French Country Garden Design

A couple by the name of Claire and Dan Boyles commissioned Exterior Worlds to landscape their back yard with a French Country Garden Design theme. The design we ultimately developed for them was not a traditional French country garden per se, but was rather a derivative of the symmetry and color scheme associated with this style.

The most notable feature of the design was the custom swimming pool we installed just to the rear of the home. It featured linear movement, right angles, and a luxury spa and pool fountain. We used limestone for the pool coping, and we built the custom pool patio using concrete pavers. In various locations around the patio and yard, we also added French pottery to balance the stonework against the structure of the home.

We planted a formal garden parallel to the pool to support its linear movement. Like most French country gardens, it is bordered by sheered bushes and emphasizes linear movement, angles, and symmetrical structure. The interesting thing about this garden is that it is completely green, with no other colors. It is bordered by a taupe colored cedar fence that blends with the stonework.

Around the corner from the back entrance to the home lies a double door entrance to the master bedroom. Here, we built a small patio just beyond the threshold of the door. Along the walls of the home on either side of the glass windows, and between the patio itself, we planted boxwood hedges. Boxwood species are typically used in French country garden and provide an excellent organic frame for the patio.

We deviated slightly from the strict linear forms and emphasis on symmetry in this location by adding pavers that ran out like steps from the patio into the grass. We also added rosemary and mondo grass as ground cover to the space between the patio, the corner of the house, and the back wall that frames the yard. This design is derivative of those found in morning gardens, and it provides the Boyles with a place where they can step directly from their bedroom into a private outdoor space and enjoy the early mornings and evenings.

We also landscaped the front of the Boyles’s house with a symmetrical design consistent with that of French country gardens. We began by creating a sense of entryway by adding a stone walkway that ran straight to the front of the home and extended on either side into an entry patio. The home has a covered porch area in the very front that extends slightly outward from the rest of the house. Along the left wall of the home, to further the connotations of a French country estate, we planted a small parterre garden that can be seen and enjoyed from the porch.

On the other side of home, we built a circular drive motorcourt around a large oak tree. We used special tree preservation techniques to design this motorcourt in order to keep the pavement above the root zone of the tree. The interesting thing about this motorcourt is its color. It features a colored, concrete-acid finish that compliments the brick in the home. We used limestone gravel chips for the parking area. We then planted San Augustine grass around the oak tree to create a sense of organic vitality year round.