> FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE, INC.—A Lush Oasis for Residential Maintenance.

HERITAGE AWARDS

> KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.—Hardesty Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

PINEHURST LANDSCAPE COMPANY—Blythewood Residence for Outdoor Living Area.

GRAND AWARDS

> COLAO & PETER, LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING—A Modern Twist on a Middleburg Historic Home for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Oakton Oasis Backyard Renovation for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

> GROW LANDSCAPES—Great Falls Retreat for Outdoor Living Area.

> JENNIFER CONNOLEY LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Fabulous Farmhouse, Full Property Landscape Design for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Urban Oasis, Outdoor Entertaining Area, Landscape and Hardscape for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—Dunkirk Residence for Residential Maintenance; Easton Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Great Falls Property for Total Residential Contracting; Great Falls Residence for Outdoor Living Area; McLean Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Mill Creek Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Riverview for Total Residential Contracting; Seneca Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Walker Road Residence for Residential Maintenance.

PINEHURST LANDSCAPE COMPANY—Millero Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING INC.—Baltimore Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Owings Mills Residence for Residential Maintenance.

> SISSON LANDSCAPES—A Formal Great Falls Landscape for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

SURROUNDS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION—Fox Creek Farm for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

DISTINCTION AWARDS

> COLAO & PETER, LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING—Lodge-Style Sanctuary for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

D.A. DUNLEVY—Luxurious Pavilion for Complete Outdoor Living for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> ED BALL LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE—Transformative Outdoor Living Design for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

J&G LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Country Living in Clarksville for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Historic Home in DC for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

> KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.—Duncan Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES—Pollard Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—A Pasadena Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Bozman Residence for Residential Maintenance; Edgewater Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Glen Mill Residence for Outdoor Living Area; St. Michaels Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING INC.—Alexandria Residence for Residential Maintenance; Great Falls Residence for Total Residential Contracting; McLean Residence for Total Residential Contracting. 

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE—Foxhall Village Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Wilson Lane Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> SISSON LANDSCAPES—The Hidden Monk’s Garden in the District for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

> WHEAT’S LAWN AND CUSTOM LANDSCAPE—A Private Residence in Chevy Chase, Maryland, for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS 

J&G LANDSCAPE DESIGN—Waterfront Residence in Annapolis for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

> JENNIFER HORN LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE—Falls Church Hybrid for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES—Olek Residence for Craftsmanship; Silcott Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).>

> McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.—Bethesda Residence for Residential Maintenance. 

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE—Woodland Falls Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

TIMELESS RETREAT
Long-lived plantings lend depth and beauty to a Bethesda garden
read more

SAVVY SOLUTION
D.A. Dunlevy turns a challenging lot into an inviting, private retreat
read more

PLAY SCAPE
Surrounds, Inc., designs the ultimate retreat for fun and relaxation
read more

WORK OF ART
Shorb Landscaping maintains an elegant garden with an eye to ornamentation
read more

The Excellence in Landscape Awards

DECADE AWARDS
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.—Swinks Mill
 Residence for Outdoor Living Area—Vienna Residence for Residential Maintenance—Bodkin Point Residence for Residential Maintenance—A Bethesda Residence for Residential Maintenance

HERITAGE AWARDS
D.A. Dunlevy—Historic Kensington Residence for
 Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build
Pinehurst Landscape Company—Historic Guilford Renovation for Total Residential Contracting

GRAND AWARDS
Chapel Valley Landscape Company—Private 
Residence in Fairfax, Virginia, for Outdoor Living Area
D.A. Dunlevy—Georgetown Secret Garden for Outdoor
 Living Area/Design-Build
Lehnhoff’s Landscaping—Phoenix Residence 
for Outdoor Living Area
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.—A Broomes Island Residence for Total Residential Contracting
Planted Earth Landscaping Incorporated—A McLean Residence for Residential Maintenance—A Baltimore County Residence for Total 
Residential Contracting
Surrounds, Inc.—Munsun Place for Total 
Residential Contracting/Design-Build

