Move the Driveway

This house, although set back 90 feet from the road, has a driveway that runs straight up to within 2 feet of the front of the house. There's plenty of room between for a circular drive, leaving a spur to the kitchen door at the side of the house. The drive in front can be removed, and replaced with a welcoming garden.

Possibilities Imagined

Imagine what your yard could be! I will show you amazing possibilities using photos of your yard enhanced by computer collage. I design landscapes to your specifications; from a simple spruce-up to a total transformation. I can work with your favorite color scheme, family needs, and can budget projects over time.

The first photo shows the yard as is, the next 3 are my collages, showing possible designs. In all cases we kept the fence and large trees, adding stone work and plants, but created very different gardens. The view of the neighbor's house is screened to make a more intimate garden.






More Before and "After" Collages



This back yard was a big lawn surrounded by large trees. When the couple sat in the dining room (3 windows with skylights in the center of the house) there was no focal point outside except a tiny birdbath plopped in the middle of the expanse. The birdbath was given a better scale in a raised stone-walled bed (out of the dogs' way). Even in winter the stone bed with bird bath add a sculptural element. A multistemmed amelanchier was added for shade near the deck, underplanted for Summer color. Flowering shrubs around the lawn ease the transition to tall trees. A field stone bench makes a destination to view the garden.



This small city yard is used every day as a play area by the small children in the family, and occasionally for adult entertaining.

So the main area was kept mostly lawn. The house was spruced up with some paint and a new door. A flowering tree screens the neighbor's tarpaper eyesore, while giving afternoon shade to cool the house, and is pretty and fragrant from the bedrooms upstairs. A climbing hydrangea covers a blank wall on the left, perennials add color. Round pavers lead to the children's play area.

The forsythias were lovely in April, when it was still too cold to use the screen porch.In the warm weather, they formed a solid green wall against the screen, blocking light and view.

So we replaced them with shade tolerant perennials, bulbs and ferns that would spread the bloom time out from Spring to Fall. Now the family can enjoy the cross breeze on the porch, and view the garden changing with the seasons.




This new path needed a reason to curve; we put in a Hinoki cypress, Mugo pine and some lovely lichen-covered stones, The perennials were color coordinated to the seasons; this is June; blues and purples.