Basil Green

This 4-acre McLean, VA estate, set against the backdrop of a majestic poplar forest, was once defined by controlled suburban gardens and lawn. Our team worked with the landscape architect who embarked on an ambitious master plan and implementation to ground the house in its context, reduce lawn, and contribute biodiversity. The design approach for hardscape and planting served to unify the estate’s multiple parcels, celebrate the home’s unique French-Mediterranean identity, and establish a series of programmatically flexible garden rooms that blend into the surrounding forest. The realized vision emphasizes a biodiverse palette consisting of over 225 species of native and adaptive planting. From a formal forecourt, the garden transitions through the Woodland Garden, which features regionally native plants highlighting seasonal brilliance. Passing through a single iron gate is the terraced White Garden, which features a central fountain establishing a strong axial relationship with the home, softened through a calming white and silvery palette of pollinator-friendly sensory plants. The home’s rear pool terrace leads through a verdant shade garden and out to the original farmhouse, where an American Perennial Border hugs the former property boundary. A nod to the English counterpart and the home’s classical feel, the border provides habitat for wildlife and eye-catching color each season.