Landscaping: Dalhousie 001

This project in Dalhousie was created as the forever home for a pair of creative people who came from a background in film and set design and they have a passion for cool cars and plants. When they reached the decision to stay and upgrade their current home it meant a total outdoor renovation starting with all new siding, windows and doors, plus some large tree removals and a new fence. After meeting us at the Home + Garden show they decided we were the right company to help them put the rest of the garden back together. The existing garden was home to a collection of over 650 plants, including some Itoh peonies and other somewhat rare specimens. Designing a planting plan for a plant collector is difficult as it means finding a way to showcase the more rare plants while also using others to tie everything together and not look busy. A garden with ‘strong bones’ can also help to achieve this via the choices of hardscaping.

In the frontyard a new walk was created using a slab paver called “Dimensional Flagstone” along with products from the same family for the steps and garden walls. In keeping with other house renovations, a contemporary design was chosen with an offset blocky pattern in a generous width, welcoming visitors to the front door.

The deck is made with Azek composite decking for a long life and the mahogany color contrasts with the siding and other hardscape elements beautifully. The hot tub is incorporated into part of the deck and sunken in for a built in look and make getting in and out a breeze. The other area for seating is a patio with a small garden wall surround toward the back of the garden where it overlooks the water feature. A contemporary fire table with a 150,000 BTU burner gives this area four seasons of use and we are told is a “Great place to nap” with the warmth from the fire table and the pleasant sound of the water feature. To unify the space and tie it together we used the same Dimensional Flagstone and Kodah walling that was used in the front yard for the patio and walks.

The water feature is made from natural stone and recirculates the water over some small falls and riffles down to the pond for a pleasing sound in the garden. This feature also attracts many birds and insects like dragon flies to the garden truly bringing the space to life. This was one of the features where the clients wanted to provide input and after providing the initial inspiration photos, they also consulted as the construction took place to ensure we stayed true to their vision and it is now “Our favorite part of the garden”.

The final touch is all the plants which bloom all through the year, so it is a new garden on every visit with something new to discover tucked away or shouting from across the garden for a closer inspection. The removal of mature evergreens means it is now a much sunnier space so there are lots of showy flowering plants as well as depth in the colors and textures of foliage. As is often the case with a garden that has this much diversity it is a living breathing entity and a rewarding hobby for the owners as they occasionally move plants to different locations and try new things.