From cottage to mansion, front entry garden landscapes reimagined, welcome you from the street to your front door. Beautiful and functional landscaped spaces and colorful flower gardens also solve site problems. ‘Before’ and ‘After’ images show you the transformations.
Farmhouse Gardens
Before Ordinary and messy. After Four Season plantings with mix of pollinators and ornamental grasses. Containers add to the color palette. A beautiful chair invites you to linger and enjoy the garden as a retreat and the view of the pollinator meadow garden beyond. Slab steps, curving walls, ornamental grasses, and a large scale arbor and gate create a special four season garden that beckons you to the side yard.
Contemporary Shade Gardens
Before House and front door hidden from view. After Gracious paver landings, deep tread granite steps, and contemporary styled stone walls pull out the front entry and confirms the contemporary style. The visible front entry invites you in and replaces the rotting wood steps. The front door becomes a place to hang out in the shady gardens in the colors of yellow, white, and green. The side garden path/patio accommodates a small bistro tables and two chairs. The coral bark maple at the home’s corner softens the tall roofline and defines the front of the house.
New Construction Colonial
Before This new construction had a severe slope that looked like it was invading the house when you were looking out. After Retaining walls and terraces created a guest parking space, sitting terrace, four season flower gardens, curving brick front path, a grove of coral bark maples with slab stepping stones to the back.
New Addition with Pergola
Before New addition needed transition, parking, walk to front door, access to side door, and barn drive. After Pergola dining area with granite posts and vines and night lighting and and herb garden with cobble sections. The hanging bench swing invites you into the wisteria covered outdoor dining and game area. The bluestone path to leads to the front door and defines guest parking. New guest parking area. A curving fieldstone retaining wall with a flower garden fronts the new addition next to the drive. The barn turn-around drive curves easily to barn & garage. Every aspect of the design seamlessly merges the new addition to original home.
Courtyard Gardens English Country
Before A blah and ugly entry court. After A paved courtyard with octagonal details (and snow melting), classic fountain, sitting wall, four season flower gardens, birch wildflower grove with bench swing, urns filled with seasonal arrangements, flowering vine trellis that echoed the design of the windows, lighting, and more.
1800’S Farmhouse
Before Overgrown with ratty path close to house. After Rose arbor, new ‘old brick’ walk meandering within the door-yard garden designed to evoke the “grandmother garden” of all. Antique containers, old granite steps, lighting complete the vision. 17 years later, I was asked to design the period piers and street entry walls and gardens. I worked with the masons to insure the walls would like like they were built a century ago.
Traditional Split Entry
Before You couldn’t see the house. After A curving retaining wall, new walk and front steps, room for a guest to park near wall, four season low maintenance flower gardens for “non-gardeners” , lighting, ornamental rocks and more.
Contemporary Cottage
Before Renovated cottage needed a contemporary entry to complete the look. The land sloped and drained to the house and there was no defined parking. After Contemporary entry with defined parking and no water issues. A retaining wall, steps, upper and lower walks, lattice fencing, arbor (it echoed the arch over the front door), and plantings (including a pollinator meadow garden) completed the transformation.
