Big Picture: Garden oasis

April 15, 2015 - By LM Staff

: This “before” picture shows the sunroom addition’s bleak view of an uninviting outdoor space.

: The geometry of the paving stones makes a bold graphic statement against the green turf, while the proportions mirror the shapes of the window mullions.

: The garden is L-shaped, with the back entrance to the house in the side yard. A clump form bamboo Fargesia Green Panda softens the architecture’s hard edges.

: A gate from the parking area in the alleyway leads to the space.

: The arc of cobblestone slices through the flagstone, leading to the back door. Irrigated pots with colorful annuals create a welcoming entrance.

: The granite column fountain can be enjoyed from both the alfresco dining table and the sunroom behind it.

: The view from inside shows how the garden wraps around the sunroom. The climbing structure is a favorite place for the cats to lounge.

: Foliage textures and colors contrast and repeat throughout the space to create a unified whole.

: The side yard’s “before” view, from the kitchen down the long, narrow alleyway.

: The side yard’s “after” view: The grill has its own small-grid-pattern patio, surrounded by river rock and plantings.

: Next to the grill, a bar table is made of the same reclaimed wood as the dining table.

: At night, the ambiance changes, thanks to low-voltage landscape lighting and a series of candles in lanterns hung on the fence.

: Traditional Pennsylvania flagstone set in concrete was chosen to be solid and clean, but its staggered pattern suggests a loose sand-set pathway.

: The garden is designed for small parties and intimate dinners — minutes away but far removed from the bustle of city life.

LOCATION: Washington, D.C.

COMPANY: Botanical Decorators, Olney, Md.

THE DETAILS: The clients wanted a modern garden to serve as the main entrance to their newly renovated townhouse. The space needed to accommodate the needs of three dogs, two cats and two urban professionals amid satisfying the uses of dining, cooking, entertaining and gardening.

Botanical Decorators installed artificial turf for the pets, and a tree grows up out of the turf to enhance the natural atmosphere. Because traditional hardwood mulch is messy in this kind of site—and too appealing to the cats—it was replaced with a finely textured river rock.

The side yard now is an outdoor grilling area, bedecked with lush but simple plantings such as espaliered camellias, clump form bamboo and a coral-barked Japanese maple. A cobblestone arc visually expands the narrow space and bridges the area between the flagstone tiles and the back door.

This this project also earned a National Landscape Awards of Excellence Grand Award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Photos: Jasper Colt