Hy's Garden, Toronto: A garden 6' x 17' in an alcove between two row houses. Designed for a criminal law office in a downtown Toronto alleyway, this is a garden of fluidity and movement, rhythm and dance. Enclosed by a six foot cedar fence and trellis, the garden is so small that detailing and structure were used to make the garden seem larger than it is. When inside, you see it truly works - by creating a dry granite pebble stream on the diagonal; by dividing the space in half, producing intrigue for an unknown space on the other side; by directing the eye to layers of distinct details and features; by capturing elements of the alleyway outside and bringing them into the garden; and by working with the life-forces of yin and yang.
"The mood of the garden outside my office changes with the seasons and I find myself filled with a feeling of calm and serenity from this piece of living art. I certainly got more than I bargained for and thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Dennis on it." Hy Rosenberg, criminal lawyer, Toronto

Denis' Garden, Toronto: A stone and steel garden for a high-tech Toronto townhouse. The geometry and materials of the garden are linked to those of the interior. The steel and glass wall sculpture at the front porch is a template for the architecture of the 15' x 15' back garden. The blue and green steel stairs unite the house with the garden. Clematis covering the silver and blue steel screen encloses a stone sitting-wall and a round stone terrace. A small round pond is fed by water cascading down a 19' steel water trough set in an alcove beside the townhouse.

Dennis and Elissa's Garden, Toronto: A kitchen and perennial garden called "Nature's Arc." A curved stone wall captures the life-force of the garden, and encloses a square stone terrace strengthening the feeling of being at home. Diagonally placed stepping stones from the blue deck to the stone terrace add visual tension, and make the 16' x 30' garden feel larger. At the rear of the garden, clematis and honeysuckle climb the woodland-like trellis of cedar poles and willow branches.

Simmons' Garden, Don Mills, Ontario: A garden in which to practice yoga, inspired by the dry-raked pebble stream called the "River of Life" at the garden of Daisen-in Temple, Kyoto, Japan. The garden space is clearly delineated by a cedar fence, a 4" x 4" post-and-beam structure and a hedge of yews. Light filtering through the fence bestows the garden with an impression of shimmering waves. The garden is simple in format, focusing on a meandering dry pebble stream punctuated with three clusters of Kingston sandstone boulders, which is surrounded by an expansive bed of periwinkles. The yoga platform faces east toward the rising sun.

"The garden of rocks, dry river and greenery is a reminder of my oneness with all that is. It is a place for me to be still." Sheila Simmons, yoga teacher

Joy's Garden, Toronto: A raked-pebble garden for a townhouse defined with impeccable classical symmetry in the Rosedale section of Toronto. The garden was inspired by the primal geometry of Spanish sculptor Antoni Tapias. Black granite monoliths are set in a square of white pebbles, framed by a mass of white flowering azaleas set within a low boxwood hedge, and a hedge of goldflame spirea. Subtle touches of color appear from the white flowering star magnolia, the magenta-flowering rhododendron, the yellow-orange fall colors of the goldflame spirea, and the bronze leaves of the Norway maple. Picking up leaves from the pebbles on a cool fall day is a meditation that helps clear the mind.  "The garden is perfect for me. It is an oasis of tranquillity and provides me with a feeling of refuge from a hectic world. Tending to the sand garden is a perfect way to calm my mind and refocus." Joy Brigham, travel executive

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