The couple wanted a large garden with spaces designed for specific pieces of sculpture. But it was more than an outdoor museum -- the garden also needed to work for entertaining. "We envisioned a broad, clean sweep without fussiness but with an emphasis on contemporary garden grids, multiple terraces and walls, water, and masses of plant material," says Berger. The plantings are en masse because, he says, "plants, like people, grow in communities."

Because the homeowners were adamant about privacy, Berger installed a thick, green screen of mature 10- to 20-foot Foster, 'Nellie R. Stevens,' and Fizzler hollies before the house was started. "That effort created an effective property shield and initiated the parklike backdrop," he says.

Beyond the gates and up the curving driveway, the red Joel Shapiro sculpture in the motor court is surrounded by 12 'Claudia Wannamaker' magnolia trees, which are intoxicatingly fragrant when in full bloom.

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.