Inspiring City Gardens

Rectangular planters help provide privacy to this long, wrap-around terrace in Tribecca. Designer Brook Klausing says the plants help give a sense of movement while keeping the view of the Hudson River open and unobstructed.

Brook Klausing describes this garden, at a private residence, as "classic, regal and traditional." Symmetrical boxwoods border the red brick center with bluestone caps.

You might not guess that this courtyard sits atop the roof of 10-story urban building. Klausing designed it to have an organic, "been-there" feel, using a customized stone wall and limestone. The deck is inlaid Ipe, an exotic wood from South and Central America. "The plantings were kept very soft and loose to take away any sense of being strict," he says. An ornamental, salvaged architectural piece hides in the garden bed. This design is still in progress, Klausing adds; furniture is on the way.

Brooklyn-based landscape architect Brook Klausing specializes in garden design services for country estates, townhouses, brownstones and other urban, outdoor living spaces. For this recessed patio, the Kentucky native used reclaimed wood from the Coney Island boardwalk. A pendant lamp hangs from a tree over the seating area.