Big Picture: Family retreat

Location: Bethesda, Md.
Company: Fine Earth Landscape

The clients requested a backyard that their active family and friends could enjoy, with a pool located near the sun room, at least 90 feet of turf and colorful gardens in the front and back of the house.

While constructing the pool, the Fine Earth team found that the client’s property and several other properties drained into the area best suited for the pool.

The team built a gentle turf swale above the pool, efficiently channeling the runoff, and installed additional drainage behind the pool wall and throughout the pool area. The pool also includes an elevated spa with a spillover waterfall that’s faced with natural stone. The stone continues along a retaining wall that holds back the grade above the pool.

The rectangular patio flagstone and limestone border match stone features in the sun room and on the house. A stone fire pit completes the outdoor retreat.

The project earned Fine Earth Landscape a 2017 Grand Award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals’ Awards of Excellence program.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The finished swimming pool deck and spa with waterfall, surrounded by a beautiful garden and accentuated by the poolside fire pit.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The “before” view from the house’s sunroom.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The “after” view from the sunroom shows the stone retaining wall above pool. The Green Giant Arborvitae provides privacy.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The backyard during construction.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

A close-up of the spa waterfall. The backyard garden features well-spaced plants and rocks and the ornamental Delaware River gravel behind the retaining wall directs water into the drain system.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

Flagstone pool decking complements the spa and the fire pit nestled in background.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

View of the property facing the house. The backyard garden is planted with shasta daisies, roses, Russian sage, dynamite crape myrtle and annual begonias.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The backyard sunroom. Green Giant Arborvitae shields the sunroom from view.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

Natural stone fire pit with limestone cap, colorful hillside planting with knockouts and coreopsis zagreb. The Fine Earth team was careful to maintain space around rocks.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

Front view from driveway in late spring. Tidy blue fescue grass is punctuated with a splash of knockout roses.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

A closer view of the front yard annabelle hydrangea and tuscarora crape myrtle plantings in midsummer.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The entrance garden in early spring. Nepeta walkers, low blooming purple allium bulbs and colorful peonies liven up the front of the property.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

A view of the front yard planting in midsummer. Dynamite crape myrtle, shasta daisies, brightly colored liriope, green mountain winter gem and green velvet boxwood provide year-round greenery.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The front of the house before planting.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

Close-up night shot with lighting illuminating crape myrtle, boxwood and pansies.

Photo: Hilary Schwab

The house lit at night, highlighting the home and landscaping.