DISTINCTION AWARDS
Maxalea—Bass Residence for 
Craftsmanship/Design-Build—Reitberger Residence for Total Residential
 Contracting/Design-Build
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.—Alexandria Residence for Outdoor Living Area—Potomac Residence for Total Residential Contracting—Hunting Cross Residence for Residential Maintenance—Centreville Residence for Outdoor Living Area—Great Falls Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway 
—Crest Lane Residence for Total Residential Contracting—McLean Residence for Outdoor Living Area—Crest Lane Residence for Total Residential Contracting—A Bannockburn Residence for Residential Maintenance
Pinehurst Landscape Company—Lutherville 
Backyard Sanctuary for Outdoor Living Area
River’s Edge Landscapes—Stavish Project for Total Residential Contracting/Design-Build
Rossen Landscape —Modern Marvel Outdoor Gallery 
for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build
Shorb Landscaping—A Residence in Bethesda
 for Residential Maintenance
Surrounds, Inc.—Backyard Playground and Hangout for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build
—Towlston for Total Residential 
Contracting/Design-Build

Best in Show - HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS

Great American Landscapes—Turkey Run Estate for Residential Maintenance/Design-Build
Kane Landscapes—McVey Residence for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build
Lehnhoff’s Landscaping—Fallston Property for Craftsmanship/Design-Build—Cockeysville Residence for Craftsmanship/Design-Build—Pocket Garden for Outdoor Living Area
Maxalea—Bass Residence for Outdoor 
Living Area/Design-Build—Bass Residence for Total Residential 
Contracting/Design-Build
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.—Edgewater Residence for Outdoor Living Area—Calvert County Residence for Front Residential Planting 
 and Entranceway—A Twin Shields Residence for Outdoor Living Area
Planted Earth Landscaping Incorporated—Spring Valley Residence for Total 
Residential Contracting
Rossen Landscape—McLean Sophisticated Entertainment for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build
River’s Edge Landscapes —Ornamental Production Garden for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build

It takes labor-intensive pruning, clipping, clearing and clean-up to ensure that the finest shrubbery and perennials achieve their natural form and lend the seasoned garden a grace and depth uncommon in the new.

A Bethesda family has overseen just such a garden for more than three decades, tended most recently by McHale Landscape Design, which won a 2020 Decade award for maintenance. A specimen wisteria has conquered a porch, while ivy and espaliered pyracantha completely hide stone walls.

“It’s a reserved garden,” says Matt Morris of McHale, who has been steward of the property for close to 15 years, working with the owners’ gardener. Morris defines the secret of maintenance as “advising what to do and more likely what not to do.”

The front yard is a classic: dogwood, azalea, rhododendron and boxwood framing a turf lawn. “Mind you, we have some deer issues that curtail what can be done,” Morris admits.

In back, the terrain is terraced, with a swimming pool slipped into a long, narrow slot at the bottom of the yard, beneath a willow. A koi pond lush with aquatic plants burbles beside a patio. Designed by McHale’s Phil Kelly, it was renovated by Morris and crew a few years ago.
“There’s not a lot of air flow,” Morris notes. “The main challenge is always water. Mother Nature just won’t stop raining on you.”

Timeless Retreat - Award: Decade for Residential Maintenance. Landscape Maintenance: Matt Morris, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

The client had mandated a pool on a level side lot, but Dunlevy saw opportunities in the slope: With courageous use of cut-and-fill excavation, he addressed runoff—and was able to add an understated pool and plantings worthy of a Heritage award. “Now the client has an asset rather than a liability,” he observes.

The slope dipped 30 inches to the property line. By constructing a 36-inch-tall retaining wall at the boundary and filling it tightly with excavated soil, Dunlevy gained the right elevation for the rectangular pool with space for a spa that spills into it and a circular stone fire pit. Arborvitae and cryptomeria provide privacy. A historic wood-frame garage at one end of the pool dictated the design of an attached outdoor changing area while providing space for equipment.

The pool is bounded by a thermal Pennsylvania flagstone terrace to match an existing upper patio. A meandering path is enlivened with camellia and a Japanese maple. Out of sight but not out of mind is a large dry well topped with a bed of river stones, which manages runoff to adjacent properties. Says Dunlevy, “I always try to be as neighborly as possible. It costs a little more, but it will pay off in the end.” And that flat side lot? It became a baseball diamond.

Savvy Solution - Award: Heritage for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build. Landscape Architecture & Maintenance: Blake Dunlevy, D.A. Dunlevy, Poolesville, Maryland. Photography: Mason Summers.

Dozens of truckloads of dirt were hauled away to transform a barren slope into a landscape designed for outdoor living and recreation.

