The removal of an old aboveground pool makes way for a backyard redesign with stone retaining wall, waterfall and koi pond, stairs, and patio of Connecticut whiteline granite. All the retaining wall stone was excavated onsite from below the deck, which becomes usable work and storage space. Future plans include a small stream that empties into the waterfall, edible gardens, an outdoor oven, and sugar shack.
This narrow space needed to be balanced with a wider path and the increased width also provides more space for energetic kids to pass through without disturbing plants. The fence provides a structure for chokeberries to be espaliered when they’re a little taller. The groundcover is Tiarella “Happy Trails” and lowbush blueberries. Hostas will be transplanted to other parts of the garden after the new perennials have a chance to fill out the space.
After
The property owner wanted to a garden that would feed a variety of bird species and redesign an area where large pines were removed. Native plants that bloom and fruit throughout the season were chosen in order to provide vegetation of various heights, attract insects, and produce nesting material and fruit for both migratory and resident birds. Plants chosen for the design included, but were not limited to: serviceberries, chokeberries, hazelnut, bayberry, lowbush blueberries, sweetspire, summersweet, wild columbine, cinnamon fern, and aromatic sumac. Finding wild strawberries in the weeds during garden prep was a nice surprise. They were transplanted as part of the garden border.
Part of the Tower Hill City Spaces and Country Places garden tour in 2015, this shady, hillside garden had been overrun with weeds for years. It was ugly and frustrating for the owner. She requested that invasive plants be removed and managed, a tree or shrub be planted to help screen the area from her neighbor’s back yard, the exposed ledge become a centerpiece of the garden, and the new design be integrated with existing landscaping. She requested for it to be a calm, peaceful design, with evergreen plants and reuse of existing plants, as possible. The ferns, moss, and gingers were transplanted from other areas of the garden prior to sheet mulching to manage the existing bishops weed.
Dwarf pear, plum, and apple trees will be trained on wires and pruned to encourage large fruit production in the small space. Using the existing topography, this swale allows stormwater from the back yard to water these espaliered fruit trees making this little-used narrow side yard more productive. After creating the swale, additional watering has been necessary during drought while the trees were establishing.
