Key elements

What would be the ideal garden for empty nesters or a young couple in their first home? An area for entertaining and a personal retreat for rejuvenation would top the list, so the plan pictured here reserves room for both. The backyard was conceived of as a place of serenity — which its wandering pathways, relaxing views, and fragrant plants provide.

On one side of the garden, a spacious entertainment patio is easily accessible from the family room and kitchen. On the other side, set as far away as possible from the home's primary activity centers, is a smaller patio shaded by an arbor.

Low-care perennials that bloom over a long period yet require little water — catmint, lamb's ears, penstemon, salvia, and Santa Barbara daisy — fill much of the garden. Near windows and gathering spots are plants that add delicious scents to the air: jasmine, lemon, osmanthus, and sarcococca.