BRENTWOOD — Before you ever enter a home in the new Windstone subdivision, you'll have already traveled through several "rooms."

At least that's what its landscape architects are striving for.

"We wanted the entrance to this community to be different. We created outdoor rooms using landscaping to give an effect that is really different from most neighborhood entries," said Ben Crenshaw, vice president of landscape architecture for Southern Land Co., the developer of Windstone.

"This area of Murray Lane, where Windstone is located, has an old country road feel. Most high-end neighborhoods use hardscape features, signage and such to draw attention to their area. We wanted this entrance to work with the feel of the road, the area," Crenshaw explained, adding the plan, pushing the hardscape back, allows the true stars of the show to shine.

"The plants are the focus here. They work with the country-road setting and will be beautiful all year 'round. Especially with all the evergreen plantings."

A tunnel effect was created by using Japanese cedar, which Crenshaw says is a tall evergreen tree, along with other evergreens such as the tea olive.

"We got experimental with plants used further south, Birmingham and Atlanta. By using such a large amount of evergreen, we create a magical feeling to the entryway. This community is in a valley with only 110 lots. We wanted a private, otherworld quality when you drive up," he said.

Other plants such as holly and magnolias add to the planting mix.

"We used over 100 magnolias at the entry. The backbone of the design is the evergreen; they create the walls of the room. The trees will create the ceiling and the flowering shrubs are the furniture. Finally, you add annuals for accessorizing," Crenshaw explained.

Flowering shrubs are key to the design as well. They provide visual excitement and are relatively easy to care for.

"We have been using a shrub rose, 'Nearly Wild,' because they look great and are maintenance-free. You cut them back every other spring and they can grow 2 or 3 feet every year. They have roses from the first of May until October with no spraying," Crenshaw said.

Other flowering shrubs used to create the outdoor room feel are azaleas and laurels.

In addition to annuals, perennials will add color all summer long. Crenshaw's staff chose iris, coneflower, hosta and gaura. "Adding pots with annual grasses and other interesting plantings are a great way to accessorize, too," he added.

Crenshaw believes the landscape design is different from any other in this area.

"We see this design more in the Atlanta area. It is heavily influenced in keeping the community in character with the setting. This is an exclusive community, and we wanted to set it off visually without breaking the character and charm of the old country road feel of Murray Lane."

Crenshaw says the design team is excited to have pushed the envelope in the entry design.

"By far, my favorite element to this design is that it is so heavy on the evergreen element. It is going to look great every day of the year. Some designs look good when the flowering shrubs are going, but then become weak. That we have invested in year-round beauty is what we have done differently."