The finished property, which won a Distinction award, is now terraced to fit a mountain of boulders; they rise six feet from the edge of a pool and serve as a retaining wall supporting holly and arborvitae. The pile of Tennessee stone doubles as a waterfall and jumping-off point for three kids. A 12-foot-wide spillway stone weighs in at three tons.

“It was pretty easy to install. The rest of the rock was in place,” says Cohen, adding that when the monster stone arrived, “the crane just lifted it up there.”

Cohen designed the pool 10 feet deep to ensure safety for adventurous water nymphs. (A lifeguard’s chair is stationed nearby.) Occupying the lower yard, a synthetic turf sports court hosts basketball and soccer games; when school facilities weren’t available during coronavirus restrictions, the team practiced on the home field.

Surrounds enhanced the existing patio, outdoor kitchen and fire pit with new lighting. Plantings include Arkansas blue star, St. John’s Wort and a mix of ornamental grasses. Pennsylvania bluestone steps lead to the sports court, which is screened from the pool by native grasses. Hanover Appian random pavers around the pool nicely complement those great big boulders from Tennessee.

Play Scape - Award: Distinction for Outdoor Living Area/Design-Build. Landscape Architecture & Installation: Howard Cohen, PLA, Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, Virginia. Photography: Judy Davis.

With an acre and mature trees already framing the property, a landscape designer can easily fashion distinct garden rooms. And if the owners happen to be collectors, those “rooms” may showcase art amid ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, grasses and perennials—all of which make maintenance essential.

On a Zen-calm Bethesda property, owners first created an Asian-inspired garden. Years later, they commissioned architect Robert M. Gurney, FAIA, to add a pool pavilion. Landscape architect Thomas Rainer, then with Rhodeside & Harwell, unified the landscape using ebullient masses of hydrangea anchored by globes of boxwood, with windblown grasses, ferns and perennials to soften the hardscape—and to set off garden sculptures such as a lettered figure by Jaume Plensa.

“There’s a matrix of reliable plants,” Rainer explains. “Most of the plant palette is ‘blowsy;’ the big thing is the looseness. Plants grow to their full height and volume.”

The task of pruning this paradise has fallen to Shorb Landscaping, a winner of this year’s Distinction award for residential maintenance. “The complexity can offer its challenges at times,” admits Ted Pleiman of Shorb, who sends a three-person team weekly to tame drifts of astilbe, coral bells, hakone grass, hosta, allium and daylily. That’s what it takes “to keep everything looking natural.”

Work of Art - Award: Distinction for Residential Maintenance. Landscape Architecture: Thomas Rainer, PLA, Phyto Studio LLC, Arlington, Virginia. Landscape Maintenance: Ted Pleiman, Shorb Landscaping, Kensington, Maryland. Photography: Melissa Clark.

Features on four winning projects follow; all 2019 residential winners are listed below.

Modern Classic

A McLean residence gains curb appeal and functional elegance

Read More

Subtle Renewal

Prized plants and vintage materials fuel a Great Falls makeover

Read More

Play Station

A backyard redo in Northern Virginia adds resort-worthy amenities

Read More

Sky High

A Shenandoah retreat gains a pool scape as dramatic as its hilltop views

Read More

DECADE AWARDS

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.
Swinks Mill Residence for Total Residential Contracting; A Bethesda Property for Total Residential Contracting; Easton Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Primavera Estate for Total Residential Contracting.

DISTINCTION AWARDS

FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE, INC.
Mansfield Residence for Residential Maintenance; Shapiro Residence for Residential Maintenance.

WHEAT'S LANDSCAPE DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION
Glenbrook Road Family Retreat for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.
Odeh Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

LAND & WATER DESIGN
Virginia Resort Style Living for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.
A Reserve Residence for Total Residential Contracting); Oak Hill Residence for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Southern Maryland Residence for Craftsmanship; Alexandria Residence for Craftsmanship; Old Town Residence for Craftsmanship.

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE
The Anderson Residence for Outdoor Living Area.

GRAND AWARDS

COLAO & PETER LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING
Shenandoah Retreat for Craftsmanship; Modern Farmhouse for Craftsmanship; Great Falls Modern for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE, INC.
Pino Residence for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Dahut Residence for Residential Maintenance; Heller Residence for Residential Maintenance; Potomac Entrance for Front ResidentialPlanting & Entranceway; Bethesda Modern Garden for Total Residential Contracting.

