Better Homes And Gardens Southern Pine Hexagon Gazebo With Curtains

Overall & Waterside Paradise - Editors' Pick: Distinctive Modern Home Between Sea and Pond

The two-story coastal home features a sizeable rear patio with a fire table, swimming pool and spa that overlooks a freshwater pond. The exterior design emphasized integration with the home's surroundings and reinforcing local ecology. Invasive species were replaced with low-maintenance native plantings. Limestone terraces the color of beach sand weave past shadblow, American holly, and black cherry to reach the home's entrance above-grade. Highbush blueberry, inkberry, and groundsel shrubs were interspersed with Pennsylvania sedge and little bluestem grass groundcovers, with grace notes added by specimen bayberries.

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Overall & Waterside Paradise - Editors' Pick: Modern Coastal Home With Infinity Pool Patio

This magnificent coastal home has a swimming pool and spa on an elevated patio overlooking the pond at the rear of the property. The residence was designed with the environment in mind — to conform to the natural characteristics of the site and to reinforce the local ecology. The landscaping portion of the project involved reconstructing the dune on the ocean side and replacing exotic and invasive species with attractive native plants that would enjoy the sandy soil conditions and require little maintenance.

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Overall & Waterside Paradise - Editors' Pick: Limestone Terraces Provide Natural Approach

Square lanterns offer gentle downcast lighting to limestone terraces the color of beach sand. These steps from the above-grade entrance wind pass grasses, shrubs and small trees to ground level and the pond beyond. Except for a Japanese holly hedge by the front door, all the new plantings are natives, selected for their appropriateness to the coastal ecosystem. The use of indigenous species lends a visual authenticity to the landscape, with the practical benefit that these plants are well-adapted to the sandy soil conditions and thrive with little care.

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Overall & Waterside Paradise - Editors' Pick: Pool and Spa Overlook Freshwater Pond

Because of the dune that lies between the house and the ocean, the swimming pool and spa were located at the rear of the residence, overlooking the pond. Overflow edges transform both water features into mirrors, where the still water surface will mimic that of the pond below, creating another visual link between the residence and its setting.

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Overall & Waterside Paradise - Editors' Pick: Modern Home Is Integrated Into Its Coastal Environment

This gorgeous modern home was constructed above-grade, with vast swathes of glass providing an uninterrupted view of the stunning surrounds. Buff-colored limestone stairs provide passage from the home to ground level. As protection from future storms, the landscape design included the construction of a new dune between house and ocean, stabilized with a planting of American beach grass.

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Gorgeous Gardens - People's & Editors' Pick: A Cottage-Style Backyard Features a Large Swimming Pool, Flower-Filled Garden Beds and a Variety of Shrubbery

An expansive, cottage-style backyard garden features tiered garden beds filled with vibrant flowers and shrubs. Sitting between the stone house and the backyard garden, a large pool is surrounded by small stone pavers and patterned tile. Flagstone steps connect the pool are to the lush garden area.

Gorgeous Gardens - People's & Editors' Pick: A Manicured Backyard Features Garden Beds Filled With Bright Pink Flowers

A manicured backyard garden features lush landscaping and vibrant grass. Large garden beds feature bright pink flowers and modern landscape lighting. Surrounding the backyard, towering trees and thick foliage create ample privacy to the outdoor space. A large stone house blends perfectly into its surroundings.

Gorgeous Gardens - People's & Editors' Pick: A Cottage-Style Garden Features Flagstone Walls, a Wood Garden Gate and Vibrant Flower Beds

A lush, cottage-style garden is surrounded by tall flagstone walls that are topped with slate shingles. A wood door, with wrought iron hinges and a small window, leads into the outdoor space, giving the garden an intimate, private feel. An ornate fountain sits against one of the garden walls, creating an eye-catching feature.

Gorgeous Gardens - People's & Editors' Pick: A Backyard Garden Features Flower-Filled Garden Beds, a Large Swimming Pools and a Stone Garden House

A lush backyard garden is surrounded by ample trees and thick foliage that creates a private outdoor oasis. Manicured garden beds, filled with vibrant flowers and trimmed shrubs, create distinct areas throughout the backyard space. A large swimming pool sits in front of the large stone garden house.

Gorgeous Gardens - People's & Editors' Pick: A Lush Backyard Garden Features Tiered, Flower-Filled Garden Beds and a Large Stone Garden House

A lush backyard garden is surrounded by tall trees and lush foliage that provides ample privacy to the outdoor space. Stone steps provide access to the tiered, flower-filled garden beds. Rising at the back of the garden, a large stone garden house give the outdoor space a cottage-like feel.

Curb Appeal - People's Pick: Gravel Driveways In Front of Cape Cod Style Home

These two gravel driveways provide access to this gorgeous Cape Cod style cottage. The beautiful cottage features cedar siding and white trim, a look that has become synonymous with this style of home. The lush landscaping has beautiful grass, tall shade trees and bountiful hydrangea bushes.

Curb Appeal - People's Pick: A Cape Cod-Style Home Features a Brick Walkway, a Circle Gravel Driveway and Lush Hydrangea Bushes

A Cape Cod style home is surrounded by lush landscaping and a circular gravel driveway. Leading from the gravel driveway to the front door, a brick walkway is lined with vibrant hydrangea bushes. Sitting at the side of the home, a white garden gate leads from the front yard to the back garden.

