Outdoor Living
& Woodland Gardens

Initial Request

The project began with a fenced outdoor space that featured hard-to-use sloping turf and outdated or undersized gathering spaces near the house. Two Norway Maples near the lower side of the property overtook much of the available planting space, limiting the previous landscape to turf and groundcover selections.

The fenced area represents only a portion of the backyard. With privacy already in place and gathering spaces roughed in, the job became a matter of increasing the quality and size of the gathering areas while improving the visual appeal of the sloped lawn.

Design & Proposal

The woodland setting was already in place, with large shade trees covering most of the neighborhood and woods outlining the property below the lower fenceline. The mix of materials was meant to capture and continue this woodland setting while mixing contemporary outdoor living elements in a way that didn't present a clash of styles.

We designed three distinct gathering spaces in a small area by using a mix of materials. Guests move through the property from a wooded deck to a hot tub pad built with concrete pavers from edge to edge. Contemporary bluestone pavers continue deeper into the garden, leading to an exposed aggregate fire pit patio. Natural stone slabs create the final stairs/walkway into the lower gardens, where the woodland and shade plantings are most dense.

Installation & Project Summary

The project started with the removal of two Norway Maples, non-native invasive trees with aggressive root systems that prevent understory plantings. All turf was removed, and a variety of hardscape materials were used to install the new outdoor living spaces.

Each space allows for different activities to take place simultaneously, each space surrounded and buffered by natural plantings. A variety of natural hardscape products were used to compliment the selection of texture-rich plantings and create the seamless transition from contemporary gathering spaces to natural woodland gardens.