Danville, CA. Jack and Shelley Bays wanted a garden with variety, seasonal color, and plenty of foliage to soften stark walls.

Landscape architect Mathew Henning and landscape designer Heather Anderson provided a simple yet elegant solution for the small property by removing a lawn and developing a series of garden rooms that are visually appealing from indoors and out.

Outside the living room, a tired-looking Mexican fountain and tile patio were replaced with refined gray slate. A small pond filled with iris and water lilies adds a handsome focal point from indoors. Surrounding the patio is a low stone wall that doubles as party seating. In spring, flowering spiraea and coral bells bloom behind it. A semicircle of 'Akebono' flowering cherries softens the neighbors' wall and shades the patio in summer.

"It's such a sophisticated solution," one juror remarked.

DESIGN: Henning/Anderson, Oakland, CA (510/531-3095)