In the quiet suburbs of Long Island, New York, garden designer Conni Cross has spent over three decades cultivating a private garden that she calls her “living work of art.” For Conni, a garden is far more than a collection of plants—it’s a thoughtful dialogue between space, time, and lifestyle. Her philosophy is echoed by designers across the U.S. and Europe, each adding their own cultural flavor, from the drought-tolerant gardens of California to the romantic perennial borders of Southeast England.
Many garden lovers can relate to this: you walk into a nursery, see a bloom that steals your heart, and take it home on impulse. But Conni gently reminds us that the best gardens are built on intention, not impulse. Especially when it comes to trees and foundational shrubs—these are the anchors of your garden, akin to the foundation of a home. In her own garden, a white ash tree that started as a slender sapling now towers majestically, a living witness to decades of design, pruning, and patience.
Conni is a firm believer in layering—mimicking nature’s vertical structure with canopy trees, mid-level shrubs, and ground-level perennials. This approach not only enriches the visual experience, but also offers endless opportunities for creativity. Beneath the broad canopy of her mature magnolia, for example, she’s tucked in delicate irises, ferns, and spring-blooming anemones that fill the underlayers with subtle beauty.
She’s also mastered the art of mystery. Rather than revealing everything at once, she prefers paths that bend around corners, hedges that block the view just enough, and tucked-away benches that invite discovery. A gravel path winding through peonies and lavender in her backyard leads to a quiet wrought-iron bench shaded by trees—an unexpected retreat that enchants every visitor.
In terms of style, Conni avoids rigid uniformity. She pairs neatly clipped boxwoods with the organic, flowing forms of Japanese maples. This balance between formality and freedom gives the garden rhythm and breath. Throughout the year, her plant choices ensure continual interest—spring tulips, summer hydrangeas, fiery autumn foliage, and winter bark textures and evergreens keep the landscape engaging in every season.
Across the country in Encinitas, California, designer Debora Carl approaches garden-making from a different angle. Her modern, waterwise landscape blends strong geometry with resilient beauty. Set on a sloping backyard, her garden features wooden boardwalks, gravel paths, and a tapestry of succulents and ornamental grasses in sun-warmed hues.
For Debora, practicality is key. She advises placing seating and destination features near the house where you’re more likely to enjoy them. A dining patio directly off the kitchen, for example, increases the likelihood of using the space often—blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living.
Color is another vital tool in her design palette. She favors bold, complementary combinations like blue chalksticks against orange-red Kniphofia, occasionally punctuated by a pop of scarlet for visual tension. Repeating these colors across the garden—through flowers, foliage, and painted furniture—ties the composition together with elegance and energy.
Balance comes from structure: strong lines and clean axes ground the layout, while lush planting softens the edges. In the center of her garden, a sleek metallic container becomes a sculptural focal point, giving the eye a place to rest and appreciate the design.
Meanwhile, in the lush, temperate Northwest, garden designer David Pfeiffer and his partner Daniel Klein took a blank canvas on Vashon Island, Washington, and transformed it into a contemplative, elegant landscape. Their philosophy: treat the garden like a home floor plan. Define how you want to live outdoors—dining, lounging, entertaining—and ensure that terraces, furniture, and pathways support that lifestyle.
David champions the “less is more” approach. Instead of heavy ornamentation or excessive plant variety, he uses structural elements—pergolas, steps, and walls—to create visual cohesion. He opts for planting in large, textured drifts to quiet the visual noise and favors low-maintenance plants that require little pruning or water.
Their garden encourages exploration. While key features like the pool and dining terrace are positioned for convenience, David also places surprises—like a gazebo or bench—farther out, drawing visitors deeper into the landscape.
Design decisions also reflect local context. By using materials native to the Pacific Northwest and echoing the home’s architecture in the garden’s hardscape, David creates a sense of regional harmony. Sustainability, in his view, is as much about aesthetics as it is about environmental responsibility.
Back in Southeast England, Jeremy Allen and his wife Beverly have reimagined a former thicket into an expansive countryside garden inspired by the iconic borders of Great Dixter and Sissinghurst. Their 100-yard-long perennial border showcases the best of English gardening tradition—structured, seasonal, and deeply romantic.
Jeremy emphasizes the importance of strong shapes and structure. Every curved path, clipped hedge, and hardscaped feature follows a consistent logic. He begins by installing trees and hedges to form the garden’s skeleton before layering in flowering perennials. This ensures that the garden maintains visual interest even in winter, when flowers have faded.
He also considers light a design element. Strategically placing a tree or topiary can cast moving shadows or dappled sunlight, creating atmosphere as the day evolves. In their garden, early morning sun filters through tall phlox and catmint, creating a dreamlike glow.
Plant selection is crucial. Jeremy avoids fleeting trends in favor of plants that maintain strong shape and texture both before and after bloom. His garden features repetitions of Echinacea, Nepeta, and Joe Pye weed, weaving a rhythm through the borders and creating a cohesive narrative throughout the space.
Whether in New York or California, Washington State or the English countryside, these designers share a common thread: gardens are not for display, but for life. They are spaces to live in, wander through, and find peace within. Good design, they show us, doesn’t just delight the eye—it supports the soul, honors the land, and evolves gracefully with time.