Grand Award for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build)

This small backyard on Q Street in DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood was a blank slate. The clients wanted a simple, modern garden that would complement the clean-lined style of their interiors. Our design incorporates a large arc of granite cobblestones that borders a panel of artificial turf to visually expand the narrow property. Pennsylvania flagstone set in concrete in a staggered pattern suggests a loose-sand pathway. Eighteen-by- 36-inch stones repeat the linear proportions of the window mullions. A hand-hewn granite plinth creates a raised fountain and the six-foot-wide side yard is now an outdoor grilling area. Sweetbay magnolias are up-lit to create views from the kitchen. Lush but simple plantings—including espaliered camellias, clump-form bamboo, coral-barked Japanese maple, yellowwood and hornbeam trees—soften the edges of this urban site.

Outstanding Features

• A hand-hewn granite plinth is part of a custom, raised fountain.
• Granite cobblestones border a “lawn” panel of artificial turf.
• Low-voltage LED landscape lighting creates evening ambiance.
• Plantings soften the urban feel and convey the look of a lush garden oasis.

Botanical Decorators
5011 Olney Laytonsville Road, Suite B
Olney, MD 20832
301-948-6625
botdec.com