One Garden, Three Design Teams

The Minimalist Garden
In keeping with their chic minimalist style, Atlanta landscape architect John Howard and designer Barbara Howard create a lush design that's carefully edited

Landscape architect John Howard and designer Barbara Howard (who are not related) both tend toward the restrained and always tasteful, with the intention of letting the bones of the architecture and the natural landscape take center stage. They each applied that same philosophy here, choosing furniture and plants so that "nothing was fighting for dominance," says John. "Together, it all creates balance and synergy. There is something quite comforting in symmetry."

The space they designed is centered on the back of the house, with plantings, parterres, and furniture arrangements organized in rooms radiating out from the central pool. In fact, the pool is designed as a garden element that just happens to be something you can swim in and enjoy. Large box planters soften indented corners and customize the blue expanse. The team gave the surrounding spaces flexibility, allowing them to serve different purposes.

French doors open to an octagonal porch with minimal furnishings to preserve the view of the pool terrace and landscape. While the design is simple, natural elements keep it from feeling austere -- fig vines, parterres, and hydrangeas soften the angles and keep tones mellow. Custom-designed ironwork supports the roof over the porch. "The back of the house just needed something to give it character," says Barbara. "The design evokes the 1930s, and it complements the furniture we selected."

A variety of seating areas, including a sectional on one side of the pool, can accommodate large or small groups. "I like to see a large piece of furniture like that, something that is all about relaxing," says Barbara of the sectional. The dining table and chairs on the other side of the pool balance the large piece and offer a separate dining space within the overall plan.

As for the colors of the fabrics and plantings, the designers felt that less was more. Barbara avoided patterned fabrics, instead opting for neutral, solid-color upholstery. "When designing an indoor room, there should be a focal point, or 'star' of the room, whether it's the architecture, art, or antiques," says Barbara. "In an outdoor space, the serene and soothing beauty of the outdoors -- the lush greenery, the hydrangeas, the peacefulness of the pool -- is a natural focal point. Keeping things simple, without too many different fabrics and finishes, is very pleasing to the eye."

The terminus of the space is a cabana that was designed as a destination as well as a backdrop. "It's an outdoor living room with a fireplace," says John. Its shape reflects the smaller porch just outside the house, maintaining the sense of balance.

RESOURCES: John Howard, Howard Design Studio, LLC, Landscape Architecture, 404/876-7051, www.howarddesignstudio.com; Barbara Howard, Marshall Howard, Inc., 404/370-0334.

The 1940s Hollywood Garden

Landscape designer Cedar Baldridge and designer Lisa Rowe of Houston envision a feminine, family-friendly space that brings a little bit of glam and a lot of style to the outdoor living area. 

 

The all-female team went for feminine touches that up the glamour quotient for this traditional house. Flamboyant, chinoiserie-inspired design and strong punches of color make the space destined for fun and entertaining as much as for escape. Landscape designer Cedar Baldridge and designer Lisa Rowe launched their design with a striped awning and outdoor curtains that shelter the space and allow for all-weather entertaining.

"We envisioned a little 1940s Hollywood in Houston," says Rowe.

The designers removed the house's peaked pediment to make room for the awning, changed the design of the rear windows on the second floor to reflect the shape of the Regency-style pool, and replaced picture windows with steel-framed French doors on the ground floor "to give them weight and to frame the area of interest," says Rowe. They furnished the covered terrace with a pair of benches, ceramic garden stools, and an ottoman covered in white vinyl. "It's fun, and you can sit on it wet," says Baldridge. "We love the idea of throwing open the French doors during a party, having drinks on the terrace, and taking in the vista over the pool and down to the bayou." A pagoda-shaped chandelier lends drama and complements the design of the interiors.

