Outdoor & Garden Photos

The finished garden, an abundance of plants compliment the design of this garden.

This shade arbor, located in The Woodlands, TX north of Houston, spans the entire length of the back yard. It combines a number of elements with custom structures that were constructed to emulate specific aspects of a Zen garden. The homeowner wanted a low-maintenance garden whose beauty could withstand the tough seasonal weather that strikes the area at various times of the year. He also desired a mood-altering aesthetic that would relax the senses and calm the mind. Most importantly, he wanted this meditative environment completely shielded from the outside world so he could find serenity in total privacy. The most unique design element in this entire project is the roof of the shade arbor itself. It features a “negative space” leaf pattern that was designed in a software suite and cut out of the metal with a water jet cutter. Each form in the pattern is loosely suggestive of either a leaf, or a cluster of leaves. These small, negative spaces cut from the metal are the source of the structure’ powerful visual and emotional impact. During the day, sunlight shines down and highlights columns, furniture, plantings, and gravel with a blend of dappling and shade that make you feel like you are sitting under the branches of a tree. At night, the effects are even more brilliant. Skillfully concealed lights mounted on the trusses reflect off the steel in places, while in other places they penetrate the negative spaces, cascading brilliant patterns of ambient light down on vegetation, hardscape, and water alike. The shade arbor shelters two gravel patios that are almost identical in space. The patio closest to the living room features a mini outdoor dining room, replete with tables and chairs. The patio is ornamented with a blend of ornamental grass, a small human figurine sculpture, and mid-level impact ground cover. Gravel was chosen as the preferred hardscape material because of its Zen-like connotations. It is also remarkably soft to walk on, helping to set the mood for a relaxed afternoon in the dappled shade of gently filtered sunlight. The second patio, spaced 15 feet away from the first, resides adjacent to the home at the opposite end of the shade arbor. Like its twin, it is also ornamented with ground cover borders, ornamental grasses, and a large urn identical to the first. Seating here is even more private and contemplative. Instead of a table and chairs, there is a large decorative concrete bench cut in the shape of a giant four-leaf clover. Spanning the distance between these two patios, a bluestone walkway connects the two spaces. Along the way, its borders are punctuated in places by low-level ornamental grasses, a large flowering bush, another sculpture in the form of human faces, and foxtail ferns that spring up from a spread of river rock that punctuates the ends of the walkway. The meditative quality of the shade arbor is reinforced by two special features. The first of these is a disappearing fountain that flows from the top of a large vertical stone embedded like a monolith in the other edges of the river rock. The drains and pumps to this fountain are carefully concealed underneath the covering of smooth stones, and the sound of the water is only barely perceptible, as if it is trying to force you to let go of your thoughts to hear it. A large piece of core-10 steel, which is deliberately intended to rust quickly, rises up like an arced wall from behind the fountain stone. The dark color of the metal helps the casual viewer catch just a glimpse of light reflecting off the slow trickle of water that runs down the side of the stone into the river rock bed. To complete the quiet moment that the shade arbor is intended to invoke, a thick wall of cypress trees rises up on all sides of the yard, completely shutting out the disturbances of the world with a comforting wall of living greenery that comforts the thoughts and emotions.

The design intent for this modest home and garden, located on a tree-lined street in Culver City, was to create a family-friendly, versatile, sustainable outdoor environment that grew with the rapidly changing needs of the owners, their three children and their close-knit community. This became the site of the "Neighborhood Film Festival" where family and friends could settle into the oversized sofa, warm themselves by the outdoor firepit/coffee table, and enjoy a movie under the stars.

Pool oasis in Atlanta with large deck. The pool finish is Pebble Sheen by Pebble Tec, the dimensions are 8' wide x 50' long. The deck is Dasso XTR bamboo decking.

STORY: See how to make this stone firepit here: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/535448/list/How-to-Make-a-Stacked-Stone-Fire-Pit

Banyon Tree Design created a new front entry from the sidewalk to the front steps of this new contemporary home. The rockery was renovated with plants highlighting colors of the architecture.

This classic San Francisco backyard was transformed into an inviting and usable outdoor living space. A few steps down lead to a lounging area, featuring drought-friendly and maintenance-free artificial grass as well as a cozy, custom-built natural gas fire pit surrounded by a Redwood bench. Redwood fencing, low-voltage LED landscape lighting, drip irrigation, planting and a water feature completed the space.

This fountain is a great addition to a front yard entry. Clean and simple with a subtle water noise for visual and auditory interest. The fountain is surrounded by boxwood hedges, Mexican Beach cobble, and white precast concrete.

A comfortable lounge area with firepit allows three season comfort on this rooftop terrace. Native plants and grasses provide a lush but low maintenance landscape.

Front facade design

Ocean Collection sofa with ironwood arms. Romeo club chairs with Sunbrella cushions. Dekton top side tables and coffee table.

Bluestone Pavers, custom Teak Wood banquette with cement tile inlay, Bluestone firepit, custom outdoor kitchen with Teak Wood, concrete waterfall countertop with Teak surround.