Balcony Deck with Vertical Garden

Design notes

Mountain and cabin design lets the landscape lead. Look for heavy timber and log, stacked stone and boulders, steel and dark stains that recede against the trees, and decks and terraces that reach toward the view. Fire is central — a stone fireplace, a fire pit ringed with Adirondack chairs — and hot tubs earn their place. Planting is pines, aspens, grasses and wildflowers; paving is flagstone and gravel that can take the snow.

What to look for

• Weight — lightweight planters and mix, no wet soil in stone pots
• Wind and privacy handled with screens and planters, not walls
• One purpose per balcony: dine, lounge or grow