The Swirls Path Lights and Grande Path Lights create beautiful shadow patterns on the front brick walk. The small sitting area at the far end of the walkway is perfect for enjoying the view, day or night. The landscape lights provide artistic garden sculpture while addressing the practical concern for great lighting! Photos by Lyle Braund, Attraction Lights

Cedar Gates- featured on Houzz!! See the story here: https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/111961937/_trid=silc/list/6-best-materials-for-compound-wall-gates

The formal brick patio was designed using new McNear Brick which has a rustic look. The area is large enough for lounge seating and dining, and is well screened from the rear houses with new Little Gem Magnolias and from the neighbors shed on the side property line using Majestic Beauty Hawthorn standards.

One of our more reputable achievements in recent years was a project in River Oaks that involved replacing a fountain that stood in the corner of the large brick wall. While only one of many elements that we added, this new corner fountain played a significant role in transforming the entire landscape. It introduced a new, more symmetrical geometry to the yard, and it helped provide a more noticeable, complimentary color contrast to that of the brick wall behind it. The existing corner fountain was a very old three-tiered fountain structure that was common several decades ago. This is the type of fountain you almost always see in old movies. In a way it projects a certain sentimentalism about simpler, more absolutist times. However, its power as a symbol fails to convey feeling beyond simple nostalgia, and because of this its use in landscaping has long since become cliché. The old corner fountain had many problems on a functional level as well. It had started rusting out several years past and was now constantly malfunctioning. This was primarily because the fountain pump had been installed underwater and had started to rust out. The lighting fixtures had begun to rust out as well, and the leakage that resulted caused them to intermittently fail. There was also a problem of too much space between the fountain walls and the brick wall around the home. Weeds and excessive vegetation had overgrown the back of the fountain, and they were beginning to overshadow a good portion of its structure. The time had come for a significant change. We therefore replaced not only the original corner fountain, but we also developed an entirely new fountain design. The new structure was shaped like rectangle whose right angles closely mirrored those of the wall behind it. The vertical walls of new fountain itself were made to slope upward on either side in a slight, inverted arc that leveled off at the top and intersected in the corner. To create a decorative color contrast, we covered most of the bricks in the front, as well as the limestone walls in the back, with a travertine coping. This gave the entire structure a soft cream color that proved a perfect complement to the red brick of the wall. Then, on both vertical walls, we installed three water spouts each and installed new fountain lights to illuminate the water from below as it fell into the basin. To add to the mystique of this experience, we also fitted the new corner fountain with a remote pump and an external filtration system that allowed it to run silently, leaving only the water itself to be heard. This also had the practical benefit of preserving the pump itself from the rust that had destroyed the original one. Of course, right angles create very sharp focal points that can often clash with other elements of a landscape. In order to alleviate this and create a sense of harmony and blended aesthetic, we planted several new types of vegetation around our corner fountain. We used dwarf monkey grass and Ardesia to create ground cover. Both species do very well in shady areas, and Ardesia also offers the added benefit of erosion control and a nice green color to further compliment the colors of the wall and the fountain. To add an enhanced vertical element to the scene, we planted a Japanese maple beside the corner fountain. This is a wonderful tree to use in landscaping because it provides both ideal proportions and color. It has burgundy leaves that provide a great deal of shade, but it never gets too tall. Because this property was so large, it was actually landscaped with two separate patio areas in the yard. Since each patio faced either one side of the corner fountain or the other, the illuminated waterspouts dancing against a limestone backdrop became the natural focal point that drew the eye toward itself as the center of attention regardless of one’s position in the yard.

Surrounded by ornamental grasses and perennials, a brick walk leads to the backyard patio. Westhauser Photography

Recycled brick pathway with herringbone pattern, bark mulch, and granite boulders. anna caitlin photography

Brick walkway in herringbone pattern

Front yard renovation with a new paver patio and new garden beds. We also installed new grass, plantings and mulch to complete the look.

Instead of selling, our clients opted for a much overdue backyard transformation. BE Landscape Design removed the old lawn and deck, and replaced them with outdoor dining, kitchen, lounge, fire-pit, a central fountain, olive trees and so much more. Perfect for Holiday gatherings with family and friends.

I recommended a pergola for this space to compliment the large fountain.

Design by Kettelkamp & Kettelkamp Landscape Architecture; All Photos by Linda Oyama Bryan

Having completed their new build in a semi-rural subdivision, these clients turned their attention to the garden, painting the fence black, building a generous deck and then becoming stuck for inspiration! On their wishlist were multiple options for seating, an area for a fire- bowl or chiminea, as much lawn as possible, lots of fruit trees and bee-friendly plantings, an area for a garden shed, beehive and vegetable garden, an attractive side yard and increased privacy. A new timber fence was erected at the end of the driveway, with an upcycled wrought iron gate providing access and a tantalising glimpse of the garden beyond. A pebbled area just beyond the gate leads to the deck and as oversize paving stones created from re-cycled bricks can also be used for informal seating or a place for a chiminea or fire bowl. Pleached olives provide screening and backdrop to the garden and the space under them is underplanted to create depth. The garden wraps right around the deck with an informal single herringbone 'gardener's path' of recycled brick allowing easy access for maintenance. The lawn is angled to create a narrowing perspective providing the illusion that it is much longer than it really is. The hedging has been designed to partially obstruct the lawn borders at the narrowest point to enhance this illusion. Near the deck end, the lawn takes a circular shape, edged by recycled bricks to define another area for seating. A pebbled utility area creates space for the garden shed, vegetable boxes and beehive, and paving provides easy dry access from the back door, to the clothesline and utility area. The fence at the rear of the house was painted in Resene Woodsman "Equilibrium" to create a sense of space, particularly important as the bedroom windows look directly onto this fence. Planting throughout the garden made use of low maintenance perennials that are pollinator friendly, with lots of silver and grey foliage and a pink, blue and mauve colour palette. The front lawn was completely planted out with fruit trees and a perennial border of pollinator plants to create street appeal and make the most of every inch of space!