Stumbling around the internet…I don’t know how I got there, but I did….you have to see the gasp worthy site of Tebbs Design in Bend, Oregon. They design and build houses and landscapes that are really stunning. They are truly celebrating the architecture of their region and creating properties that fit beautifully with their landscapes. Check out the first picture…do you see what I mean?

The second two pictures are my actual daily garden — they are the front and backside of an outdoor fireplace that was designed so well. This is a remarkable front garden that proves that with good design (and a little topography helps too) the front of the house doesn’t have to be a useless flat square of grass, ‘foundation plantings’ and a path running through it. I love how the back of this fireplace augments the street view front of the house.

I included the last picture, not just because it is such a pretty garden, but because the path is a nice mix of materials, and it becomes even more interesting when it butts up against and fits with the big boulder rather than going around it entirely. So nice.