LAND & WATER DESIGN
Running Brooke Contemporary Water Feature for Outdoor Living Area.

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC.
Great Falls Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Arlington Residence for Craftsmanship; Hunting Crest Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Spring Hill Residence for Craftsmanship.

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING, INC.
Leesburg Residence for Residential Maintenance; Chesterfield Residence for Total Residential Contracting; NW DC Residence for Residential Maintenance; NW Residence for Residential Maintenance.

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE
The Altman Residence for Residential Maintenance.

SURROUNDS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & CONSTRUCTION
Ingleside for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Bress Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Residence at Bradmoor for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Admirals Hill for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Residence at Meadow Lane for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Stout Residence Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

HONORABLE MENTION AWARDS

COLAO & PETER LUXURY OUTDOOR LIVING
Annapolis Wooded Oasis for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE, INC.
Astrove Residence for Residential Maintenance; Glazer Residence for Residential Maintenance; Madigan Residence for Residential Maintenance; Green Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Siegel Residence for Residential Maintenance.

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES
Clarksville Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

MICHAEL NASH DESIGN, BUILD& HOMES
Residential Exterior (Broome) for Outdoor Living Area.

ROSSEN LANDSCAPE
The Lach Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

To construct a six-foot-deep pool despite the bedrock, Peter took advantage of the slope. A series of terraces supported by retaining walls extends the ground plane outward. The uppermost level provides a viewing platform on a gently sloping front lawn. Three steps down, a new terrace holds a pavilion with an open-air dining room, and a kitchen and lounge enclosed by pocket doors. Three more steps take visitors down to a 50-by-20-foot pool. Engineered with vanishing edges on two sides, the pool appears to be floating on air.

The designer chose rustic ledgestone for walls and tumbled travertine for terraces in keeping with the natural setting, while a linear pattern of thermal bluestone honors the clients’ contemporary instincts. Today, amid hydrangea and drift roses, two Japanese zelkova trees have been planted at lawn’s edge to frame the incomparable vistas.

Award: Grand, Craftsmanship. Landscape Architecture: J.R. Peter, RLA, Colao & Peter Luxury Outdoor Living, Fairfax. Virginia. 

Delights include a 90-jet hot tub; a pavilion equipped with fireplace; lounge; sports-ready bar with flat-screen television; and a full kitchen. The star attraction is a 30-foot-long, commercial-quality water slide. Equipped with a five-horsepower water pump for a quicker ride, it sends swimmers splish-splashing into a 50-by-25-foot rectangular pool. Among the challenges facing Kane: finding space to stage the tons of Scabos travertine for the pool decking and curvaceous walkways, as well as decorative boulders, which lead energetic climbers to the top of the water slide.

Trees planted by Kane a decade ago provide a lush backdrop for a new purple-leaved Bloodgood Japanese maple, several transplanted crape myrtle trees, boxwood, knockout roses, catmint, black-eyed Susans and Shasta daisies. The designer aspired to a plant palette that would resist deer, while acknowledging that the herbivores “will eat just about anything.”

Award: Distinction, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build). Landscape Design: Josh Kane, Kane Landscapes, Inc., Potomac Falls, Virginia.

“The skeleton was there,” says Anthony Cusat, senior landscape architect, who led the renovation. Ten canopy trees were removed from the front yard, brightening the street façade and better suiting sun-loving perennials. A new walkway and entry piers enhanced curb appeal.

In back, long, linear terraces and a strong axial relationship nicely united the house with the pool and gazebo. Cusat fit a fireplace into the gazebo and added an outdoor kitchen under an existing porch. Vintage brick around the pool was retained while the patio was relaid with random rectangular Pennsylvania flagstone to match the new front walk. The great challenge during the project came in “trying to marry the old with the new,” Cusat recalls. “We tried to make it seem like everything was always there.”

The owner’s prized collection of plantings—including a small Japanese maple—was transplanted for easier viewing. “First and foremost, the homeowners are garden enthusiasts,” says Cusat. “They love the outdoors and the opportunity to share it with family and friends.”

Award: Distinction, Total Residential Contracting. Landscape Architecture: Anthony R. Cusat, RLA, McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland. 

His design draws power from symmetry, simplicity and clean geometry. A low brick retaining wall the width of the home serves as a visual plinth. At its center, turf steps suggest a grand staircase. The walkway from the drive to the front door consists of oversized stepping stones on a “terrace” of lawn.

