Project of the Month: Garden Entrances
19 Nov, 2009 LDB SolutionsDesigned by: Suzanne Arca
Suzanne Arca Design, Albany, CA
www.suzannearcadesign.com
Entering a garden can be an event, or a practical approach to the home. In working on a garden from the ground up, the entrance to the home through the garden is one of the most important aspects of the entire project. Working with the client on color palette, doors, gates, walls, paths, lighting and plants are all part of the entrance or “doorscape.” Structures are placed, the flow and width of the pathways, colors of the house, plants and hardscape interact to create the first impression of the garden, and provide an emphatic preview of the garden experience to come.
Architecture will dictate the style that should be addressed in the garden design. Accessories that are chosen to complement the architecture are what complete the experience, and bring the house and garden together. The entry garden is the linkage between interior and exterior, and encourages the visitor to pass from one space to another. Entrances can be subtle and blend with the home, or call attention and invigorate the mundane. The garden entrance should inspire, entice, and add an element of anticipation.
All the garden entrances presented below are located in various communities around the San Francisco Bay Area. The architecture ranges from industrial warehouse to Tudor Revival, and contemporary to Queen Anne Victorian. The entrances are main access points or side entrances, and the complexity or simplicity of the design solutions are customized to each garden ... as it should be.
Brady Residence
 |
 After |
| Before |
Often an entrance is designed as a locator to enter a building. But this particular project, open and sweeping in its composition, required a smaller, more meditative space where the client could retreat. The side entrance into the back garden functions not only as a traditional transition from the kitchen to garden, but as a refuge providing a sense of intimacy and quiet. The design reflects the adjacency of the kitchen to the patio in terms of its architecture, framing and materials.
Felts Residence
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Before | After |
The original entrance to the Felts residence was simple and utilitarian. Mitigation of the lawn, which required tremendous amounts of maintenance and water, was paramount. The original brick pathway was removed and the route of the path redirected to soften the progression from the street to the front door, as well as add interest and gesture to the design. The addition of a new planting on the south side of the path affords an asymmetrical balance between the lawn and Thymus groundcover, while solving water and maintenance issues.
Wincorn Residence
 |
 |
| Before | After |
The original woodland garden at the Wilcorn residence used to be desolate and uninspiring. The Quercus in the deck and the foothills beyond begged to be wrapped in a rustic shawl of autumnal color and seasonal interest. Descending the stairs on the northwest side of the garden, the visitor now walks a path embellished with a ruffle of ground Geranium, native Iris, Dianella and Heuchera. The view up the slope reveals Viburnum turning crimson, Cornus and understory plants that sprawl and cascade over the granite boulders.
Talking House Productions
 |
 |
| Before | After |
This industrial warehouse, converted to a music studio and residence, was in dire need of a comfortable retreat. Disguising adjacent 25-ft. walls on either side of the proposed garden space was not an easy task. On entering the space, strong vertical plant choices and a lush understory keep the eye focused within the space. Ficus has already begun its task of softening the looming walls with a green tracery. Greeting the visitor on entering is the architectural curvature defined by the copper wall culminating its sweep, as the arc meets the copper fountain on the far side.
Reno Residence
 Before |
  |
| After |
The architecture of this Queen Anne Victorian home begged for a grand entrance. It was vital to unify the space and components to inspire a sense of welcome and arrival. The linear side garden was organized using the classic formality of lines, structural elements, and repetition of hard and softscape materials. The arbor was used to frame views of the gate and pond on one side and the pool at the rear.
The client often uses the street entrance and side garden as a guest entrance or passage from the street to the rear entrance of the house. The idea was to create an outdoor foyer using a formal plant palette, hand-scored integral colored concrete, and articulated woodwork of clear heart redwood. The fence was not only a unifying aspect of the entire project, but was used to conceal pool equipment and afford privacy.
Renaldi Residence
 Before |
 |
| After |
The wide-open garden space and lack of a formalized pathway made the house seem unapproachable. Humanizing the approach with a curving black slate path and the arching canopy of Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’ add to the welcoming effect. Pots repeating across the ironwork balcony and the sea of green foliage accented with the one emphatic Phormium sentinel soften the approach, and give depth and buffer layering that did not exist before.
Friman Residence
 |
 |
| Before | After |
The challenge in the Friman project was to meld the entrance of the home with a garden that would emphasize the Tudor Revival architecture and link proposed hardscape areas without overwhelming the visitor with a sea of brick. The client’s needs required reinvigoration of the existing driveway and integrating it with the home and the new pathway. Materials were chosen to reflect features of the house, while the plant buffer between the drive and path softens the hard surfaces. The dark tones of the Phormium and Cercis leaves blend with the house trim, while contrasting with the lighter colored variegated Abelia, Liriope and Pieris.
This project is part of the November "Member of the Month" profile created by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. For more information, visit www.apld.com.
Please send any technical comments or questions to our webmaster.