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French Country Goes Low Maintenance
1 Mar, 2008 By: Bridget White LivescapesCalled "a sensitive integration of house and landscape" by the Landscape Design Awards Program, William Healy's vision for the Frazzitta family had to balance a long list of requirements to produce satisfied clients. And atop all the other specifications was a demand for lots of low-maintenance color.
 1 Traditionally French varieties such as lavender were chosen for the front of the house to invoke the French Country style favored by the client. |
"The clients had a definite vision in mind for their landscape," explains Healy. "Their idea was to create a glade of color in the woods. So I used an abundance of color, featuring perennials. Most importantly, I convinced them to change the architect's original driveway design. I created a circle drive so the center of the turnaround was square with their front door and the bridge leading to the house. It fit perfectly, and makes a perfect frame for the sunlit front of the house sitting amid colors of blue, lilac and pink."
 2 Hydrangeas are a favorite plant of Healy's. They can be depended on to give a great color display for an extended period of time. |
From the curves in the bridge to the color scheme to the choice of plant material, the French-country design of the house shaped the landscape. But it was the owner's knowledge of plants and love of gardening that continues to make such a sophisticated, complex design a successful showpiece.
 3 Healy wanted to retain the feeling of wooded seclusion by using native stone and extensive natural areas. |
A Color Story
Despite hauling in more than 100 tons of rock for retaining walls and constructing an entry bridge strong enough to support the weight of a fire truck, the real story of this landscape design is the use of color to evoke different feelings and themes.
 4 While echoing the pinks and lavenders found in the front yard, the backyard color scheme introduces yellows and oranges for more vibrancy. |
"Color started at the street entry with inviting white, pink, yellow and splashes of red the punch it up," says Healy. "The owner wanted color out by the street to make a welcoming presence, and we have tried to strengthen the effect by color echoing the same palate in the backyard."
 5 The use of deep beds allowed a wider variety of plant material, larger specimens and greater visual interest once the landscape matured. |
But the real showpiece came with the front gardens. Since the client wanted lots of flowers, 25-foot-deep beds were created to allow multiple layers of plant material. Designed to reflect the home's country French style, the front yard's design has a cottage-garden theme that focuses on blue, lilac and pink and relies heavily on lavender, roses, foxglove and hydrangeas.
 6 Healy's ideal plant offers both low maintenance and year-round visual interest with color and texture. |
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