Waterfront Oasis Sometimes unraveling challenges reap unexpected rewards. Such was the case when homeowners planning a new residence on Aberdeen Creek decided they wanted to live on the property during construction. They moved into the existing house on the lot while their new home was being built nearby; the original was then torn down and a new guesthouse built in its place. It was at this point that architect Scarlett Breeding’s plan cleverly connected the two structures with a bridge housing a home office with panoramic water views.

Not only does the bridge lend a unique signature to the Shingle-style home, it also beckons residents and guests to explore what lies beyond 4.4 acres of sweeping gardens that encompass both large spaces for entertaining and secret niches enveloped in greenery. “We designed a garden under the bridge to pull you in and draw you into this water view,” says landscape architect Kevin Campion. “It’s pretty dramatic.”

Throughout the property, the team created an outdoor aesthetic that reflects the architecture of the house. “The owners wanted a welcoming house,” says Breeding. “The gardens follow that—they’re much more informal.”

Campion agrees, “There’s a strong armature that runs along the back of the house. But then it’s adorned with naturalistic plantings.” The garden includes a pool, kitchen and dining area on the main terrace, rambling “rivers” of lawn that meander down to the creek and a sports court for the couple’s two kids.

From the house, a path of boulders leads to a secluded hot tub. Walnut Hill Landscape Company, which installed and maintains the landscape, “did a great job creating stairs that look like an outcrop—very informal and organic,” says Campion.

But nothing feels more organic than the sweeping Lord Baltimore hibiscus, switchgrass and Black-Eyed Susans that sway in the breeze along the banks of Aberdeen Creek.

Photographer Jay Stearns is based in Annapolis.

ARCHITECT: SCARLETT BREEDING, AIA, Alt Breeding Schwarz Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: KEVIN CAMPION and BOB HRUBY, principals; MEREDITH BEACH, project manager, Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: MIKE PROKOPCHAK, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland. BUILDER: BRET ANDERSON, Pyramid Builders, Annapolis, Maryland.