Plant Life Designs won a silver award for transforming this shady backyard into a meditative oasis. New landscaping centers around a timeless labyrinth built from cobblestones and limestone bricks. Photographer: Plant Life Designs
Garden Design, Landscape, Hardscape
Pathways of Petals
Gold: Jenny Gardens LLC
When landscape designer Jenny McCoy began working on her home garden in 2011, she decided to forgo chemicals and add more native plants each year. The garden forms a path from the bottom of the stairway where it was first started and up toward the home itself, colorfully leading visitors to the front door and adding curb appeal for the entire neighborhood to enjoy. Irises and peonies take center stage in the spring, before poppies, yarrow and phlox bring brilliant reds, yellows and pinks throughout the summer. Photographer: Jenny Gardens LLC
Silver: Plant Life Designs
Bronze: Prairie Provencal Home
Deck, Patio, Porch, Pool
Everyday Escapes
Gold: Conversation Gardens
These homeowners dreamed of turning their backyard into a place that feels like a vacation. In order to create that resort feeling, each corner of the yard offers a cozy space for family and friends to gather. An outdoor living room and full dining space lead to the shaded pool at the center of the design, with ample space for sharing family meals or watching movies on cool summer nights. Low maintenance trees offer privacy and greenery, and a poolside basketball hoop and oversized checkerboard are perfect for entertaining. “This project created opportunities for this young family to connect in new ways right there in their backyard vacation oasis,” said Lynn Kuhn, who owns Conversation Gardens. Photographer: Invictus Media
Silver: Stone Cross Lawn and Landscape
Bronze (tie): Design2Build, MainBuilt
Exterior Home Makeover
From Tudor to Ta-Da!
Gold: Crose & Lemke Construction
The Tudor-style trim crisscrossing the soft yellow exteriors on this home were removed in favor of fresh white paneling that complements the black shingle roof. The designers added a wood-burning fireplace and infrared heating so the homeowners can enjoy the space well into the winter. The exposed firewood storage in the hearth draws the eye upward to the high covered roof, and a custom metal planter stylishly separates the space from the rest of the yard. The rust-colored columns on the front and back porches give the entire remodel a cohesive look. Photographer: Paul Gates Photography
Silver: Hal Davis
