How did this happen? How is it September 1? It seems like just last week I was working on a story about great landscapes for Washingtonian Magazine, and writing about a back-yard transformation for Arlington Magazine.
As we all prepare to get back into our frantic routines for the fall, here’s some eye candy to look back upon as we close the book on another summer.
My Washingtonian assignment, which was accompanied by a guide to garden centers, nurseries, outdoor furniture retailers, and landscape firms, included longer features on two great yards:
This one in McLean by Anthony Wilder Design/Build takes a private master-suite terrace right inside the house—literally:
The next landscape by Wheat’s took a barren backyard in Vienna and turned it into a multi-functioning oasis.
Every summer, we focus on an outdoor space for the “Great Spaces” feature in Arlington Magazine. I love how Scott Brinitzer turned this McLean yard (again — lots of grass and not much else) into a similarly lush getaway:
In the process of gathering images to consider for both these stories, I got to see a lot of stunning outdoor design, which makes a summer day all the more magical. The landscapes that were especially delicious were on the waterfront—both of them in Maryland.
Jennifer Horn designed a lush setting for this home in St. Marys:
Kathleen Litchfield of Petro Design/Build created this venue on a hill leading down to the water in Kennedyville:
Closer to home, architect Jim Rill designed a pool house to make this Falls Church property look like a modern Shangri-La:
Over in Chevy Chase, Surrounds Landscape Architecture enriched this home from front to back, making it easy to forget you have any neighbors.
And in Arlington, Mark White created something out of nothing with a small yard in a dense neighborhood:
I’ll end with this dream-mansion in Alexandria, with a sweeping landscape designed by Botanical Decorators:
Sigh. While we have to say goodbye to Summer 2017, these images can keep us inspired for next year!