involved a custom home that featured an efficient, elegant, and eclectic modern architectural design. Ms. Borow is very environmentally conscious and asked that we follow some very strict principles of conservation when developing her landscaping design plan. In many ways you could say this Houston landscaping project was green on both an aesthetic level and a functional level. We selected affordable ground cover that spread very quickly to provide a year round green color scheme that reflected much of the contemporary artwork within the interior of the home. Environmentally speaking, our project was also green in the sense that it focused on very primitive drought resistant plant species and tree preservation strategies. The resulting yard design ultimately functioned as an aesthetic mirror to the abstract forms that the owner prefers in wall art. One of the more notable things we did in this Houston landscaping project was to build the homeowner a gravel patio near the front entrance to the home. The homeowner specifically requested that we disconnect the irrigation system that we had installed in the yard because she wanted natural irrigation and drainage only. The gravel served this wish superbly. Being a natural drain in its own respect, it provided a permeable surface that allowed rainwater to soak through without collecting on the surface. More importantly, the gravel was the only material that could be laid down near the roots of the magnificent trees in Ms. Borow’s yard. Any type of stone, concrete, or brick that is used in more typical Houston landscaping plans would have been out of the question. A patio made from these materials would have either required cutting into tree roots, or it would have impeded their future growth. The specific species chosen for ground cover also bear noting. The two primary plants used were jasmine and iris. Monkey grass was also used to a small extent as a border around the edge of the house. Irises were planted in front of the house, and the jasmine was planted beneath the trees. Both are very fast growing, drought resistant species that require very little watering. However, they do require routine pruning, which Ms. Borow said she had no problem investing in. Such lawn alternatives are frequently used in Houston landscaping projects that for one reason or the other require something other than a standard planting of carpet grass. In this case, the motivation had nothing to do with finances, but rather a conscientious effort on Ms. Borow’s part to practice water conservation and tree preservation. Other hardscapes were then introduced into this green design to better support the home architecture. A stepping stone walkway was built using plain concrete pads that are very simple and modern in their aesthetic. These lead up to the front stair case with four inch steps that Murphy Mears designed for maximum ergonomics and comfort. There were a few softscape elements that we added to complete the Houston landscaping design. A planting of River Birch trees was introduced near the side of the home. River Birch trees are very attractive, light green trees that do not grow that tall. This eliminates any possible conflict between the tree roots and the home foundation. Murphy Mears also built a very elegant fence that transitioned the geometry of the house down to the city sidewalk. The fence sharply parallels the linear movement of the house. We introduced some climbing vines to help soften the fence and to harmonize its aesthetic with that of the trees, ground cover, and grass along the sidewalk.

Design and photo by Bob Trainor
Photo of a mid-sized traditional front yard full sun garden for summer in Boston with a garden path and concrete pavers.

This pergola draped in Wisteria over a Blue Stone patio is located at the home of Interior Designer Kim Hunkeler, located in central Massachusetts.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional backyard full sun garden for spring in Boston with natural stone pavers.

Schneider Custom Homes, www.BuildSCH.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized mediterranean two-storey exterior in Los Angeles.

Paul Jonason Photography
Mid-sized mediterranean two-storey exterior in Los Angeles.

© Lauren Devon www.laurendevon.com
Mid-sized traditional backyard full sun formal garden in San Francisco with natural stone pavers.

English style entry planting photo by Galen Fultz
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary front yard partial sun garden for summer in San Francisco with natural stone pavers and with flowerbed.

A layered hillside extends the garden.
Photo of a mid-sized modern sloped full sun garden for fall in Los Angeles with a retaining wall and concrete pavers.

©Rina Ciampolillo
Mid-sized scandinavian galley eat-in kitchen in Rome with a drop-in sink, wood benchtops, green splashback, ceramic splashback, with island, shaker cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian deck in Other.

Denver Urban Patio
Photo of a mid-sized traditional side yard patio in Denver with a vertical garden, natural stone pavers and no cover.

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional front yard formal garden in Chicago.

These Landscape Architectural elements were designed and installed by Great Oaks Landscape Associates Inc. Great Oaks used pergolas and arbors to accent the patio's, sitting areas, and outdoor living spaces.