Modern Patio Design, Pool Landscaping & Front Yard Garden

This property perfectly blends contemporary clean lines with a rustic farmhouse style, in both architecture and landscape design. Green Jay Landscape Design was hired to create a full-scale Landscape Design Master Plan that emphasized pool landscaping and front yard design.

The full scope of design work included:

Natural stone masonry (patios and walkways) to enable circulation and entertaining
Pool area border gardens for pollinators
Wetland mitigation planting
Enclosed, raised-bed organic veggie garden
Front yard border garden & foundation planting
Front walkway landscaping

This project is #2: Field and Stream, Camp Refugia. GJL’s Top Landscape Design Projects of 2020.

A modern array-style patio compliments the clean lines of the rectilinear pool.

Natural Stone Masonry: Modern Patio & Walkway Design

The classic rectilinear pool demanded an equally modern patio to connect the covered porch and the pool itself. We designed an array of natural stone to form a rectilinear patio with large grass joints.

Summer border garden runs most of the backyard offering view from the dinning area, covered porch and pool area.

The alfresco dining area also sits atop a rectilinear bluestone patio and is connected to the pool area with off-set bluestone rectangles (that match the existing front walkway). The overall effect is clean and modern, complimenting the homes architecture yet integrating with the designed landscape.

Offset rectilinear walkway planted with creeping stoppable ground covers leads to the alfresco dinning area.

Hardscape Landscaping: Front & Backyard

Sweeping yet rectilinear bluestone front walkway is planted with long-blooming perennials and interesting ground covers.

To soften the modern, angular masonry we designed garden beds for year-round color and texture. The rear walkway is planted with creeping groundcovers that will spread around the stone for a more natural aesthetic.

The front walkway features long-blooming perennials like Geranium, Nepeta, and Yarrow. Texture-heavy plants like Fountain Grass, Blue Fescue and Sedum create interest and ecological value beyond the blooming season.

Pool Landscaping: Summer Poolside Pollinator Garden

Summer garden in full bloom! This was shot before the landscape was completed.

Daisies, Black-eyed Susan and Coneflower put off a powerful summer show! This shot was taken before the landscape was completed.

The backyard landscaping surrounding the pool and entertaining area are filled with pollinator-attracting perennials that bloom all summer long. Plant palette included: Joe Pye Weed, Gayfeather, Sunflower, Beebalm & Coneflower. The overall landscaping qualifies this property as a Pollinator Pathway site and, coupled with our organic maintenance strategies, a Healthy Yard as well.

Backyard border garden in early fall — ornamental grasses on the top terrace look fabulous in the elements and through winter.

Front Yard Border Garden

Driveway entrance garden, a mix of full sun and part shade, for powerful curb appeal!

This property is blessed with mature trees in the front yard that ground the new construction with a sense of permanence. We love to create sweeping border beds where the lawn meets the road – instead of staring at the transition from turf to asphalt from the front windows, there is a vibrant and ecologically active garden. We chose native shrubs, woodland perennials and groundcovers with interesting foliage.

Enclosed, Organic Vegetable Garden

Enclosed veggie garden complete with door, netted ceiling and raised beds.

There are three important considerations when designing a vegetable garden:

Soil Quality – We use a mix of organic, screened topsoil and compost with biochar. Ensure your raised beds can drain properly.
Animal Exclusion – We enclose the garden with fencing around all sides and on top – the only way to ensure your hard work is harvestable for YOU!
Flowers to Attract Pollinators – Food crops for the most part depend on insect pollination. To have a high-yielding food garden you must have pollinators! We plant annuals like Zinnia and perennials like False Sunflower IN the veggie garden beds themselves to make a veritable target for pollinators.