A CUSTOM GARDEN PLAN (Garden Story)

The following is an example of one of our Garden Plans:

Your new garden will be a place of relaxation and an environment where natural beauty and modern garden art will be appreciated. As you approach the front yard a striking picket fence attracts your attention. Undulating waves update the traditional cottage fence, adding movement and a touch of the unexpected to a structure that will enclose the front garden and add to it’s intimacy. As you approach the front entry this fence and a row of ornamental flowering trees add beauty and screen movement and noise coming from the street. A pair of Royal Raindrop Crabapples flank the sidewalk. Their burgundy tinted leaves and pink spring flowers add color and beauty to the garden year round. It has disease resistant foliage and small persistent fruit for the birds. Miss Kim Lilac will scent the garden in spring. Gold Flame Spirea will add color to the spring garden with gold and red leaves. Summer brings pink flowers and it’s leaves turn from green back to red in the fall.

A flagstone path under planted with the groundcover Wooly Thyme leads to the Keyhole Garden. It’s focal point could be a striking birdbath or sculpture surrounded by white Seafoam Roses and the purple flowering groundcover Crystal River Veronica. Elijah Blue Fescue grass frames the path with a bench at the end. This evergreen ornamental grass looks good all year and never needs mowing! A low berm on the north side of the keyhole garden is planted with Austrian pines and the red shrub rose Knockout. This berm will add privacy and enclosure to the keyhole garden. A variety of colorful shrubs surround the keyhole and bring color, flowers and berries for the birds all year.

Across from this garden, by the fence, is a spot for a water drum or bubbling urn fountain. Surrounded by cobble rock and more Elijah Blue Fescue this feature will add the sound of water to your front garden and make your entry stand out. By removing the rose bush and trimming back the quince shrub your entry becomes more open. A new stair will surround the porch, allowing access to the front and side. Place a grouping of your colorful ceramic pots planted with seasonal flowers around and on the stair. The overall effect will be a wide, graceful entry which will allow the chi or good energy to flow in and around your front door.

Your side garden will be divided into two areas. Along the picket wave fence it will be a perennial garden with your existing flowers. Planted thickly and mulched well, it will be colorful and lower maintenance. Blue Rug Juniper will add year-round color at the corner and along the sidewalk. Moving the side entry further north than it’s present location will create shallow steps that are easier to navigate. A gate and arbor will tell your guests where to go. Two Princess Kay Plums will shade the house from the afternoon sun. They have white flowers and beautiful burgundy bark. A multi-trunked Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry will provide light shade and spring flowers followed by berries that the robins will make short work of. These trees will grow lower than the power lines, so there will be no need for trimming when they reach their mature height. Planted along the six foot fence will be a variety of drought tolerant native plants. Buffalo Berry has silver leaves and red berries. Apache Plume has white floewers and feathery pink seed heads. Rabbitbrush has golden fall flowers that are favored by painted lady butterflies. Winter color here is provide by the upright Cologreen Juniper and the spreading Blue Rug Juniper.

In the back yard I’ve designed a bi-level deck. The upper deck is covered with a pergola for shade, it also has room for your BBQ. The lower deck will be a step above grade, removing the need for expensive stairs and hand rails. This deck has plenty of room for a dining table and for a seating area under the shade of the Cedar. By removing the larger lower branch of the juniper you will increase your headroom and bring more light into the house.