This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Lacy cards, beauty-queen-worthy bouquets and beribboned boxes of chocolate often symbolize romance, especially around Feb. 14. But when it comes to gardens, romantic expression can be subtler and more wide-ranging. It can mean a single secluded alcove or an array of intimate nooks, or it can focus on fairy-tale flowers or foliage from the deepest woods. It can be whimsical, mysterious or something all its own. See how dreamy blooms, lush greenery, winding paths, fountains and more have made these five yards true romantics. Let us know in the Comments if any ideas might help your yard speak its own language of love.
Before Photo
“After” photos by Nathalie Priem
1. Rustic Romance
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired couple active in the arts
Location: North London
Size: 1,012 square feet (94 square meters)
Landscape designer: Georgia Lindsay Garden Design
Landscape contractor: PerlaRose Landscapes
Before: A tall tree of heaven growing up from the ground floor and a dumbwaiter connecting to a kitchen one floor below were two big advantages of this North London terrace. It also got a lot of wind and had no apparent purpose, however. The homeowners took the recommendation of a neighbor who’d found Georgia Lindsay Garden Design on Houzz and hired the firm to design an inviting escape worthy of the view.
After: The tree of heaven now provides dappled shade for an eight-seater dining table, while blooms spill exuberantly from planters nearby. Set between those planters, an outdoor kitchen with a gas grill feels unobtrusive. New wood furnishings freshen the feel without undermining the existing silvery decking, tree bark and cedar-clad dumbwaiter.
That lantern hanging from the branches is purely decorative, by the way. Ambient light from the surrounding buildings provides enough illumination to keep added light fixtures to a minimum.
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Tucked into a corner and cocooned by ‘Rich Ruby’ beardtongue (Penstemon ‘Rich Ruby’, USDA zones 7 to 9; find your zone) sits this outdoor room with pillow-laden benches and oak chairs surrounding a coffee table. Although they look built in, the benches are made of a lightweight concrete-effect resin and can be moved as needed.
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Before Photo
“After” photos by Lesly Hall Photography
2. Secret Romance
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Bea and Tom Schumacher
Location: Pasadena, California
Size: 4,570-square-foot (425-square-meter) backyard; 4,500-square-foot (418-square-meter) front yard; 700-square-foot (65-square-meter) parking strip
Design-build team: Isara Ongwiseth, lead designer, and John Cook, landscape installation manager, both of FormLA Landscaping
Before: Little protection from the searing sun left this yard in Southern California parched. It had no destination areas, either, and was a pain to mow and water. The homeowners hired FormLA Landscaping to create a series of outdoor rooms that would require less maintenance and offer a beautifully immersive experience.
After: The canopy of a Chinese elm, which came with the property, shades a long outdoor dining table and crunchy gravel patio just off a new covered lounge and outdoor kitchen. Along with a rich tapestry of California native plants and Mediterranean-climate thrivers, it creates the feel of a hidden delight. Can you tell that one of the homeowners is enamored of what Mary discovers behind an outdoor door in The Secret Garden?
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Concrete pavers with planted joints form a path from the dining area to a nook nestled up against some fencing. Oversize chairs around an earthy fire bowl there allow for relaxing to a soothing soundtrack of birdsong and a water feature.
The new water-conscious plantings foster a hideaway feel with their lushness, while their colors and textures offer an ever-changing feast for the eyes year-round.
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“After” photos by Tina Witherspoon
3. Artful Romance
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their daughter and their cat
Location: Ballard neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 1,500-square-foot (139-square-meter) side yard on a 5,400-square-foot (502-square-meter) lot
Landscape architect: Board & Vellum
Landscape contractor: Sage and Stone
Before: A fencing project for this Seattle side yard turned into a full redesign. The homeowners wanted more privacy without feeling completely walled off, and they wanted to be able to use and enjoy the expansive area more — not easy, given its noticeable grade change. Design firm Board & Vellum came on board to create a leafy outdoor oasis with just the right amount of seclusion.
