A Rockin' Garden

The project site was located on the east shore of Long Island, NY. The client had a long existing slope that was eroding. The estate landscape staff had previously planted a few juniper, cotoneaster and a few specimen spruce on the slope, along with spreading some gravel and placing a few boulders to create a rock garden and curb the erosion. But they also buried a few landscape ties and plywood on the slope. As seen in this "before" photo, it simply was "not very aesthetic," Einhorn points out.

The client wanted a low-maintenance area that would not be irrigated. He also wanted year-round interest and lots of summer color, as the area would be viewed from the indoor pool and sports center.

Einhorn's design concept was to keep the rock garden idea, and create a harmonious flowing area that would be tied together with large groupings of boulders and plantings that would look like they were placed by nature. The topography along the length of the slope was bermed in some areas and carved out in others to create more interest. Some areas are highlighted by the addition of "ostrich egg" gravel. Additional evergreen specimens were added as well.

Several ornamental grasses such as blue fescue, Miscanthus and Panicum were planted on the slope, as well as succulents and perennials that would not require much water.

"I enjoy using complementary colors adjacent in my designs, so I think the combinations of blood grass and juniper, 'Autumn Joy' sedums and pines, cotoneaster with Miscanthus and purple smoke tree as a backdrop to a specimen spruce work well together," Einhorn says.

Einhorn achieved seasonal variation by using early-blooming creeping phlox, through the summer with spirea, Agastache, lavender, Perovskia and Montauk daisy. For winter interest, he used the heavily berried cotoneaster and several specimen evergreens.

"This was a fun project where I was allowed to use my creativity with only having a sketch concept plan," Einhorn says. "It is hard to 'draw' a rock garden; for it to be successful, it has to be created on-site through the proper placement of rock, soil and plants."

But the challenges were worth it, he adds: "Both the client and I were very pleased with the results."