The backyard’s emphasis on nature is mirrored in the front of the home, which also underwent extensive landscaping by Considered Design. The owners and Parish wanted to “tone everything down” and turn the home into a backdrop for a natural setting.

An Introduction to Landscape Design: Cover the history of landscape architecture and learn how to cultivate your own backyard oasis.

The landscaping appears to be based on the mullet principle: business in the front, as seen here (manicured grid lawn, with native vegetation sprouting in careful symmetry), party in the back (sunflowers and wild mountain grass growing in harmonious chaos).

Krisel was also known for his boldly modern approach to landscape. The Menrad residence, shown here, features a distinct geometric design. The architect, working in the harsh Palm Springs climate, relied on hardscape elements—setting a precedent for drought-tolerant landscape design.

In another section of the yard, Cooper added varying-sized circular cement stepping stones, which lead toward an elevated planter filled with California-native plants.

Plants found in the surrounding landscape were used to obscure the lines between designed and natural worlds.

Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award-winning landscape designer Margie Ruddick, who collaborated with the New York architect Steven Harris on a master plan for the Shillim Institute in India’s Western Ghats mountains, will join landscape architect Hank White onstage for Stewards of Landscape, a discussion on how landscape architects view the future of conservation and stewardship, from a large-scale, civic perspective as well as a citizen level. (ASLA CEU)

Create a picturesque setting with this Landscape Dinner Set designed by Doiy Design. Each piece is completely removable and when finished, could perhaps double as a temporary plaything. (Pin).

A verdant tundra that the architect dubbed the “courtyard” separates Bullitt’s house from his 900-square-foot studio. The space, which is planted with Bog Myrtle, bearberry, and other native plants, “reinforces...the dominance of the landscape over the building,” the architect says. “The end result was an exceedingly naturalized setting.”

A small terrace outfitted with an H55 easy chair by Björn Hultén offers a view of the San Francisco Bay.

This "local prefab" home on the Isle of Skye is made mostly from materials sourced in northern Scotland. The timber-framed model, meant to evoke the simple agrarian barns of the area, can be constructed on-site in as little as a day and is designed for affordability.

The ever-changing, lush wooded surroundings of Minnesota, such as those experienced at this 8,000-square-foot Type Variant House outside of Minneapolis designed by Coen and Partners, are right near the small town of New Richland.

A great way to get started is by doing some research. Have you seen their portfolio of past projects? Do you feel that your aesthetic matches the type of work they do? Can you ask friends for referrals?

Urban Garden for Durst Organization, Bank of America building, New York, NY, 2010. Landscape design: Margie Ruddick with WRT. Artist: Dorothy Ruddick. Design architecture: Cook + Fox Architects; Architect of record: Adamson. Fabricator: Mosaiculture Internationale de Montréal. Photo: Sam Oberlander

Shillim Retreat, Maharashtra, India, 2012. Landscape design: Margie Ruddick. Architecture: Steven Harris Architects, Khanna Schultz, Writer Corporation. Photo: Khanna Schultz

Philadelphia-based landscape designer Margie Ruddick takes to the Sustainable Design stage at Dwell on Design Saturday, June 22 at 11:30 a.m. In the following slideshow, we share a handful of projects that were recognized by the Cooper-Hewitt in awarding her a National Design Award for Landscape Architecture. Read a Q&A with Ruddick here. Queens Plaza, Long Island City, NY, 2012. Landscape design: Margie Ruddick. Urban design: Marpillero Pollak Architects, Michael Sorkin 2003–04. Architecture: Marpillero Pollak Architects. Environmental artist: Michael Singer Studio. Lighting design: Leni Schwendinger Light Projects. Civil engineer: Langan; Traffic engineer: Eng Wong Taub. Photo: Margie Ruddick/WRT

Sustainable features like green roofs, rainwater collection, and stormwater retention are integrated throughout the design. The project as a whole achieved a LEED Platinum rating. Photo by Bruce Forster.

In the project narrative published on asla.org, Mayer/Reed States: "For most homeless people coming off the street, it's hard to take the first step. We asked ourselves, how would we draw people in from sidewalks, vacant lots, doorways and undersides of bridges? We came to understand the symbolic and physical importance of passing through a gateway to enter the courtyard and seek help." Photo by Bruce Forster.

Artist Masayuki Nagase created these stone pieces in the courtyard.

The ASLA jury lauded the Commons's landscape design and stated the following on their website: "This is an SRO that is humane and treats people with dignity. The space is open and inviting and there is a nice use of material. The gate ornamentation signifies the decision of the residents not to be homeless. The space is laid out like a home and is very well-resolved." Photo by Bruce Forster.

Large windows allow the Commons' staff to surpervise activity outside.

The studio divided the outdoor spaces into a series of rooms, mimicking the circulation of a family home. The courtyard is adjacent to the men's shelter. Photo by Bruce Forster.

Here's the site plan.

Queens Plaza by Margie Ruddick et al.

Casa Cabo, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, 2002. Landscape design: Margie Ruddick. Architecture: Steven Harris Architects. Interior design: Lucien Rees Roberts. Photo: Scott Frances

Black and white kitchen cabinets painted with a triangular pattern add a whimsical touch to this funky kitchen.

The landscape design, by Anna Boeschenstein of Grounded, followed a 2,200-square-foot extension by Formwork architects Robert and Cecilia H. Nichols. The front door is painted in Chinese Red by Sherwin-Williams.

Upon his first visit to Tasmania, an island south of the Australian mainland, resident David Burns was immediately smitten with its varied, pristine landscape. Working with architecture firm Misho+Associates, he built a self-sustaining, 818-square-foot retreat that would allow him to completely unplug from urban life.

Achieving such efficiency and maintaining the integrity of the wetlands and woodlands on the property meant more research for both the designers and the resident—just getting approval for the siting of the buildings and the driveway took eight months—but Hague is hardly one to do things half way. “A lot of times couples engage in house-building, like birds. I'm doing this solo, more like a monk,” he says of the deeply personal undertaking.

Sited parallel to each other, the two autonomous bedroom cabins frame perspectival views of the surrounding landscape. Exteriors of all three structures feature mitered corners and cross-laminated timber panels, all nailed by hand.

To combat the site’s steep, uneven grade, Boeschenstein staggered a series of ipe decks around the two main volumes of the house. Atticus joins his brother, Bodhi, on the zigzag decks.

“It was very important to get the integration between the garden and the house right,” Maynard says. The architects worked with Bush Projects to strike that balance, laying down concrete pavers and planting native flora that add to the home’s relaxed feel. Permanent steel awnings protect windows from glare, while retractable fabric ones by Shadefactor offer residents optional shelter when they sit outside.

Glass Houses Though the original plans called for a frameless wall of glass in the back, it turned out that it would eat up most of the budget. Instead, they installed three wood-framed windows made by Fecon. fecon.de Cut and Plant For the landscaping, the couple literally took a page out of somebody else’s book. Winterhalder says their garden was lifted from page 38 of Peter Janke’s Kleine Gärten (Small Gardens), published by Becker Joest Volk Verlag. bjvv.de

Crushed stone paths and native plantings, including cacti, wildflowers, and grasses, encompass the surrounding landscape. “We’re nothing but natural,” says Austin. “The cacti, to me, are like pieces of sculpture, each with their own personality. I even named some.”

Generous concrete pavers lead to the entrance. The home's angles are typical of the midcentury homes in the neighborhood.