Our favorite stairs are the ones that are part of the garden, nestled right in to something green. We found ten we like by some of Gardenista's favorite architects and landscape designers, many of whom are members of the Remodelista + Gardenista Architect/Designer Directory. Some are stone, some are wood, all are nicely settled in:
Above: In a San Francisco city garden, a two-tiered stone staircase ascends a 25-foot hill that rewards climbers with striking views. It's featured in
Landscape Architect Visit: A Modern Makeover for a San Francisco Grande Dame, by Scott Lewis. Photograph by
Mark Darley courtesy of
Scott Lewis Landscape Architecture.
Above: In a garden by landscape architecture firm
Edmund Hollander, a trio of stone stairs divides a series of terraced flower beds. It's featured in the book
The Good Garden: The Landscape Architecture of Edmund Hollander Design. Photograph by Charles Mayer courtesy of The Monacelli Press.
Above: Architect
Jonathan Feldman built a stone staircase into a wooded hillside between two Mill Valley, California, cottages—one designed for yoga, the other for art. Read about the pair in
Feldman Architecture: Cottages in the Mill Valley Forest. Photograph by
Joe Fletcher courtesy of Feldman Architecture.
Above: Landscape architect
Robin Key has been restoring parts of her Londonderry, Vermont property for years, including its 1806 farmhouse and an apple orchard. Extensive stone walls and stairs wind through the property, built entirely from stone collected on site. Photograph by
Peter Mauss courtesy of Robin Key.
Above: For a Connecticut vacation home, Key employed stone terraces, walls, and stairs to link the main residence with its outbuildings and sports courts. Photograph by
Francine Fleischer courtesy of Robin Key.
Above: A moss-covered stair is flanked by hardy
Muhlenbergia capillaris grasses in a garden by LA firm
Griffin Enright Architects. Learn more in
Pink Grasses: 11 Ideas for Muhlenbergia in a Landscape. Photograph courtesy of Griffin Enright Architects.
Above: Designer
Chris Moss used black painted concrete stairs to lead from the house to his long and narrow London terrace garden. See the rest in
Designer Visit: The Black and Green Garden of Chris Moss. Photograph by
Marcus Harpur courtesy of Chris Moss.
Above: Landscape architect
Tait Moring laid trails and stairways throughout his 22-acre Texas property. See the whole garden in
Landscape Architect Visit: At Home with Tait Moring in Austin, TX. Photograph by
Dennis Burnett courtesy of Tait Moring.
Above: A stepped walking trail on the half-acre grounds of
Jacky Winter Gardens guesthouse outside of Melbourne, featured in
Garden Visit: A Fern-Filled Forest in Australia. Photograph by
Rhiannon Taylor courtesy of Jacky Winter Gardens.
Above: San Francisco landscape architects
Pedersen Associates designed a heavy stone stairway to lead to a converted garage behind a Mill Valley house. Photograph courtesy of Pedersen Associates.
N.B.: This post is an update; it was first published Sept. 22, 2016.
For more garden inspiration, see the 10 Best Garden Design Trends for Fall 2016 and don't forget to check out Our New Gardenista Book.
