One of the first priorities of creating a residential landscape is establishing a border between the property and the outside world. This can be implied with a subtle shift in vegetation and coloration, or can be a deliberate barrier, sharply delineating the boundaries of the residence with dense foliage and stone fencing.

Many tropical landscapes entertain a vanishing boundary that opens up to rolling lawns and sandy beaches. The separation between public easement and private sanctuary is erased in favor of a communal parkstead. The other end of the spectrum is the manoral enclosure, which conceals the inner sanctum. Rows of brick and iron spikes invite the casual visitor to leave at once. Discerning the personal taste of the owner, and where on the privacy scale they reside, involves a variety of factors including age, wealth, and locality.

This site plan for the Duxbury residence shows how the Landscape Architect has planned a variety of growth in order to make the most of the changing sun exposure throughout the day as well as throughout the season.

Special care must be paid to the type of vegetation that is used in a residential landscape. What looks the best and grows the best is not always the wisest choice. Landscape Architects must be concerned with issues such as allergies; not only allergies to the plants as such, but to the bugs that the plants attract. A rose garden, for example, might be inappropriate for a homeowner who is allergic to bee stings. Furthermore, a home with young children or pets should never have plants that are poisonous when eaten.

The Landscape Architect must also consider whether the property will be owner occupied or a rental. Although an owner occupied home can expect a certain amount of regular maintenance, a rental property may go without any attention for months or even years.

These are just a few of the considerations that go into creating a modern residential landscape. One of the designers who has mastered this form is Mary Smith Associates of Quincy, Massachusetts.

Mary Smith Associates

Duxbury, Massachusetts

A beautiful seating arrangement at the arrival court to this Weston, Massachusetts residence is framed by granite walls and pink azaleas. Tulips and yellow azaleas bloom early in the season. Later, iris and daylilies will remain carefree all for a cool and serene landscape.

The new landscape is thoroughly private but still contains an expansiveness that can only be possible with a change of levels and an emphasis on pleasing vistas within. Views from the upper patios to the pool level are framed by Daphne and Slender Deutzia. The kitchen door is set off by fragrant plants including herbs and butterfly bush. Ornamental grasses drape casually over the rought stone walls and the grey stained fences and arbors wrap around two carefully connected patios--one for entertaining and one as a more private setting.

Weston, Massachusetts

The extensive plantings include drifts of birch and evergreens along the drive and over the hillsides, with groups of flowering trees and masses of summer flowering perrenials nearer the house. A large entry court is surrounded with azaleas and magnolia. Furnished with wood benches and an armillary sundial, it is an elegant place to greet guests or to relax in the late afternoon sun. The parking court will accommodate up to ten cars and is constructed of concrete pavers that match the granite used on the walks and patios. A long curved metal railing circles the rear two-level patio, providing a delicate frame for the view to the greens beyond.

Quincy, Massachusetts

This stone footpath wraps lazily around arcs of fountain grass and Japanese Maple, catapulting the viewer on a trajectory beyond the property boundary into a wilderness fantasia.

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

The driveway and circular front walk flow to the main entrance of the home. Alterations were designed for the existing deck to make it a porch. The porch stairs lead down gracefully to a bluestone patio which is encircled by an evergreen hedge enclosing a garden of flowering shrubs, trees, and perennials. Within the garden, is a semicircular fountain that provides a lovely view from the dining room.

East Dennis, Massachusetts

The traditional New England columns and balustrades familiar in much of Cape Cod's architecture have been duplicated in the surrounding fences and cobble-lined drives to this East Dennis residence.

Simple stone walls, stairs and rolling lawns lead the eye from the upper patio to a grand view of Cape Cod Bay and the Provincetown Tower. An apple orchard is used as a transition space between the carriage house service area and the pool -- with a winding path leading through it to the pool's guest entrance.

The site was extensively regraded and the residence set perfectly into position, achieving a sense of presence, as if it had always been there. We turned the footprint slightly to the East to take advantage of the sunrise for the rooms on the waterside.

Boston, Massachusetts

Plantings include groundcovers, flowering azaleas and a variety of green and white miniature perennials. Small sculptures and unusual objects are tucked carefully into the garden to add a personal touch. Combined with colorful summer annuals and bulbs, the courtyard is an ever changing private world. LASN