Get a big impact from small gardens

| April 27, 2017 | 0 Comments

GARDEN designer Libby Simon surrounded by low-water ground cover on Windsor Blvd.

Small gardens can have a huge impact. Just ask garden designers Judy Horton and Libby Simon, who have crafted several front, and back, yards over the years.

Three are on north Windsor Blvd.

Like elsewhere throughout the city, the former broad lawns have been replaced with lush, native flora, favorites of bees and butterflies.

Monarchs to moths visit when the plants are in bloom, said Megan Boudreau at her 1922 bungalow. “I love it. I’m very happy with it,” she said of the garden design.

NATIVE plants and butterflies abound in Megan Boudreau’s yard.

She bought her 1922 bungalow in 2002, leaving behind Ithica, NY. She enjoys her “walkable neighborhood” and doesn’t miss living on a third of an acre with tall white pine and deer passing through, and lots and lots of snow.
Her new home had a very different challenge — a years-long drought. She found relief in a new drip system that replaced the sprinklers and reduced her home’s total water consumption by one third.

“It was very dramatic,” said Megan.

Designer Libby Simon added ground cover under the white roses-lined walkway to offset evaporation, and a carpet of drought-tolerant dymondia, a hearty ground cover, grows beneath a jacaranda tree. Salvias, buckwheat, “coyote mint,” California poppy and verbena add color and fragrance.

FLAGSTONE mark the entry to the cottage where the original brick remains.

After the grass was removed, dirt on each side of the walkway was built up into small mounds, giving visual detail. A faux river bed of rocks runs along one side.

Residents of a home next door wanted Mediterranean plants in front of their Spanish style house. Succulents and Australian varieties, and “a fluffy English border” of plants round out the design.

“Little ollies” — dwarf olive trees — planted on either side of the entryway give a touch of privacy at a cottage-style house across the street.

The homeowner wanted something other than the traditional white fence, so it was pulled out and donated to Habitat for Humanity. The original brick entryway remains with flagstone added in the parkway and on the sides of the house, surrounded by yellow and white roses, a purple-flowered vine and lavender and rosemary.

FLAT LAWN was replaced and earth was built up on each side of the walkway for visual interest.

Gutter downspouts flow rainwater into the yard, and a permeable driveway and drainage system also flows water back into the property.

These relatively smaller homes, on 50’ x 100’ lots, have tiny back yards, and are closer to the street, arguable for some needed privacy.

“It’s more than about taking out lawns,” explains Judy Horton. “More responsible planting for our climate and privacy in the front yards” are key factors in these designs.

Tags: , , , ,

Category: Real Estate

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *