Some backyards almost ask for a redesign. This yard, tucked on a quiet street surrounded by trees, was the perfect opportunity to substitute the worn out, high maintenance lawn for plants.  “Being that the lawn was in the shade, it was more effort than it was worth to keep the grass looking somewhat healthy. Also, mowing it was no simple chore,” shares landscape designer Kevin McQuade.

Maintenance was not the only motivating factor in eliminating the lawn. As soon as you enter the backyard of this residence it feels as if you are in a nature preserve. Tall trees surround the yard and a generous wood deck perched on the hillside invites you to sit and relax. The homeowners enjoyed the tranquility their deck afforded and wanted the rest of the yard to add to that experience and embrace the woodland setting. 

“We took the opportunity of removing the sod to evaluate water movement in the hilly yard and install a dry creek bed to accommodate some of the water,” explains Kevin. “The natural stones will beautifully accommodate a lot of the water runoff while lending a bit of winter interest. We added more stones in the form of a stepping path to allow for ease of travel across the garden.”

The setting calls for shade loving plants and Kevin selected some that would stand out while in bloom, without looking too planned. “I incorporated large swaths of plants that would do well in shade, had some interesting blooms and would look natural in such a setting,” explains Kevin.

To finish the new landscape, pine straw was selected to help hide some of the natural litter created by a woodland setting such as leaves and twigs. With pine straw, it all simply blends into the landscape. If we would have used hardwood, the leaf litter would have looked unkempt and taken away from the natural feel we wanted to embrace with this new landscape. 

If you have a landscape that calls for a redesign, call us. We can help you see the full potential of your landscape and make it a reality.