Start dreaming of lazy summer days in a lounger with inspiration from these three dramatic landscape designs.
Contempo Cabana
There is something incredibly appealing about the graphic pattern created by the combination of materials that went into this dramatic backyard escape. This is a garden that appeals to those who love symmetry in design, the contrast of light and dark; order is found in the juxtaposition of soft grass against hard concrete and stone.
When Ian McClelland and Associates Ltd. created this design, they were tasked with combining the homeowner's love of contemporary design, and appreciation for traditional architecture.
Set against their custom home, the simplicity of design is reinforced by good proportions, and contrasting materials.
The “living room” of the landscape design incorporates comfortable soft furnishings surrounding a wood-burning fireplace. The stonework around the fireplace and rug create texture and dimension.
Leading out to the pool, poured concrete and artificial grass (did you think it was perfectly planted?) create an element of drama.
Ian McClelland Associates Ltd. is a boutique landscape firm that has specialized in the design and construction of residential properties since 1994.
Indigo Oasis
This backyard oasis by Cedar Springs Landscape Group may be bright and cheerful under the sunshine with its pops of red upholstery and putting green, but it truly shines under the stars when the expert lighting design and richly hued pool light up the night.
At the far end of the garden, an outdoor room beckons with cozy seating and a contemporary fireplace set into a textured stone wall. Above the fireplace a large television to catch the game, between rounds on the putting green just beyond. Tucked to one side and overlooking the pool, a hot tub.
The showstopper of course: the pool. The deep blue depths are an inviting scene during the day, but become a dramatic focal point when the sun sets and custom landscape lights dance on the surface.
Cedar Springs, located in Oakville, has been creating natural beauty in Southern Ontario neighbourhoods for more than 25 years.
Timeless Trad
Down the stone stairs and into this garden, a combination of natural flagstone and pavers were used by Gelderman Landscape Services to create an expansive pattern, opening up a large space for flexible entertaining. Definition was created with natural flagstone garden walls, and a wrought iron fence.
An outdoor room was created with the addition of a cedar pavilion, made cozy with a natural stone fireplace, open on two sides: the seating area on one side and the hot tub on the other.
Beyond the lounging and dining areas, gardens were enhanced with sweeping natural stone steps, cascaded with soft evening lighting that twinkles at dusk. Uplighting on key plantings and garden elements enhance the landscape design in the evening.
Gelderman Landscape Services has been providing landscape services for more than half a century. Company founder, Jan Gelderman, a Dutch immigrant, founded the company in 1955 with just $7.14 worth of tools and a 1948 Jeep Willy.