The Petruzzis want to bring a little bit of Tuscany to their North Carolina home, and all the planners complied.

Shannon Hathaway of Green Heron Landscaping Inc. in Cary created a classic Tuscan garden that blends stone, foliage and fruit.

The plan includes a patio and some three-column pergolas with grapes growing over them to provide shade and an entranceway.

Hathaway wants to regrade the yard, take down the fence and provide privacy screening with plants.

"There was a big focus with the family on kitchen gardening and growing their own produce," she says.

Evergreens and seasonals

Calcar Bergen Design of Raleigh stressed seasonal color, with herb and perennial borders in full bloom, and a backbone of evergreens. Color and functionality were key.

"We've got a lot of natural stone, water, a lot of natural elements, a lot of herbs," says Calcar Bergen's Doug Cramer.

His plan has a lot of "built structure": pergolas, arbors, walls made of stucco, and entrance arbors of stucco and wood.

A Mediterranean flow

Evan Blewett of LandArts in Apex sought to balance serenity with an energetic flow that suits the Petruzzis' lifestyle.

"They're really an active family," Blewett says. "They want to use the outside in a lot of ways."

LandArts' design has walkways flanked by streams flowing down to a fish pond. There's a circular patio with a fire pit on the middle, and seating around it.

To surround the water feature, Blewett plans a Mediterranean rock garden with creeping herbs and low flowers.

"We're really trying to evoke a Tuscan landscape," Blewett says.

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