Summer warmth brings on the urge to go outside and bask in a backyard oasis framed by flora and fauna. Whether you're in steamy Florida or cooler Vancouver, these lushly landscaped properties are as luxurious outside as they are in.
Alan Titchmarsh, the host of the popular British lifestyle gardening show Love Your Garden, calls gardening, "apart from having children, the most rewarding thing in life."
If that's true, then these homes have reaped a huge reward.
Atlanta's Secret Garden
Imagine having your own private garden retreat minutes away from all that Buckhead has to offer. If this walled peace garden isn't enough to stir the spirit, this Cates Ridge property has over 8 usable acres--including a terraced stone path that leads to a waterfall emptying into a lake.
What could have just been an outdoor shower area, has become an old world-inspired reflecting pond and meditation space in the hands of a capable landscaper. The green grass is kept just long enough to curl around the edges of the natural stepping stones. Creeping ivy grows along the red brick retaining wall, while in the foreground a large potted fern keeps everything in balance. The stone bench is angled smartly to catch the calming trickle of water off of a rock into the gently bending pond below.
Secluded garden nooks don't usually appear on properties sporting full gyms, a Fox theater, and a massive pool, but that's what makes this spot such a charmer. Property listing by Debra Johnston.
Vancouver's All Decked Out Dining Space
Canada's real estate queen Sidra Subzwari lists some magnificent properties, but what makes this home special is the very attractive angular deck.
When a deck is not built with a designer's vision--it can be an eyesore but done correctly, a deck can be both comfortable and attractive.
This South Surrey home's deck spills into the yard like a smooth wooden landing pad. Tables and chairs outline various seating and entertainment options, from dinner under the stars to snuggling beside a warm fire. Potted perennials frame the edges in a much more pleasing and fragrant way than any railing would.
A small step up leads to French doors and the living area of the house, while one step down transitions into a stone walkway meandering into a verdant green yard.
Old Florida Charm
Few features feel more "old Florida" than the smell of seawater, tall palm trees, and white wicker rockers on wide porches. This Shell Point estate in Ruskin has all of that Floridian flavor in spades.
The grand white-washed collonades contrast pleasingly with the sun-drenched light green of the tropical plants and blue waters of Tampa Bay.
When this historic manor was originally built, its bones had to be ferried by barge across the bay and assembled using early 1900's methods. The old steeple still stands proudly above the mature trees on a lot that also features a lagoon and waterfall.
Houses like this come with their own stories, whispered in the crux of those tranquil twisting palms.
Offered by Jennifer Zales.
A Palace Garden Comes To Carmel, California
In the 17th Century, gardens in France were symbols of status. Members of the bourgeoisie class under Louis XIV used landscaping as a means of showing the world their wealth.
Offered by Carmel Realty Company, this established garden overlooking the ocean and surrounding a grand home off Mentone Road has something inspired by those formal gardens of royal Europe.
Solid stone steps and chiseled railings jutting out from behind stout hedges. A long swath of grass is cross-cut by pattern-laid stepping stones shadowed by landscaped beds cut into the naturally sloping earth.
Green, gray, and brown are the dominant hues here. The overall effect is a kingly garden--mature and refined. A manicured space carved from the wild overgrowth that plunges down the steep cliffs into the ocean below.
Home gardens can be precise or rough around the edges, contemporary or inspired by history. Their prestige is in their offerings: protection, privacy, rejuvenation, focus, and fresh air.
