The place

The Hillside House is a private garden where the use of simplicity was enormously powerful. The house, built in the late eighteen-hundreds, was on the formal side. The use of essential geometric shapes like squares and rectangles was used to frame different areas of the garden. This not only helps ground the garden, but also plays an important role in establishing an easy organic flow. The property includes natural gravel pathways that reinforce a deep sense of rusticity, though the landscape faces a challenging climate where summer temperatures regularly climb over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The brief

The client requested a garden that had a sense of place and time — one whose personality would develop over time. They wanted to be in the garden, tending to it as they moved through the various elements — they wanted to explore possibilities, to change the feel of things. It had to be tailored to a contained space where plants are free to create their own forms, allowing the owner to experiment with the art of capturing seasons and infusing shades of green into the neutrals of the interior, bringing the outdoors inside in a way that felt appealing from a sustainability perspective.

The design

The courtyard is planted with layered, shade-tolerant flowering shrubs and perennials. The garden and terrace provide both privacy and some shade from the afternoon sun in summer through staggered woodland-style planting of river birch. The dappled light on the limestone paving and gardens below have been designed to complement one another rather than compete with their surroundings. A shift toward place prioritizes simplicity, authenticity, and a genuine sense of belonging. Nature is experienced through meandering paths, quiet seating, and layered planting. Wildlife is part of the design language — creating a garden that feels alive through layered plantings that support birds, bees, and biodiversity.

For the thrilled owners, the flourishing garden brings daily joy to every member of the family. There's seasonal change inviting you to slow down and reconnect with the outdoors, as well as the evolution of the garden itself. It's a garden that's really beautiful and growing with the grandchildren.