This latest project is all about illusion—elegance, opulence, and the feeling of spaciousness, all within an average-sized suburban yard. My client came to me with a clear vision: she wanted her landscape to look like part of a much larger estate, with no visible fence lines and no trace of typical yard edges. I knew this would be a transformation rooted in both structure and softness.
The first step was removing the plastic edging that defined the previous beds—it had the opposite effect of what we were going for. In its place, we’ve redefined the space by pulling large evergreens toward the foreground. By strategically reducing the perceived size of the yard, we’re making room for layered trees and shrubs that will build vertical interest and lush enclosure.
A winding flagstone path now leads guests on a curated journey through the garden, drawing the eye away from property lines and toward sweeping greenery. To achieve that elegant “estate garden” look, we’ve added stately evergreens like Dark Blue Angel Cedar Deodora, Columnar Norway Spruce, and the graceful Weeping Serbian Spruce, alongside existing Arborvitae, now thoughtfully relocated for balance.
Rich, black mulch provides dramatic contrast and polish—an underrated trick to add depth and definition. We’ve filled the space between trees with dense shrubs, Sky Pencil Holly, and sweeping mounds of white-blooming perennials and hydrangeas for softness and light.
One special moment is the hydrangea garden at the back of the house. There, we’ve created a border of white hydrangeas, underplanted with Carpet Roses, and anchored with a Frosted Juniper in high graft form to give it vertical lift and a little silvery magic.
The finishing touches include textural groundcovers and low growers like Snow in Summer, Blue Chip Juniper, and Buffalo Juniper, woven between dwarf evergreens like Slowmound Mugos and complemented by soft color from Salvia ‘May Night’ and Plum Sparkler Sedum. While we’re technically reducing lawn space, the result is a garden that feels bigger, more immersive, and beautifully timeless.
Plantings Include:
Cedar Deodora Dark Blue Angel (Cedrus deodara ‘Dark Blue Angel’), Columnar Norway Spruce (Picea abies ‘Columnar’), Austrian Pine (Pinus nigra), Weeping Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika ‘Pendula’), Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies), Baby Blue Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Baby Blue’), Sky Pencil Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’), Frosted Juniper High Graft (Juniperus x media ‘Daub’s Frosted’), Snow in Summer (Cerastium tomentosum), Buffalo Juniper (Juniperus sabina ‘Buffalo’), Carpet Roses (Rosa ‘Flower Carpet’), Blue Chip Juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Blue Chip’), Salvia May Night (Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’), Dwarf Mugo Pine Slowmound (Pinus mugo ‘Slowmound’), and Plum Sparkler Sedum (Sedum ‘Plum Sparkler’).
