Colder, darker days may be an inevitable part of the winter months, but they don’t have to diminish the beauty of your backyard. With the right features in place, you can ensure that your outdoor space remains green, warm and welcoming, even in the throes of winter weather.

Jim Sweeney, founder of Mom’s Landscaping & Design, has no clear recollection of why his company was originally contacted for what grew to become a massive hardscape/landscape project on the shores of Lake Minnetonka.

The Moultons built their house more than 10 years ago, with the intention of landscaping the 3-plus-acre site later. After living in the home for several years, they began enhancing their yard in stages, a process that took several more years to complete. To create their outdoor paradise, they turned to Mom’s and BellaWood Builders, its remodeling division. “They had a blank slate to work with,” Grossmann said of the Moultons’ site.

When Peter Taunton purchased a large lakeside lot in Minnetrista a few years ago, he knew he had a showcase property on his hands. Palmer Pointe occupies a busy corner of Lake Minnetonka, and the steep rise of the land makes it even more visible to passing boaters. Taunton, the founder and CEO of Snap Fitness, hired Eskuche Design and Denali Custom Homes of Wayzata, to build a stone-clad house at the top of the knoll, with a commanding view and an impressive aspect.