Talk about starting from scratch! I love seeing that bare earth square as if it were a canvas to paint your garden on! :)

The terraced garden is great. I'll have to have a look at their other stuff. Our lot is one big slope and I'm currently beating my head against a (retaining) wall trying to figure it out.

Gorgeous. Totally remind me of the garden in the movie "The Kids are All Right"

*Reminds

Love these!

That's a pretty awesome transition.

I wish there was something like Paxton Gate in L.A., or maybe there is and I just don't know, but all the "design" services I've seen here are pretty half-assed and not really as polished nor as (seemingly) involved and thoughtful as this design by Paxton Gate.

nice but not my cup of tea. i like my gardens like i like my men - wild, natural and not looking too 'done' .

I hope this trend of un-greening gardens stops soon. Years old trees and plants are being removed because the modern idea of a garden is basically a wood or stone terrace. I also prefer wild gardens and lots of green, especially in the cities.

this helps encourage us to keep plugging away in our little yard.

I agree with mcqueendom...too structured for my taste. Don't like it at all.

Such lovely outdoor spaces.

What is the difference between a back yard and a garden? I always thought that gardens were for growing veggies. Now, people seem to use it to describe anything that has landscaping of any kind.

They seem a little stark. I like to see one when after the plants have filled in a bit, but I still think the raw concrete retaining walls and pebble beds seem a little cold. I prefer overblown peonies and old brick.

These don't look like gardens: they much more look like "landscapes". And I don't like them.

P.S. I liked the last before better than its finished product.

The only ones I like are #1 & 4. They have more warm colors and just feel more natural. I don't like the cold, drab, grey concrete in most of them. The 5th one is kind of sad to me that they ripped out that huge plant and made it way less private and inviting. I think they could have trimmed the overgrowth a bit and pushed that dining area closer and not have so much wasted space for the useless step stones and that weird sitting area.

I just wonder about kids or pets being able to play in these type of stone yards. That's why my favorite is #4, there's at least a little grassy area but it's also got those beautiful steps and rocks.

I'm in the "looks like an office park" camp. I love Paxton Gate, though, and I find this style of landscaping at odds with the stuff they sell in their store.

I love all of them! I did major reno in backyard. In retrospect, perhaps I should have gone with concrete retaining walls in lieu of timber.

Ugh, these do look like office parks. No. 2 had such potential to be a lovely oasis.