A Uniquely Created Garden

The owners asked us to create an interesting garden, something that was different for everything else in their neighborhood.

EXPERTISE

Landscaping

Tree Services

INVOLVEMENT

Design

Construction

This large Beaconsfield garden is a stark contrast with the site that we were presented with at the beginning of the project. The backyard was completely flat and the lawn was in poor condition due to the shade and acid soil beneath the large evergreens. The owners asked us to create an interesting garden, something that was different for everything else in their neighborhood. The clients did not want to remove the large trees, and growing grass under them was virtually impossible. Planting such a large flat area would have been uninteresting, as the view from the house would have lacked focal points. The solution was to add some contours to the land.

Our team worked through various concepts to come up with a design that worked. It was important to avoid changing the soil level immediately around the trees, which can cause the trees to suffer. Our final design was based on a long berm that snaked its way across a part of the yard, in the area visible from the main living spaces in the house. Large boulders were set into the slope, both helping to retain the soil and to create a landscape that resembled their cottage property.

After placing hundreds of tons of soil and stone, the garden was planted with a wide range of perennials and hardy shrubs. The perennials were planted in large groups to give the garden a natural feel and work with the scale of the garden. The property is located on a corner with a moderate level of traffic. In order to create some privacy in the backyard, a cedar hedge was installed on 2 sides of the property. A wooden arbor was constructed at the top of a natural stone staircase, “framing” the entrance to the backyard and brining guests into the garden at one of the best viewpoints.

An old concrete staircase that led from the driveway to the new back garden was crumbling and uninviting. Our masonry crews chipped away the loose concrete and poured a new stairway in place. The concrete was then covered in natural stone, creating a suitable secondary entrance to the backyard garden and deck area.

In the season following the construction of the backyard garden, our crews overhauled the front gardens, using the varieties of shrubs and perennials found in the back garden. The selection of similar plant material gives the property a unified look.