Off the master bedroom and bath, the spa garden has a more intimate feel. Its focal point is a stone spa nestled within the embrace of white hydrangeas, holly, azaleas, and blushing peach and pink roses. "It is so peaceful. We enjoy looking at it every day," says the wife.

Color appears in the ornamental garden off the kitchen in a grid that reiterates the contemporary garden scheme. "Whether vegetables, herbs, or flowers, the seasonal plants are arranged en masse, rather than appearing like a fruit-salad medley of a garden," says Berger. "Even when mulched, these spaces look purposeful."

Even retaining walls, constructed of golden slabs of Hackett fieldstone from Arkansas, are beautiful. "I thought the size and scale of that distinctive type of stone would be wonderful for this project," explains Berger. "It's particularly dramatic in the 12-foot-high wall along the driveway. The size of the stone reflects the scale and mass of the house, and the stone is sculptural in its own right."

The garden has an air of discipline, but you leave it with a very calm feeling. The organic composition flows with cool greens, meticulously clipped sculptural shapes, and geometric beds. Hundreds of plants create sweeps of texture, while precise, stylized planting patterns focus attention on the world-class collection of contemporary sculpture that the garden was created to showcase.