These winks and nods to formality continue in a gateway to the backyard. An iron gate opens to a courtyard where trident maples underplanted with hakone grass and hosta stand sentry at the four corners of a custom fountain. Water burbles from an urn balanced on a bluestone cube set atop crushed gravel. “We tried to relax that area a bit,” says Talton.

The backyard is reserved for relaxation, with a new dining porch and grill, as well as a fire pit on a patio of travertine amid lush plantings of arborvitae, magnolia, hydrangea, abelia and wild indigo. Mandevilla spills from orb-shaped planters, making the most of classical form and the owners’ casual, contemporary style.

Award: Grand, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build). Landscape Architecture: Chad Talton, PLA, Surrounds Landscape Architecture + Construction, Sterling, Virginia. 

Formal Approach

McHale Landscape Design creates a commanding welcome for a stately abode

Read More

Party Time

Surrounds, Inc., transforms a mundane backyard into a mecca for entertaining

Read More

Grand Entrance

A design team conceives an elegant yet family-friendly landscape in Potomac

Read More

Garden Variety

Wheat's Landscape makes the most of a diminutive lot with style and function

Read More

DECADE AWARDS
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Easton Waterfront Estate for Residential Maintenance; A Davidsonville Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Eastern Shore Waterfront Estate for Total Residential Contracting; Edgewater Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Oxon Pond Residence for Total Residential Contracting; A Bethesda Residence for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway.

HERITAGE AWARD
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Avenel Residence for Residential Maintenance.

GRAND AWARDS
Colao & Peter Outdoor Environments
McLean—Modern for Craftsmanship; McLean—Tennis Court and Pavilion for Craftsmanship.
Fine Earth Landscape, Inc.
The White Flower Garden for Total Residential Contracting; Swett Residence for Total Residential Contracting.
Live Green Landscape Associates
Pollokoff Residence for Outdoor Living Area.
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Great Falls Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Peninsula Point for Total Residential Contracting; Vienna Residence for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway; Kenwood Project for Total Residential Contracting; Galesville Residence for Total Residential Contracting; American Meadow Garden for Total Residential Contracting.
Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
Price Residence for Craftsmanship.
Planted Earth Landscaping, Inc.
Potomac Residence for Residential Maintenance; Alexandria Residence for Total Residential Contracting.
Scapes, Inc.
Old Man Creek Residence for Total Residential Contracting.
Shorb Landscaping, Inc.
A Residence in Bethesda for Total Residential Contracting.
Surrounds, Inc.
Difficult Run Residence for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway (Design/Build); Lakefront Living Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Hunting Crest Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Foxhall Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Falconhurst Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Wessynton Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).
Wheat’s Landscape
Bethesda Outdoor Living for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); McLean Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Falls Church Oasis for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

DISTINCTION AWARDS
Colao & Peter Outdoor Environments
Alexandria Waterfront Modern for Craftsmanship (Design/Build).
McHale Landscape Design, Inc.
Oakton Residence for Outdoor Living Area.
Planted Earth Landscaping, Inc.
Northwest Washington, DC, Residence for Total Residential Contracting.
Scapes, Inc.
Whitehall Creek Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Resort Style Living for Outdoor Living Area.
Surrounds, Inc.
Red Barn Residence for Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Colao & Peter Outdoor Environments
Great Falls—European Entry for Front Residential Planting & Entranceway (Design/Build).
Rossen Landscape
Clifton Residence for Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

Visitors approach the stately abode through an imposing wrought-iron gate designed by Iron Masters Inc. A driveway of aggregate concrete embellished with pink granite cobbles curves up to the house—clad in the same Texas Gold limestone as the retaining walls surrounding the property. Turkish travertine walkways are flanked by manicured garden beds.

Large holly trees, cryptomeria and crape myrtle were planted beside existing mature poplars, and boxwood and Nellie Stevens holly provide the structural backbone of the landscape. Graceful swaths of pink and red Knockout roses and Anthony Waterer spirea combine with sweeping beds of annuals that provide rotations of seasonal color. Flowering specimen crape myrtle and Bloodgood Japanese maples offer additional color and interest, while a Chinese elm sun-dapples the walkway to the front door.

Award: Decade, Front Residential Planting & Entranceway. Landscape Design: Julie Patronik, McHale Landscape Design, Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Architecture: Glenn Chen Fong, AIA, PLLC, Arlington, Virginia. 

