Contemplative Garden

From really-bad-before-garden to rough ideas and concepts to demolition and sitework to phased installation, this small backyard garden is gradually being transformed into a jewel-like, very private, contemplative garden. Check back for more progress shots. We are doing the planting this weekend. Yay!

Here is a list of the changes we made:

-- removed existing unsafe deck
-- removed small kitchen window
-- covered over the small door in the corner and removed the concrete steps and small stoop roof
-- removed existing cracked concrete patio and narrow concrete sidewalk
-- removed existing fence and a length of the hedge
--removed deteriorating concrete retaining wall

--added french doors where the small window had been
--kitchen totally remodeled and solar-tube installed
--constructed much larger bi-level deck of ipe hardwood
-- added shade pergola, built in benches with storage underneath
--added built-in planters
--installed outdoor low-voltage landscape lights and step lights
--added exterior sconces on house
--constructed garden pond with waterfall, fountain and stone slab for bronze sculpture
--large accent boulders that double as seating
--circular paved patio
--planted shade tree(clump aspen) near deck and other plantings -- no lawn! -- for low maintenance gardening
--large slate-slab stepping stones on pathway
--dry-stack slate retaining wall and slate steps replace crumbling wall and unsafe concrete steps
--constructed bermed garden with dry stream bed to visually connect an overflowing-urn fountain to the small pond.
--locations for contemplative sculptures designed into the planting plan

100 photos | 3,813 views

items are from between 13 Jun 2008 & 01 Jul 2008.