The steps to the house, and the house itself, both wrapped with plants, is not an accident. It’s a design detail that is best appreciated from a distance and that sets the tone for the entire garden, in this case, Hollister House Garden in Connecticut.

This exact paperbark maple (Acer griseum) was selected for this location (it was planted 5 months ago) because many questions were asked and answered. The client wanted a tree with year round interest that would not block the view from inside the house and would not grow so large that it would eventually out grow the house. The tree was planted slightly off-center from the three windows to accommodate a good view from both the breakfast table and a favorite easy chair.

The interplay of size, color and texture of foliage is one detail that can be neglected in garden design because it doesn’t happen overnight. Plan ahead and be patient, this attention to detail will be well worth the wait.

This custom railing, painstakingly designed by the homeowner, sets the stage for the many design details that can be found in this simple, playful yet sophisticated garden.

Right plant, right place is just part of the story. Often, simple details like making sure a specimen plant is ready to be showcased are overlooked. This Japanese maple goes from Cousin It to understated elegance with a few expert snips of the pruner.

When choosing plant combinations, it’s easy to only consider flowers. But looking beyond the obvious and focusing on details like interesting seed heads can make for out-of-the-ordinary combinations like this “Chocolate’ Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’) and blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis).

Sure, a simple fence would have gotten the job done but instead, these neighbors decided to focus on the details of everyday beauty, and choose to separate their properties with a row of espaliered crabapples instead.