Among the requests: an arrival court sited on one side of the house to appear less grand. “It’s intended for guests,” Plusen says. “But the owners experience the full property as they travel around the other side to the garage entry.”

Housed beneath a porte cochère, this family entrance leads through arched stone openings to the backyard, where a “destination” pool boasts a pool house, kitchen and covered seating. The patio is travertine, while Carderock stone clads the pool house and nearby fire pit. An allée of Winter King hawthorn separates the porte cochère from the pool area, which flows out to the expansive lawn.

Planted Earth Landscaping was tapped to install plantings, as well as “a complex drainage system under the lawn that ensures the kids can play even after heavy rain,” explains principal Chris Vedrani. An all-white garden of Shasta daisies and other perennials borders the pool while beds of day lily, salvia, fountain grass and geranium embrace the lawn.

The plan also incorporates a storm-water management area by the arrival court. “It’s a rain garden with plants that can tolerate wet feet,” says Plusen. “We turned an engineering element into something beautiful.”

Award: Grand, Residential Maintenance. Landscape Installation & Maintenance: Chris Vedrani, Planted Earth Landscaping Inc., Westminster, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Jeffrey Plusen, RLA, ASLA, Plusen Landscape Architects, Catonsville, Maryland. Architecture: Mark Sullenberger, AIA, Custom Design Concepts, McLean, Virginia. 

Talton and his team saved the day with a stylish, compact design that smoothly integrates numerous elements. They installed an elevated Azek deck that fosters easy flow from the house while creating more usable yard space, and they reconfigured the basement walk-out to include a storage area. Beyond the deck—which features a built-in hot tub—is a travertine patio edged in Pennsylvania bluestone. It holds a dining area bordered by a built-in Wolf grill and fridge clad in quartzite with a black, leathered-granite countertop.

An adjacent ipe-and-quartzite pavilion with a tongue-and-groove pine ceiling offers a gathering spot around a custom, stainless-steel, natural-gas fire pit. It’s topped by a four-inch-thick Pennsylvania bluestone thermal slab and black fire balls.

The simple plant palette, which complements the clean lines of the built elements, includes single-stem crape myrtle, Paperbark maple, evergreen hinoki, Green Velvet boxwood, caladium, ajuga, holly and Sweetbay magnolia—all enlivened by colorful annuals.

Award: Grand, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build). Landscape Architecture & Installation: Chad Talton, RLA, Surrounds, Inc., Sterling, Virginia. 

River Vista

McHale Landscape Design enhances a grand yet welcoming estate on the Tred Avon River

Read More

Zen Garden

Asian design elements and a serene sensibility refine a Bethesda property

Read More

Backyard Bonanza

A small, mundane lot becomes a compelling destination for family-friendly fun

Read More

Spare & Simple

Clean lines and a restrained plant palette distinguish a resort-like backyard retreat

Read More

2017 Excellence in Landscape Awards

DECADE Award

McHale Landscape Design, Inc.  mchalelandscape.com
Great Falls Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Easton Residence for Residential Maintenance; Bethesda Residence for Residential Maintenance.

HERITAGE Awards

McHale Landscape Design, Inc.  mchalelandscape.com
Potomac Residence for Total Residential Contracting.

Surrounds, Inc.  surroundslandscaping.com
McLean Residence for Residential Maintenance.

GRAND Awards

Colao & Peter Outdoor Environments  colaostone.com
DC-Historic for Outdoor Living Area; Alexandria Townhouse for Craftsmanship.

Fine Earth Landscape, Inc.  fineearth.com
A Bethesda Escape for Outdoor Living Area; Goodrich Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Dahut Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Clarendon Road Garden for Total Residential Contracting; Cowie Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Brawner Residence for Total Residential Contracting.

Grow Landscapes  growlandscapes.com
Taylor for Total Residential Contracting; Copito for Craftsmanship.

John Shorb Landscaping, Inc.  jsli.com
A Residence in Kalorama for Total Residential Contracting.

Land & Water Design Inc.  landandwaterdesign.com
Family-Friendly Backyard for Outdoor Living Area.

Live Green Landscape Associates, LLC   livegreenlandscapes.com
Gaeger Residence for Craftsmanship.

