We recently finished this project. The home is a beautifully restored Victorian with a lovely screened in porch that leads out into the back yard. The home owners liked the look of a patio we had done using custom made cement pads with gravel. This is a great option as it is easy to maintain and water permeable.

Entertaining was a high priority. The garden area is surround by fence and buildings and lacked intimacy. The space is long and narrow so I decided to break it up into 3 areas. Patio, beds with a bit of lawn and then another patio. We used the flagstone that was already on the property and cutting it into the native soil to create the back patio. I think it would be a great place to put a portable fire-pit. We used viburnum spring bouquet, Savannah holly and Dynamite red Crape myrtles along the fences to create green walls.

Equally important to the homeowners was the sound of running water and a place to grow herbs and vegetables. It is important to have easy access to kitchen gardens if you really want to use them and keep them up. I think they are inviting, fun and great conversation pieces when entertaining. The low walls are easy to sit on while you plant or pull a few weeds. Having fresh herbs and produce straight from the garden is a real treat and they taste so much better!

The fountain is from Statuemakers. Valerie has been in business since 1966 http://www.statuemakers.com/. She has a wide selection of beautiful fountains. I love to go there, it is so relaxing and pleasurable to walk among all the flowing water. We have found that fountains choices are personal like picking a scarf or a sculpture. I do offer suggestions and had suggested a low modern ball fountain. I love the fountain they picked, it gives a nod back to the Victorian home and feels to me like it had been there for years and we just re-purposed it.

The back part of the garden is actually the utility easement and what was once a working ally. We had to be careful how we handled that area and didn’t use too much of the budget there since they never know when the city might need access. In the summer the row of Crape myrtles will be lovely with there stunning red blooms along the back fence.

Problem solving is a big part of design. How can we make a garden that is aesthetically pleasing, inviting and accomplishes the needs and desires of the client. Here is what we did! What do you think? Is this a space you would enjoy sharing with family and friends?

We still need to add the lighting which is on order from FX Luminaire http://www.fxl.com/  I will post more pictures when they have planted the beds with herbs and vegetables.

For process shots and more views check out http://www.houzz.com/projects/424814/Entertaining-surrounded-by-herbs-and-veggies-