Home & Garden: Escape artist

When updating the outdoor scenery of a home, many people automatically think about which plants they should buy in order to change the look of the landscape. Landscape architects, however, must imagine how best to incorporate hardscape such as patios, pools, pavilions and pergolas into the big picture and complement the plant life.

David W. Young, the founder of the landscape architectural firm DWY, recently helped a couple from Minnesota recreate their seasonal retreat on Bird Key.

Young’s goal was to make the exterior space a more pleasant environment so the couple could enjoy the outdoor habitat of their waterfront home.

“The exterior was functionally challenged and aesthetically inconsistent with a leaking pool and cumbersome, multi-level red clay brick patio and a stoop area, just large enough for a small table and two chairs,” Young said.

Today, the home’s exterior features a water wall, water garden, lap pool, spa, dining terrace, pavilion, pergola, grill, fireplace and outdoor shower. Young says the success of that transformation is evident from the owner’s reaction that it’s better than she could have imagined.