Curb Appeal - People's Pick: Beautiful Gravel Driveway Winding to Cape Cod Style Home

This beautiful gravel driveway leads to the gorgeous Cape Cod style home in the background. Between the two is a walkway flanked by two bountiful rows of hydrangea bushes. Surrounding the driveway is lush grass on both sides and a few different shade trees in the yard.

Curb Appeal - People's Pick: Bountiful Hydrangea Bushes Surrounding Walkway

This beautiful Cape Cod style home is greeted by a quaint walkway flanked by bountiful hydrangea bushes. The impressive bushes stand tall and wide beside the walkway and give the home a grand entrance. A large shade tree adds to the home's charming and pretty aesthetic.

Curb Appeal - People's Pick: A Brick Walkway Is Surrounded By Lush Landscaping and Leads to the Backyard Though a White Picket Gate

Leading the way into the back garden, a brick walkway is lined with lush shrubs, including towering hydrangea bushes. Two white picket gates, connected with a black metal latch, are attached to stone pillars that sit on either side of the walkway. In the distance, a Cape Cod style home rises at the back of the garden.

Curb Appeal - Editors' Pick: Graceful Modern Farmhouse with Multilevel Landscaping

The graceful modern farmhouse features complementary board-and-batten siding and a standing-seam metal roof. The foundation of the home is a pretty, multitoned stone, also used on the bay window façade, in the patio columns and for the wall of the landscaping beds.

Curb Appeal - Editors' Pick: Concrete Pavers for Modern Farmhouse Walkway

The modern farmhouse's driveway is pea gravel with large concrete pavers on the central approach. Native trees, small shrubs and flowers grace the front yard's semicircular gardens and additional plantings populate raised beds at the front of the home. These beds are constructed of the same stone used on the foundation, patio and bay window façade.

Curb Appeal - Editors' Pick: Stock Tank Water Feature in Playful Outdoor Installation

Native grasses surround a fun water feature composed of three large stock tanks with fountains. This extensive outdoor remodel also includes a level lawn with perimeter plantings, a backyard patio with firepit, multilevel beds at the front of the house, a semicircular driveway and a walkway approach flanked by mulched beds with a selection of small trees, shrubs and flowers.

Curb Appeal - Editors' Pick: Board-and-Batten Siding and Standing-Seam Metal Roof on Modern Farmhouse

This beautiful modern farmhouse with board-and-batten siding has an interesting roof line with a multitude of gables. Its covered patio features exposed beams and large timber columns set in stone. Native plantings populate multilevel flower beds at the front of the home. A semicircular driveway of pea gravel provides an effortless approach.

Curb Appeal - Editors' Pick: Many-Gabled Modern Farmhouse Gets Outdoor Makeover

A beautiful modern farmhouse with white board-and-batten siding and a multi-gabled roofline gets a red-carpet approach, only of white cement pavers with symmetrical plantings in mulched beds attending. Raised beds at the front of the home add dimension to the level lot.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Pool Terrace With Valley View

This beautiful pool uses bioremediation to keep the water clean. The interconnected system includes a series of cascading water features and a bog built into the terrace by the pool. The location was specifically chosen for its enchanting valley views.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Fountain and Bog in Pool Terrace

This yard's beautiful water feature is actually a biofiltration system: A waterfall empties into a small stone trough, that then spills over into a bog. The bog uses native aquatic plants and a graded stone filtration system to treat the water, then circulates it back around.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Waterfall and Pond

Waterfalls, ponds and a trickling stream are home to aquatic life and eventually join up with a filtration bog down by the pool terrace.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Pool Terrace and House Exterior

Designers wanted the feel of this home's beautiful outdoor areas to be as though nature was reclaiming its space. Perennials pretty up the water features that connect the home and the nearby pool and patio. There are even garden pockets within the walls and terraces to reinforce the wild, rambling aesthetic.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Mediterranean Outdoor Sitting Area With Fireplace

This wonderful outdoor lounge also encompasses a covered kitchen and dining area. The fireplace is made almost entirely of reclaimed material, from the stonework to antique barn timbers and a repurposed fireplace surround.

Outdoor Oasis - People's & Editors' Pick: Pool Terrace and House Exterior

Waterside Paradise - People's Pick: Waterfront Corner Backyard With Yellow Awning

This corner backyard has the best location, right on the water with its own dock and mini boardwalk. The yard itself is another oasis with a pool, hot tub and outdoor kitchen.

Waterside Paradise - People's Pick: Multi Level Backyard With Built In Benches

Retaining walls give a sense of separation between this backyard's three main areas: an outdoor kitchen and dining room, the swimming pool and a lower-level lounge with built-in benches and a fire table.

Waterside Paradise - People's Pick: Multi Level Backyard With Louvered Pergola

A multi-level approach made this sloped backyard much easier to enjoy. An outdoor kitchen, dining area, pool and lounge are subtly separated by retaining walls. The top patio is shaded by a louvered pergola that can open and close as the weather requires.

Waterside Paradise - People's Pick: Waterfront Patio With Pergola

Pergolas shade this backyard's upper-most patio, made even more lounge-like with chic indoor touches like a rug and plush seating. The yard's terracing means nothing gets in the way of the waterfront scenery.

Waterside Paradise - People's Pick: Waterfront Swimming Pool and Palm Trees

Take a dip and take in the view; this waterfront swimming pool has the best of all worlds. And a hot tub sits on the far side of the patio.