McHale Landscape Design, Inc.  mchalelandscape.com
McLean Residence for Craftsmanship; Spring Hill Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Annapolis Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Hunting Crest Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Vienna Estate for Total Residential Contracting; Ayr Hill Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Crownsville Residence for Craftsmanship.

Planted Earth Landscaping, Inc.  plantedearthlandscaping.com
Reston Garden for Residential Maintenance; Alexandria Residence for Residential Maintenance; Leesburg Residence for Total Residential Contracting.

Surrounds, Inc.  surroundslandscaping.com
Parkview Hills Residence for Outdoor Living Area; Bethesda Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Poburn Woods Residence for Total Residential Contracting; Meyer Woods Residence for Total Residential Contracting.

Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Inc.  walnuthilllandscape.com
Bennett Point Residence for Total Residential Contracting.

Wheat’s Lawn & Custom Landscape, Inc.  wheats.com
A Formal Potomac Estate Garden for Total Residential Contracting and Residential Maintenance; A Bethesda Outdoor Living Space for Outdoor Living Area; Lending Sanctuary for Residential Maintenance.

DISTINCTION Awards

Fine Earth Landscape, Inc.  fineearth.com
Foster Residence for Outdoor Living Area.

McHale Landscape Design, Inc.  mchalelandscape.com
Vienna Residence for Front Residential Planting and Entranceway.

HONORABLE MENTION Awards

Colao & Peter Outdoor Environments  colaostone.com  
Aldie—Infinity Pool and Pavilion for Outdoor Living Area. 

Denison Landscaping  denisonlandscaping.com
Lothian Estate for Outdoor Living Area.

Fine Earth Landscape, Inc.  fineearth.com
Belcher Residence for Craftsmanship.

Through the Garden, Inc.  throughthegardeninc.com
Cowperthwaite Residence for Total Residential Contracting. 

Grand Retreat

A stately garden by McHale Landscape Design complements an 1820 home in Easton

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Rustic + Refined

Wheat’s Landscape updates a McLean property with lush greenery and a clean-lined aesthetic

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Blank Slate

Surrounds, Inc., transforms a flat, empty Leesburg property into a pastoral retreat

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French Flair

Designs for Greener Gardens gives an Annapolis property an elegant makeover 

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2016 Residence in Landscape Awards

DECADE  

DESIGNS FOR GREENER GARDENS, INC. greenergardens.net — French Estate, Residential Maintenance.

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC. mchalelandscape.com — Knightly Estate, Residential Maintenance; Annapolis Residence, Total Residential Contracting.

HERITAGE  

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC. mchalelandscape.com — Spring Hill Residence, Total Residential Contracting/Craftsmanship.

GRAND  

COLAO & PETER OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS colaostone.com — Georgian, Alexandria, Craftsmanship (Design/Build), French Living, Great Falls, Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

GROW LANDSCAPES, INC.
growlandscapes.com — Leesburg Front Courtyard, Front Residential Planting, and Entranceway (Design/Build).

JENNIFER CONNOLEY LANDSCAPE DESIGN jcld-landscapedesign.com — Bell Property, Outdoor Living Area.

KANE LANDSCAPES, INC.
kanelandscapes.com — From Flooded to Fabulous, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

LAND & WATER DESIGN, INC.
landandwaterdesign.com — Rockville, Maryland Backyard Retreat, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC. mchalelandscape.com — McLean Residence, Craftsmanship; Thunder Residence, Craftsmanship; Solitaire Lane Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Crest Lane Residence, Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Fairfax Residence, Craftsmanship; Davidsonville Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Country Club Residence, Front Residential Planting and Entranceway; Lorton Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Coachway Residence, Outdoor Living Area; Potomac Residence, Craftsmanship.

PLANTED EARTH LANDSCAPING, INC. plantedearthlandscaping.com — Potomac Residence, Total Residential Contracting; Baltimore Rooftop Garden, Outdoor Living Area; Lancaster Garden, Residential Maintenance; Alexandria Residence, Total Residential Contracting.

SURROUNDS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE surroundslandscaping.com — Grenata Preserve, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Bhungalia Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Ellison Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build); Soobert Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Masonwood Estate, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

WHEAT’S LAWN & CUSTOM LANDSCAPE wheats.com — The Tregoning Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); The Allen Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build); Graham-Collier Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

DISTINCTION  

FINE EARTH LANDSCAPE INC. fineearth.com — Bethesda Family Resort, Outdoor Living Area;  Rhee Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

GARDENWISE, INC. gardenwiseinc.co — Logan Circle Oasis, Washington, DC, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

JOHN SHORB LANDSCAPING, INC. jsli.com — A Residence in Northwest DC, Outdoor Living Area.

