July Project of the Month
17 Jul, 2009 By: Landscape Management Staff LDB Solutions
Designed by: Maria von Brincken, APLD
Maria von Brincken Landscape Garden Design, Sudbury, MA
www.mariavonbrincken.com
 This suburban Boston homestead suffered from a bit of an identity crisis, because — as seen in this "before" shot of the courtyard — the driveway layout forced visitors to approach the back of the two-story English style manor house first. |
 The house, now framed with trees and flower gardens complete with custom garden gate, solves the ambiguity, grounds and connects the house to its hardwood native landscape. In addition, the back gardens feature clumps of dwarf blue conifers, winterberry, shrubs, perennials, annuals and spring bulbs. They provide four-season display, and create an open outdoor room featuring a circular lawn. A handcrafted metal gate and fieldstone stepping stones invite garden strollers to or from the driveway gardens up to the house or down to the mailbox. Note that there is an intentional strolling loop throughout the landscape. |
The new formal courtyard garden features flowering annuals and winter greens arrangements in the containers and planting beds. Flowering vines grow on the house façade’s custom arbor and on the existing brick piers. The piers were enhanced with a new tall metal collar for the existing lamp. Circular steps and an enlarged landing were added to the corner family entrance. A snow melt system underlies them as well. The curving brick retaining wall, steps, landing, fountain with a unique granite boulder trough and planted bank each evoke the style of the house and its period with a contemporary twist. The sound of the fountain echoes throughout the courtyard and can be heard within the house. |
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 The bird garden offers a brick serpentine retaining wall and a garden planted with shade perennials that augment the existing conifer screen and previously planted shrubs and small trees. The kitchen windows overlooks this garden featuring bird feeders, both ground and pole structures, to offer food year-round for the songbirds and the wild turkeys that roam through the property. |
 The waterfall garden begins as the serpentine wall merges into a structural boulder. The waterfall and pond provide views from the breakfast room, water melodies, and water for wildlife. Eventually, it will connect to a larger pond by a cascading stream. |
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The drive gardens showcase restored meadows, perimeter native shrub borders, and perennial borders offering waves of perennial bloom — including the client’s day lily collection. |
The river birch garden is comprised of a wildflower garden set within a birch grove. A rustic fieldstone path leads to a bench swing and side gardens.
This project is part of the July “Member of the Month” profile created
by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. For more information, visit www.apld.com.
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