After: See those Japanese maples (Acer palmatum, zones 5 to 8) at the back here? They’re the same as in the previous photo, but you can see how everything else has changed. Flagstones interspersed with ground covers and bordered by delightful purple ‘Rozanne’ cranesbill (Geranium ‘Rozanne’, zones 4 to 9) wend toward not just the maples but a patio with a trio of aluminum panels laser-cut in a tree design that the homeowners’ daughter drew. A petite round water feature and a blanket of low-lying ferns balance the tall rectangular forms.
String lights and glowing path lights conjure a magical vibe after the sun goes down.
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Regrading made for an easier transition from the sidewalk into the yard, while a new entry gate with an artful custom metal piece continues the tree theme. And the yard brims with color and texture, thanks to plants such as chartreuse Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, zones 4 to 9), Eternal Fragrance daphne (Daphne x transatlantica ‘Blafra’, zones 5 to 9) and ‘Purple Stem’ sweetbox (Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna ‘Purple Stem’, zones 6 to 8).
Native evergreen huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum) and ‘Winter Sun’ mahonia (Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’) elsewhere in the yard draw hummingbirds, butterflies and other winged creatures, enhancing the already idyllic retreat.
Native evergreen huckleberries (Vaccinium ovatum) and ‘Winter Sun’ mahonia (Mahonia x media ‘Winter Sun’) elsewhere in the yard draw hummingbirds, butterflies and other winged creatures, enhancing the already idyllic retreat.
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Before Photo
“After” photos by Jo de Banzie
4. Reimagined Romance
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Photographic artist Jo de Banzie and her husband
Location: Muswell Hill, North London
Size: About 1,130 square feet (105 square meters)
Landscape designer: Jilayne Rickards
Before: Though lacking character and charm, this North London backyard held plenty of promise. As it had already been landscaped, designer Jilayne Rickards worked as much as possible with what was there, including the patio area and gravel seen here. She also sourced additional items secondhand, and nothing went to the landfill.
After: Because the site is shady and most of the soil is tricky clay, the design centers around ground-planted foliage and abundant containers. Here, a sweet little seating area gets shade from an apple tree, home to a playful surprise: a tree house. A dense screen of established black bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra, zones 7 to 11) hides a shed, and new black paint on the existing fence lends depth and an air of mystery.
Caution: Bamboo can be invasive; opt for a clumping variety and consult guidelines for your area before planting. (A trench and root barrier keep the bamboo here in check.)
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Artistic elements, including the circular fence cutout seen in the previous photo and a fanciful antique bench here, are sprinkled throughout. Together with the blend of striking succulents, layers of leaves and lovely blossoms, they give the garden an enchanting air.
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“After” photos by Lepere Studio
5. Ranch Romance
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Steve and Debra Cummings
Location: Santa Paula, California
Size: About one-fifth of an acre on an 80-acre ranch
Landscape architect: Kiesel Design
Landscape installer: Haney Landscape
Before: Among scraggly trees on an 80-acre avocado ranch in California’s Santa Clara River Valley sat this plain rectangular lawn abutting a livestock pen. The property has been in the owners’ family for generations, and they recently tapped Kiesel Design to turn this area into an outdoor destination filled with visual delights — using Houzz ideabooks to share inspiration.
After: Right about where the dog is keeping a lookout in the previous photo, a double-wide gate now opens to an enclosed garden. Concrete pavers lead from the back of the house to the yard, their staggered design hinting that nothing beyond is simply about getting from point A to point B.
Across from the covered deck seen here lies an artistic fountain carved from a sandstone boulder, where birds drink and play. Down the path a bit sits a dining area with seating for six. And farther along, a natural gas fire feature made of Cor-Ten steel and lava rock anchors a seating area that would do a campsite proud.
