The landscape design at a weekend home in Cragsmoor, NY, at the base of the Catskills, addresses challenging site issues while incorporating the property’s many positive natural features to create a beautiful and functional retreat from New York City. A patio is carved from the narrow space between the client’s home and existing steep slope. A bench along the length of the high retaining wall minimizes the wall’s scale. A deck built off of the front of the house affords a view of the property, while also creating a covered area for the season’s stacked wood. Features such as a recycled trench drain grate add warmth and visual interest. Native and deer-resistant plantings soften the transition between garden and the surrounding woodlands. An adjacent stream, initially visually and physically separated from the house and garden, was restored and reconnected.