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"      HERBAL OASIS A walkway running the length of this garden leads to home\u00ADowner Robert Meltzer&amp;#039;s office, which is housed in a little gray cottage. The simple grid pattern of gravel footpaths around small rectangular beds allows easy access for snipping fresh herbs and flowers. A white gate (at left) provides entry to the driveway and the main house nearby.    Once his 9-acre property had been laid out as a naturalistic environment with woodlands, wetlands, and a wildflower meadow, homeowner Robert Meltzer turned his attention to the grounds near the house. Closer to home, Meltzer wanted a traditional kitchen garden with old- fashioned roses, perennials, and herbs. He took inspiration from Virginia&amp;#039;s Colonial Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, where small outbuildings act as focal points and anchor the surrounding landscape. Meltzer placed the herb garden between his garage and a frame cottage that serves as his office. Nine straight paths intersect to form 13 rectangular beds; fencing outlines their perimeters. Roughly 40 by 60 feet, the enclosed plot has the feel of a secluded retreat. In addition to the standards\u2014mint, thyme, sage, and chives\u2014other perennials yield a succession of blooms from May to October. An abundance of creamy yellow roses frames the herbal yellows, silvers, and lavenders\u2014a Mediterranean color scheme. &amp;quot;Since so many silver herb plants are fuzzy, that became a recurrent texture,&amp;quot; says Meltzer&amp;#039;s collaborator, New York City\u2013based landscape designer Edwina von Gal. The heady scents of the plants and flowers heighten the sensual experience.       WELCOMING ENTRY This plain white wooden gate establishes a clear transition from the adjoining lawn of the rose garden. The gravel path is bordered on both sides by chives. Such restraint\u2014planting one variety of herb en masse\u2014adds drama, focusing the eye on what lies ahead. In this case, it&amp;#039;s a group of bearded mahogany-colored irises across the lawn, which accentuates the chives&amp;#039; hue when viewed through the gate. The path&amp;#039;s brick edging, a practical touch, prevents gravel from spreading into the grass or the soil.         HIGH AND LOW A wood-framed chain-link fence serves as the backdrop for this exuberant display of towering hollyhocks. The red and pink blooms (top) back up fluffy clumps of yellow lady&amp;#039;s mantle. Additional height and visual interest are provided by stone pots sitting atop pedestals (one shown) and planted with society garlic, whose lilac-hued blossoms last into early autumn. Filling containers with late bloomers (such as Japanese anemones or sedums) and interspersing them within garden beds cleverly prolongs the flowering season.    "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.elledecor.com/design-decorate/a1190/fresh-fragrant-39478/>