featured property Brookline Brownstone

This Brookline brownstone was reimagined as a garden-forward retreat, blending a classic English-inspired aesthetic with a series of thoughtfully defined outdoor spaces. While the planting takes center stage, the design’s true strength lies in how each area connects, creating a cohesive landscape that supports the way the homeowners live and gather outdoors.

about this property

Brookline, MA | Built in the early 1900s, this Brookline brownstone retains its historic charm and strong architectural foundation. When new homeowners took over the property, the surrounding landscape no longer supported the way they wanted to live outdoors. The narrow, underused yard offered little space for relaxation, play, or gardening, prompting a thoughtful reworking of the site.

The landscape was reshaped to provide a balance of function and beauty, creating places to sit and unwind, open lawn for children at play, and gardens designed for hands-on enjoyment. The property is now organized into a series of smaller garden rooms, including a quiet patio, a parterre cutting garden, a checkerboard-patterned main entry, and an elongated lawn garden anchored by a whimsical pergola, all framed within an award-winning English-style garden.

see the transformation

tour the property

Brookline, MA - A mixed border of bulbs, perennials, and flowering and evergreen shrubs help to define an emerald green lawn.

Brookline, MA - Beautiful shades of purple and pink provided by alium, nepeta, salvia, and landscape roses.

Brookline, MA - Climbing rose adorning this trellis frames the view beyond.

Brookline, MA - A custom trellis provides a focal point and pulls the eye along the entire garden.

Brookline, MA - Summer in full swing provided by a blend of perennials, flowering trees and shrubs, and evergreen shrubs.

a garden to be wandered

The Brookline garden unfolds as a sequence of intimate outdoor spaces defined by stone borders, structured plantings, and a lush central lawn. Framed by flowering shrubs, clipped hedges, and trellises softened with climbing vines, the landscape invites slow movement and everyday use. Designed to feel enclosed yet welcoming, it offers a graceful balance of order and abundance, creating a timeless setting for quiet moments, family life, and seasonal enjoyment.

Brookline, MA - Nepeta, Alium, and landscape roses provide an exploion of color in early summer.

Brookline, MA - A private retreat in the city.

sun, shade, seclusion

This inviting garden blends a relaxed seating patio with flowering borders and open lawn, creating a space that feels both intimate and effortless. Brightly planted beds soften the stone paving, while umbrellas and comfortable furnishings encourage unhurried afternoons outdoors. Framed by mature greenery, the setting offers a welcoming balance of color, shade, and structure, making it a natural place to gather, unwind, and enjoy the changing seasons.

Brookline, MA - A checkerboard pattern in the lawn adds a unique interest to the garden.

Brookline, MA - Climbing rose softens the stone facade of the residence and provides a pop of color.

a playful twist

This refined entry garden blends structure and softness, using a checkerboard lawn pattern and circular planting bed to create a sense of arrival that feels both classic and inviting. Framed by clipped evergreens, flowering borders, and warm stone details, the space guides movement toward the home while offering moments to pause and take in the setting. The result is an elegant front landscape that reflects the home’s historic character while adding charm, order, and visual interest at the threshold.

this property in the news

Dramatic Landscaping Transformations | New England Home

Jim Douthit speaks with New England Home‘s Kaitlin Madden regarding the strategy and impact of a great property makeover. Examples of our projects in Brookline, Wellesley, Dover, Boston, and Weston are examined as Jim explains his perspective on “outdoor rooms.” As they say – seeing is believeing. Check out these amazing transformations and learn more […]

transformations - after - updated yard with plantings and gardens

Before and After: Enchanting English Garden | Traditional Home

Our Brookline Brownstone property gets the spotlight in this month’s Traditional Home. Walk through the iron gate to a Checkerboard Garden, where patterned pavers lead past a circular flower bed. View the pdf version here.

an urban garden in Brookline, Massachusetts

An Urban Garden in Massachusetts | Old House Online

Old House Online tells the story of how an avid gardener and a Blade of Grass reworked a streetside urban plot in Brookline to create private “rooms” along with lawns and perennial beds—while honoring the scale of the big old house.

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