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES, LLC livegreenlandscapes.com — Bel Air Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC. mchalelandscape.com — Chicamauga Residence, Craftsmanship.

HONORABLE MENTION  

COLAO & PETER OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS colaostone.com — Modern, Alexandria, Craftsmanship (Design/Build).

GARDENWISE, INC. gardenwiseinc.co — Tudor Craftsman, Arlington, Virginia, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

LIVE GREEN LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES, LLC livegreenlandscapes.com — Glen Arm Residence, Total Residential Contracting (Design/Build).

McHALE LANDSCAPE DESIGN, INC. mchalelandscape.com — Southern Maryland Residence, Residential Maintenance.

SISSON LANDSCAPES sissonlandscapes.com — Soutter Residence, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build).

“The garden is about form, lines, and structure,” says Bleinberger. A grassy path, accented by decorative limestone plinths, English yew, and dwarf Burford holly, leads to a fountain surrounded by distinct quadrants: a rose garden, an exotic garden, a croquet lawn and a free-form “wilderness” area.

A circular lawn frames two pairs of semicircular white gravel beds in the exotic garden lined with manicured boxwood. The beds hold tropicals such as palms and citrus that bask in the sunroom in cold weather.

Bleinberger rearranged existing plants, grouping crape myrtles by color. A pink clump accents a vintage gazebo where a garden bench invites visitors to pause and enjoy the landscape. An existing Japanese snowbell in the rose garden now shines amid red knockout roses and a crimson barberry hedge.

A red-cedar allée provides shade around the perimeter of the garden. “At the end of the day,” Bleinberger says, “the purpose was a meditative garden used for walking and observing.”

Award: Decade Award, Residential Maintenance. Landscape Design: Hans Bleinberger, McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Now, a wisteria-covered, semicircular stone-and-wood arbor draws the eye. An existing fire pit occupies the space beneath it, adjacent to the pool deck. Lush greenery and an array of purple and pink salvia and variegated Japanese iris impart vibrant color and texture. A bank of Green Giant arborvitae provides privacy from the neighbors.

“I wanted to make sure the garden felt clean and contemporary the way the rear of the house does,” Dean says. “When you’re in any of the social spaces, it feels intimate. The purpose was to make it inviting.”

Dean regarded the site and reshaped the pool deck, replacing 2,500 square feet of concrete pavers with flagstone for an updated look. He capped the walls throughout the property with West Virginia stone. Rustic stone accents the arbor, fire pit and paths. A variegated Kousa dogwood stands out in a hedge of skip laurels, positioned to conceal pool equipment. Stained concrete containers filled with annuals add color. A play area for the owners’ kids features a lawn, paths and a portable sand table.

Award: Grand, Outdoor Living Area (Design/Build). Landscape Design: Joshua Dean, Wheat’s Landscape, Vienna, Virginia.

“Their personality as a couple is gregarious and refined; they wanted a garden to reflect that,” says Lowry Moitrier. The landscape boasts a crape myrtle allée, a manicured holly hedge and boxwood parterres surrounding beds of roses. Each year, the owner plants hundreds of annuals and rare specimens such as Chartreuse Tiger Eyes sumac and Black Lace elderberry in containers throughout the property. A large Portuguese urn is the focal point of the allée, surrounded by a bed of flowers and succulents which Lowry Moitrier sometimes shapes into tapestry-like forms.

A lush perennial border of knockout roses, Autumn Joy sedum, and lady’s mantle adds lively color to the existing bluestone pool deck. Large containers display tropical smokebush, which adds dazzling color to sedum, coleus, and Agastache.

A trio of Dawn redwood trees stands 60 feet high in the entry garden. Bold tropicals such as Angel’s Trumpet add a whimsical touch. Vertical garden sculptures shaped like finials can be seen from the home’s library windows; they draw the eye out to the garden and the creek beyond. v

Award: Decade, Residential Maintenance. Landscape Design: Nancy Lowry Moitrier, APLD, Pierre Moitrier, Designs For Greener Gardens, Inc., Annapolis, Maryland. Photography: Nancy Lowry Moitrier.