featured property Wooded Wellesley Terraces

A new addition to this Wellesley home offered a unique opportunity for this family to make outdoor living a higher priority. Raised bluestone patios allow for a seamless transition from inside to outside and preserves a valuable play area for the kids. A single step in elevation separates the dining space from the cozy fire pit area.

about this property

Wellesley, MA | As a young family planned an addition to the rear of their home, they engaged a Blade of Grass to reconfigure and strengthen the surrounding landscape so it could better support everyday outdoor living. Through thoughtful spatial organization, terraced stonework, and carefully placed screening, the backyard was transformed into a more functional and inviting setting for dining, entertaining, play, and quiet time outdoors. What had been a challenging rear yard now feels like a series of purposeful outdoor rooms, each connected to the next and shaped to feel comfortable, usable, and well integrated with the house.

One of the primary challenges was a nearly three-foot elevation change from the back door to the yard. This was addressed with raised bluestone patios and broad stone steps that create a seamless transition from the home to the landscape beyond while preserving valuable open lawn space for the children. A dining terrace sits just above a cozy fire pit area, using a subtle change in grade to distinguish one gathering space from another without interrupting the overall flow of the backyard. Carefully crafted stone walls add structure and help the landscape feel settled into its setting.

Lush perimeter plantings provide privacy and establish the woodland character that defines the property. Flowering shrubs, evergreen screening, and layered perennials soften the masonry, frame views, and bring seasonal color and texture throughout the garden. Together, the terraces, fire pit, planting, and preserved play area create a backyard that feels private, welcoming, and designed for the way this family wants to live outdoors.

see the transformation

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project details

Location: Wellesley, MA (02482)
Features: bluestone patios, terraced stone fire pit, retaining walls and broad steps, privacy screening, integrated landscape lighting, layered planting
Project Type: family-focused outdoor living
Services: landscape design, construction, seasonal planting, maintenance
Landscape Design: a Blade of Grass

tour the property

Wellesley, MA - A secluded patio framed by Corinthian granite walls. Wide granite steps lead the way to open lawn space.

Wellesley, MA - Lushly planted beds of boxwood, holly, magnolia, and birch.

Wellesley, MA - The heavily vegetated border provides ample screening for the bluestone terraced patio.

an outdoor oasis

Set within a mature woodland setting, this multi-level stone patio creates a calm, intimate outdoor retreat while gracefully managing changes in elevation. Carefully crafted stone walls, broad steps, and bluestone paving define distinct terraces that feel connected yet purposeful. Integrated planting softens the masonry and enhances privacy, allowing the outdoor living areas to feel settled into the landscape rather than imposed upon it. The result is a refined, highly functional backyard that balances structure with a natural sense of enclosure.

Wellesley, MA - Finely crafted Corinthian granite walls double as planting space.

Wellesley, MA - Integrated wall lighting to illuminate the path and these granite steps.

Wellesley, MA - stone fire pit, path, wooded

Wellesley, MA - stone patio and fire pit

terraced stone fire pit

This inviting outdoor gathering space is defined by finely crafted stonework that shapes terraced seating, retaining walls, and a central fire pit. Varied stone tones and precise detailing create cohesion across steps, patios, and walls, while layered plantings introduce a soft, natural edge that balances the strength of the masonry. Integrated lighting extends the space into the evening, and the fire pit serves as a year-round focal point that brings structure, warmth, and comfort to the landscape.

Wellesley, MA - Garden beds provide texture and color throughout the seasons thanks to flowering perennials, deciduous and evergreen shrubs, and interesting birch bark.

framed by color

Rich plantings bring energy and softness to this backyard, where color, texture, and seasonal interest guide the experience from path to patio. Flowering perennials and shrubs weave through the space, softening stone walls and terraces while creating a natural transition between garden and hardscape. The result is a landscape that feels vibrant yet composed - one where planting design plays an equal role with structure, enhancing depth, enclosure, and year-round visual impact.

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