A custom wooden gate and trellis offer a decorative threshold to the kitchen garden’s bluestone raised beds.
For a pair of busy professionals eyeing retirement, a five-acre former horse field on a hilltop in Fairfax County provided the ideal opportunity. Starting with the curved gravel drive, landscape architect Joseph Richardson brought a rustic formality to the property.
On the front hillside, an orchard bears fruit and nut trees, while the side kitchen garden has over 200 square feet of raised beds for vegetables with a border of pollinators and herbs.
Behind the new house sits a reflecting pool with a fountain and a patio planted with boxwood and ferns enclosed by a stone wall that steps up to the lawn terrace. Beyond, an outdoor pavilion with a fireplace is set among a native array of grasses and flowering shrubs, blending into the bordering woodlands.
Architecture: Thomson & Cooke Architects. Interior Design: Melissa Colgan Interiors. Builder: Thorsen Construction. Landscape Architecture: Joseph Richardson, PLA, ASLA, principal, Richardson & Associates. Landscape Contractor: Lucas & Clark Grounds Company.