As stories often do, this one began with a wedding. Wanting to revamp her garden in time for her the Big Day, the mother-of-the bride was referred to me by her longtime landscaper. We met one afternoon, and—through a combination of sheer desperation and intuitive confidence—she hired me. We started with an ambitious redesign of the entire property but soon came to our senses. With less than a year before the June 2014 wedding and winter threatening, we needed to focus and phase. The primary setting for the event determined the first area of attack: the crumbling swimming pool. Built over twenty years prior, the pool and its surrounds had not aged has gracefully as the house. Tree roots had penetrated the pool walls and heaved the paving. Wisteria consumed the pergola, and the shrubs expanded beyond the bounds of attractiveness.
We selected sleek white Valders Limestone to replace the dated brick-and-bluestone. The client delighted in seeing the problematic trees and shrubs removed, revealing an inviting expansiveness that she had never imagined. The house itself also seemed to breathe easier, reaching out towards the landscape instead of turning its back on it. The first impression of the wedding guests was her second concern. I proposed opening views to the property beyond upon arrival, giving glimpses of the majestic trees and reclaiming the spaciousness of the site. We selected Redleaf maples to surround the motor court, their burgundy leaves a bold statement befitting her own strong sense of style. Completed in plenty of time for the wedding, the landscape was embraced by the family—the location for one special day in all their lives and site of many memories to come.
The entry gates open to reveal a view of the full width of the property.
The client and I selected Redleaf maples to surround the entry court, inspired by the burgundy details throughout the interior of the house and reflecting her sense of style.
The burgundy leaves are a bold contrast to the emerald lawn and rich laurels.
Majestic trees lie beyond the entry court in a park-like expanse of lawn.
Pachysandra frames a sculptural Beech tree, a focal element in the landscape.
Pale Valders Limestone provides an elegant contrast to the dark swimming pool.
A black basalt tile under the coping creates a clean line, and the dark water reflects the nearby trees.
A minimal composition of hedges, lawn and trees complement the clean lines of the new pool.
Crisp layers of hedges play against the sculptural trees.
A simple palette of materials, both hard and soft.
Overgrown wisteria was pruned back to reveal the pergola at the end of the pool.
The limestone-and-gravel path leads from the pool to the tennis court.
Pea gravel fills the joints between the limestone slabs.
Where it once seemed to curl away from the landscape, the house now opens towards it.
Boxwoods in zinc planters sit upon a gravel French drain that collects roof runoff.
Brick forms the border between gravel and grass at the French drain.
Otto Luykens Laurels line a brick path that leads to the park-like landscape.
A sprawling oak reigns over one corner of the property, framed by a border of Laurels and Rhododendrons.
credits
Whitmore - Landscape Contractor and Garden Maintenance
Pristine Pools - Masonry and Pool Renovation
Stephen Brierley - General Contractor
Lauren Coleman - Photography