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Paths made of decomposed granite flow through the yard like waterways. They offer opportunities for walking meditation or for sitting and taking in the views of the planting islands at hand and the Topatopa Mountains in the distance.
These two “after” photos show only small portions of the garden, which stretches to about a fifth of an acre. It focuses on water-conscious and pollinator-attracting plantings but includes a variety of blooms too, including roses — all in a vivid palette of purples, oranges, pinks and greens and in a range of stirring scents.
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This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
After: “One of the design objectives was to make the yard more tidy and functional,” Himschoot says. “Stylewise, we gave the front yard more of a cottage garden feel. This was appropriate for the house and the neighborhood.” A new small curved lawn opens up views of the house and lends a more inviting feel.
Himschoot planted the beds with a mix of perennials, grasses and shrubs for nearly year-round color and interest. Perennials include ‘Summer Beauty’ allium (Allium ‘Summer Beauty’, USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone), ‘Visions’ astilbe (Astilbe chinensis ‘Visions’, zones 4 to 9), ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint (Nepeta racemosa ‘Walker’s Low’, zones 3 to 8), ‘Little Spire’ Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’, zones 5 to 9), ‘Blue Mouse Ears’ hosta (Hosta ‘Blue Mouse Ears’, zones 3 to 9) and ‘Petite Delight’ beebalm (Monarda didyma ‘Petite Delight’, zones 3 to 9).
The grasses are golden Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’, zones 4 to 9), ‘Ice Dance’ Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’, zones 5 to 9) and ‘Bowles Golden’ sedge (Carex elata ‘Aurea’, zones 5 to 9).
The shrubs include ‘Ruby Slippers’ oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Ruby Slippers’, zones 5 to 9), dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii, zones 5 to 8), ‘Blue Star’ juniper (Juniperus squamata ‘Blue Star’, zones 4 to 8) and ‘Little Devil’ ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Donna May’, zones 3 to 7).
This article was originally published by a www.houzz.com . Read the Original article here. .
Designers: Jeanie Engelbach and Ryan Romanowski of apartmentjeanie
Location: New York City
Size: 168 square feet (16 square meters); 12 by 14 feet
Homeowners’ request. “When the homeowners purchased this apartment, it was a complete white box, devoid of color, warmth and vibrancy,” says designer Jeanie Engelbach. “The dining area, and the rest of the open floor plan, did not accurately reflect our clients’ edgy, energetic and gothic yet glam aesthetic. As self-identified homebodies who love to entertain, they wanted a space that felt like them and was inviting to their guests. Having worked with them previously, we knew they trusted our instincts and ability to integrate their style and passions into the overall design concept and weren’t at all shocked when we suggested we use our client’s bright magenta-colored hair and black wardrobe as the inspiration.”
Special features. “To bring this vision to life, we fully committed to color drenching the entire open-floor living and dining room in a rich aubergine — Benjamin Moore Plum Royale — that transformed the space from generic white box to something far more regal and cinematic,” Engelbach says. “We carried the graphic metallic Art Deco-inspired wallpaper from the living room as a frieze to add contrast and structure, while the warm walnut custom-built bar and matching record stand introduces depth and acts as visual divider from living to dining area.
“The bar’s mirrored backsplash reflects light and creates an illusion of multiple windows. We inherited the polished live-edge dining table with lucite base from the apartment’s previous owner, then softened the room with curved velvet chairs that play off the plum tones. The chairs’ matte black steel tube frame anchors the hand-knotted wool rug in black with streaks of white . The dramatic Italian cascading crystal beaded chandelier brings movement and glamour.”
Designer tip. “When working with an open-floor-plan living space, it’s important to delineate designated areas within the larger floor plan,” Engelbach says. “However, implementing one consistent decorative element throughout — in this case, the paint and wallpaper — creates a sense of cohesion and continuity.”
Wallpaper: Art Deco Glamour, Spoonflower; chairs: Inesse in Iced Blue velvet, CB2
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