Oftentimes a large landscape is a collection of spaces with unique features and uses: swimming pool, lawn, edible garden, deck, dry creek bed and formal planting gardens. But what if your space is generous and designated exclusively for plants? How do you approach such a large design and installation and the ongoing care? Such is the case at our new office on Route 50. What was once an expansive lawn and generous beds of overgrown, out-dated shrubs is now a garden.
The first thing to note is even plant centric gardens are not solely dependent on plants: all gardens need the inclusion of other elements to be successful and interesting year-round. To start, we added hardscape elements in the form of walls: more for aesthetics than to hold up a steep grade. In fact, what was a rather gentle slope away from the building has been emphasized with walls composed of boulders and sheets of metal. The walls lend the garden new textures and colors while creating distinct levels within the landscape. This is a great way to accentuate plantings, transition from garden themes or add topographical interest to an otherwise flat landscape.