Modern Cottage Garden—New Jersey Shore

Project Summary

For a newly renovated Jersey Shore cottage, Home Outside created a landscape design with swaths of garden beds, bluestone-paved walkways, and a classic white picket fence. The traditional garden design motifs add to the charm of the property, while meeting strict building and construction codes in this seaside town.

Check out the plan notes below to learn more about Home Outside’s design solutions!

Base Plan

Draft Design

Final Design

Landscape Design Plan Notes

Upright flowering tree, such as a Japanese Tree Lilac, ends cedar hedge, adds screening, and avoids utilities. Plant corner of building with upright flowering shrub and bed of fast-growing, easy-care groundcover, such as Liriope.

2-3′-tall picket fence encloses and defines the front yard. Single brick header course between fence and sidewalk cleans up edge of property.

Bluestone paved path, 4′ wide, leads to a welcoming curved bluestone entry foyer. Foyer extends to foundation of house to highlight existing brickwork with contrasting color.

Simple lawn under trees extends to trunks. String-trim around trunks to avoid mower damage to root flare.

Planting bed contains new street tree as well as shrub and privacy planting, adding curb appeal to side yard. Screening evergreen tree at corner shields side door from pavement view and heat.

Robust shrub and perennial planting under tall shade tree, traditional planting palette. Consider Pin Oak for shade tree.

Bluestone paver path set in lawn, 4-6″ between slabs. Path should be at least as wide as the screen porch steps.

Perennial garden in shady corner.

BBQ placed on 2×4′ bluestone pad with tight joints, edges aligned with stones in adjacent paths, in view from kitchen windows. Bluestone paver path to veggie garden.

Climbing rose trained over garage arbor, extend along full garage facade.

Remove existing Crepe Myrtle and install 3 new Crepe Myrtles along new privacy fence. Privacy fence is 6′-tall board fence, painted gray to hide dirt and make garden colors pop.

Fill gap in hedge with additional arborvitae trees, or punctuate corner of property with larger cedar tree.

Perennial bed sweeps from path to include tree trunk and oil jar fountain. Fountain aligned with center of entry path and porch. 4′ Driverstone circle edged with cobbles covers recirculation basin.

Add annuals around oil jar to bring seasonal, long-blooming color to this garden bed.