Five feet in width, the front walk is constructed on a reinforced concrete slab and paved with random rectangle Bluestone which matches the swimming pool apron at the rear of the house. Eight-inch bluestone borders dress the edges of the front walk, while bermed perennial beds lend symmetrical color. Highlights of the greenhouse terrace include pre-cut Pennsylvania Bluestone paving, unique wrought iron and teak seating forged into outer railings. This distinctive, private estate encompassing 4.3 acres of prime residential property is located in the Buckhead section of Northwest Atlanta, Georgia. It features a varied terrain- ranging from a flat, sunny frontage to a vast sweep of heavily wooded hill and valley. Rich and fertile soil conditions, enhanced by generations of leaf fall, a predominance of shade and abundant annual rainfall enabled award-winning Post Landscape Services, Inc. to design and build a lush and peaceful sanctuary of natural beauty for their clients. Creating a secure, yet warmly welcoming environment in which the owners could alternately entertain guests and retreat into peaceful seclusion was the goal of the landscape design team. Blending a variety of design elements into a harmonious, balanced relationship, this project features custom bluestone walkways, wrought iron gates and arbors, expansive Koi ponds, tumbling streams and a man-made lake, all in addition to an extensive plant palette. The result is an interplay of lush forests and colorful gardens. In developing the conceptual master plan, Landscape Architects Bill Lincicome, Tyson Boutcher and Greg Arnold addressed a number of major problems. Hardscape details as the planting design were continuously modified a construction progressed. Strategic plantings and a low, border to-border wall front the property. The wall rises to full height at the corners with pedestrian and auto security gates; this helps frame the residence, providing a feeling of security without fortification. Secondly, the need to maximize- not force- the rear yard's potential led to careful placement of major design features in order to blend with the existing topography and preserve the lush tree canopy. The frontal view of the residence suggests elegance without ostentation. Tulip beds accent a low-rise masonry wall, while at the immediate rear of the home, a serpentine walkway leads through bermed shrub beds and stately pines. Hand-forged iron fencing and gates adorn the wall structure at the entrance and other key locations. At the immediate rear of the home, a bluestone patio borders the formal swimming pool, leading to twin sets of spiraling stairways which descend to three separate lawn terraces. These multiple landings afford access to the formal lawn and garden area, providing an ideal setting for outdoor entertainment functions. At this point, the surrounding acreage assumes the look of a "refined" forest, a peaceful sanctuary abounding in natural beauty. Pathways lead through valleys of detailed ground layer plantings, shaded by mature evergreens and hardwoods. Plantings effectively create outdoor rooms, screen adjacent property and add depth and overall appeal. Post Landscape floriculturalists Carol Hooks and Maria White "iced the cake" with their extensive perennial plant palette. Perennial combinations were carefully selected to blend with shrub groupings, creating a balanced planting scheme. Ascending the hill to the rear of the property is a multi-tiered grouping of Koi ponds. Below the ponds, a cascading stream begins its fall to the 1/3-acre lake. At the headwaters of this stream, a major cross axis reveals a stately Grecian pavilion at the upper rear of the property. A long, wrought iron trellis is entwined with Evergreen Clematis. This path begins the downhill journey to the lake, where, at the water's edge, stands an eight-sided addonstone gazebo made of cedar and Mountain Laurel. On the opposite shore, a formal seating area borders a set of masonry steps descending, Venetian style, into the water. Finally, coming full-circle back to the residence, an elaborate greenhouse and entertainment terrace dominate the view. French doors, wrought iron furnishings, custom pots and planters, and lush perimeter plantings impart casual elegance to the entertainment environment of the greenhouse. From these upper reaches, a quick glance reveals the dramatic landscape in its entirety-- perhaps one of the most extensive and striking of any home in America. Touches of mystery and intrigue prompt visitor exploration in this secure, yet warmly welcoming environment. Both in concept and execution, the project utilizes a myriad of products and processes available to the profession in a harmoniously balanced relationship. Honored for their intricate design and successful construction by Associated Landscape Contractors of America, the Georgia Green Industry Association, and the Metro Atlanta Lawn and Turf Association, Post Landscape Services has created a distinctive paradise for their client. THE KOI POND AND CASCADES, CONSTRUCTED BY ALLGOOD OUTDOORS, UTILIZE RANDOMLY PLACED BOULDERS AND NATIVE, SHADE LOVING BORDER PLANTS FOR A NATURAL LOOK. UPON COMPLETION, A ROTTED LOG ADDS "INSTANT AGE" AN ELABORATE FILTRATION SYSTEM, DESIGNED BY WET PETS, INC., UTILIZES A VEGETATIVE POND EOR WATER CLARITY. THE KOI PONDS ARE CONTINUOUSLY REPLENISHED WITH WELL WATER. A MAN-MADE POND AND RUSTIC GAZEBO ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY CREATE A WILD BIRD SANCTUARY. THE AREA'S OPENNESS ACCOMMODATES NUMEROUS SUN-LOVING PLANTS. THE POND PERIMETER PLANTING FEATURES A LARGE COLLECTION OF PERENNIALS MIXED WITH SHRUBS AND ACCENT TREES; GOLDEN WEEPING WILLOW, JAPANESE MAPLE VARIETIES AND UNDERSTORY FLOWERING TREES SUCH AS REDBUD AND DOGWOOD ARE SELECTIVELY USED ALONG THE POND'S EDGE. YEAR-ROUND INTEREST IS ESTABLISHED WITH FLOWERING PERENNIALS AND GRASSES. Above: Tulip beds and a low-rise wall fronting the property provide dramatic framing, defining the scale and boundary while imparting a feeling of warmth and openness. Foundation plantings include: American Boxwood, Nellie R. Stevens Holly and mondo grass. Other front plantings include Fashion and Gumpo Axaleas, tree form Camellia Sasanqua, Mutabilis Rose, Sugar Maple, Yoshino Cherry and Flowering Dogwood. Specimen Japanese Maples are used in key areas to accent architectural elements. Photos by Carol Christensen, provided courtesy of Post Landscape Services A low wall frames the home frontage for a stronger curb presence; it rises at corners to embrace forged iron gates by Glenn Gilmore, suggesting security without fortification. The wall is crafted with a concrete block core, veneered with random thickness Gray Crab Orchard Strip Rubble Stone, and capped with a custom profile cast stone in a limestone finish.