To focus on the view and further designate the outdoor spaces, the team terraced the garden, creating two seating areas-the first directly outside the house, the second just beyond, with a dining table and chaises overlooking a grass-bordered pool. A third tier, not visible here, descends a path to the bayou behind the house. The dining area is removed from the covered terrace to make it "a separate experience from the house," says Rowe. "Patio dining is so common -- why not utilize the vast green space?" Baldridge explains that it's perfect for entertaining and compares it to having drinks in the living room before proceeding to the dining room for dinner. "In Houston, we have such mild weather in the winter, you can dine outdoors year-round," she says. "Dining poolside is great not only for the sound of the water but also for the cooling breeze."

The pool is surrounded by St. Augustine grass and punctuated by Meyer lemon trees. "The citrus scent while you're swimming is wonderful," says Baldridge. The expanse of green creates a crisp contrast to the ashlar cut stone of the seating areas.

RESOURCES: Cedar Baldridge, Baldridge Landscape, LLC, 713/529-2646, www.baldridgelandscape.com; Lisa Rowe, 713/410-6580, lisarowedesign@yahoo.com.

The Nature-Oriented Garden
Drama and a keen embrace of the environment, with a single river birch tree shading the porch outside the main house, drive the plan by Birmingham garden designer Troy Rhone and designer E. Dale Trice of Seagrove Beach, Florida.

When garden designer Troy Rhone and designer E. Dale Trice got together to plan the space, they envisioned a design that related to the house but still felt open to the landscape. Though the house is traditional, they knew it would welcome a few modern elements. They started by placing a river birch tree just outside the house. "That way, the homeowners still have a view beyond," says Rhone. In fact, the river birch, which often has multiple trunks, is the first thing visible through the house's windows. "It gives a canopy to the court," says Rhone, "and I love the architecture of a multitrunk tree that has exfoliating bark."

The team also envisioned a central living room for entertaining. Their design provides an area for cocktails and a place to serve dinner. More contemplative spaces extend to the left and right. The entire design exists within a framework of an 18-inch-tall painted brick wall surrounded by sasanqua camellias. "They bloom in the fall when there's not a lot of color," says Rhone. Mondo grass grows in front to cover the trunks. 'Winter Gem' boxwoods line the walls of the house and the interior of the brick wall. Pennsylvania bluestone paving inspired the palette, which includes a chic striped fabric that "looks like an interior fabric," says Trice, and a subtle Perennials pattern on the bolsters.

Another important element is furniture. The coffee and side tables, which are natural works of art in themselves, connect to the landscape and underscore the uniqueness of the space. The tables are made from felled trees that are thousands of years old and work indoors or out. "Our clients are interested in eco-friendly design, and these tables satisfy that desire," says Trice. He specified a dining table base that is made from a type of cypress that expands and contracts with the weather. A four-inch-thick concrete slab forms the top.

Benches, an open fireplace (at bottom left on plan), and a fountain planted with cane were sited with relaxation in mind at the culminating spot in the design. "Water features are so important to relax the exterior space," says Trice.

RESOURCES: Troy Rhone, Troy Rhone Garden Design, 205/226-8671, www.troyrhonegardens.com; E. Dale Trice, Design on the Gulf, 866/231-4844, www.designonthegulf.com.

A GREEN PERSPECTIVE

Though gardens are inherently good for the environment, creating and maintaining a well-manicured, pest-free landscape often requires more than just sunshine and a little water (which itself is hard to come by at times). As clients become interested in green design, designers are relying more on chemical-free, sustainable ways to beautify outdoor spaces.

Landscape designer Cedar Baldridge uses organic fertilizers and soil amendments as much as possible. To combat mosquitoes, she avoids toxic chemicals and instead looks to rosemary, chrysanthemums, and oranges, which are natural repellents.

"Prudent use of water is now a huge focus," says Atlanta landscape architect John Howard. "We utilize rainwater collection systems and efficient drip irrigation systems, and we specify wise choices of plant material, all of which help conserve water. We try to use native species of plants and select hardy trees and shrubs."