Gardens Fit for a Fairytale: Storybook Landscapes Brought to Life

Gardens are full of possibilities. With vibrant colors, organic textures, and authentically inspired landscapes, these talented landscape designers and artisans have cultivated gardens that invite curiosity and wonder. Read on to discover how thoughtful design can transform an ordinary yard into an extraordinary escape that feels lifted from the pages of a fairy tale.

A Blade of Grass

Landscape Architect: A Blade of Grass, Photography: Michael J. Lee

Set behind a historic home on the Northshore, mature trees served as a source of inspiration for this landscape designed by a Blade of Grass. To preserve these storied trees, the team carefully designed the landscape to protect them during the construction process. The addition of screening trees and fencing provides privacy, keeping this backyard a world of its own. There are multiple areas to relax and refresh, from an in-ground spa to an outdoor shower with a pool. A squared wall and rectangular granite complemented those features with a beautiful perennial garden.

Ivy Studio

Landscape: Ivy Studio, Pool: Environmental Pools, Photography: Chris Rucinski

Ivy Studio once again creates a landscape that will push the boundaries of what you imagined your backyard oasis could look like. This Duxbury pool house and outdoor space underwent renovation to become a refined coastal retreat, blending historical charm with modern outdoor living. Honoring the site’s rich maritime history, the original 1800s captain’s post-and-beam shed was thoughtfully reimagined as a full-service pool house, preserving the structure’s soul while adapting it for contemporary use. Handcrafted fieldstone walls and cedar picket-topped fencing provide privacy and a feeling of quiet seclusion, while echoing the timeless materials of New England’s coastal architecture. Layered plantings—including boxwood, hornbeam, and hydrangea—frame the space with seasonal structure and softness, creating a classic garden aesthetic that enhances the formal hardscape.

“This project is about honoring the past while embracing how families live today. Every element—from the preserved post-and-beam structure to the placement of the spa—was designed to feel rooted in history yet made for modern life. We wanted it to feel like stepping into a dream—an experience you never want to leave,” says Vern Chellberg, Principal at Ivy Studio.

Landscape Creations

Left – Landscape Architect: Artemis Landscape Architects, Landscape: Landscape Creations, Photography: Landino Photo
Right – Landscape Architect: Gregory Lombardi Design, Landscape: Landscape Creations, Photography: Landino Photo

These gardens, designed by Landscape Creations, are a true work of art. Their Artemis project features tall grasses that blend seamlessly with manicured paths, forming an intimate passage for those moving through. Pops of color vibrantly catch the afternoon sun, adding dimension and playfulness in the lush green landscape. An embedded stone path leads curiously to a wooden gate, inviting you to encounter what lies beyond the garden. Set on a narrow rural lane and surrounded by freshwater wetlands, coastal buffer, and a neighboring home, this site posed no shortage of challenges. Yet the result is a modern coastal landscape that feels effortless and expansive. With careful grading and a thoughtful tiered design, the team framed sweeping views to the water while preserving sensitive ecological zones. The landscape reveals itself in layered transitions—from the crisp lines of the entry and structured plantings near the home to the soft, natural progression through rain gardens, culminating in gabion walls that define the wetland edge.

MainStay Landscape

Courtesy of MainStay Landscape

This Oyster Harbors property by MainStay Landscape features colorful gardens ideal for summer enjoyment, surrounded by views of Nantucket Sound and Sampson’s Island. A large kitchen garden surrounded by apple trees provides a bountiful selection of herbs for fresh, home-cooked meals. In the adjacent gardens, vegetables, fruit trees, and tropical plants are mixed amongst colorful perennials. This endless garden offers a diverse array of greenery and plantings to explore, complemented by a serene and ever-present sense of peace and wonder.

R.P.Marzilli & Co.

Builder: Thoughtforms, Landscape Architect: Stimson Studio, Landscape: R.P.Marzilli, Photography: Rosemary Fletcher

R.P. Marzilli’s Rockport Home “Garden Road” is a cottage-style garden with a free-flowing layout, designed to feel colorful, informal, and natural. The planting palette is layered for texture and movement—ornamental grasses (Pennisetum, Karl Foerster) and durable perennials like hosta, liriope, echinacea, nepeta, sedum, iris, and Montauk daisy. Shrubs such as panicle hydrangea, inkberry, and bayberry provide structure and seasonal interest. Seasonal plantings, such as mandevilla and dahlia, are used as pops of color during the growing season.

Bringing the storybook feeling to life, a small wooden bridge adds charm and function to the garden, directing rainwater while embracing a whimsical touch. Ivy cloaks the conservatory, lending it a hidden, almost secretive quality that stirs the imagination. A nearby wooden bench serves the same purpose, offering a quiet spot for reflection, greeting visitors, and connecting with the surrounding beauty.

ZEN Associates, Inc.

Landscape Design + Build: Zen Associates

These winding paths meander through meadows and your imagination. ZEN Associates connects different garden spaces through these paths, echoing the surrounding network of hiking trails. These meadows are home to a rich variety of wildlife, filling the garden with movement and natural sound. “When designing large landscapes using masses of ornamental grasses and perennials, I think about immersion in a scene of rapidly changing structure, colors, and movement throughout the seasons,” says Peter White, Partner and Owner of ZEN Associates. Creating a cohesive, naturalistic meadow demands careful consideration of plant ratios to achieve harmony—and Zen Associates masterfully strikes that balance with awe-inspiring results.