My house was built six years ago and the garden is a collection of anything that catches my eye as it expands each year. There is a nod to formal, a nod to cottage garden, a nod to traditional all of which is surrounded by field, forest, and a creek creating a charming mixture of things I like. The design works around the natural slope of the land which requires retaining walls on three sides of the house and a spring which I have somewhat channeled into feeding a goldfish pond and a koi pond. The koi pond is filtered by a plant bog and the continual flow from the spring. The backyard has a checkerboard of Corsican Mint and a flagstone patio with a fountain. Carson Creek runs the length of this nine acre property and includes two waterfalls. You can also hike from the property to The Camas Patch which is a lovely overlook of the Columbia River. I'll had a property map available if you want to take the time to explore. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the overlook and 10 minutes to walk up to the waterfalls. The property slopes from north to south and from east to west so there are steps and retaining walls everywhere.