Faithful Flowers

Dreamy Dedham Garden

 My Dedham client is the most patient and forgiving client I have worked with. He waited for over a season before we could get to his project. In a way it was good because it gave me a lot of time to think about how to best use the space in his yard. He initially called me to install a terrace, but when I arrived on the scene, I noted that the house looked confusing-there did not seem to be a front side and there was no easy center entrance. Once we determined that the front walls were falling down and were going to have to be replaced at some future date, it was game on! We took the walls down, enlarged the driveway to fit both cars, and added a center entrance with granite steps and bluestone pathway. We lined the garden beds with welcoming white blooming azaleas, coneflowers and catmint. An underplanting of allium and tulips will provide a spectacular spring show!

We added a bed of grasses and daisies on top of the wall for a natural view from the street. Of course, we gave him his large terrace for cookouts with a step down to a firepit, just waiting for the cool autumn nights. We built a natural stone wall and planted up a bed of hydrangeas, azaleas and catmint to divide the back hill and entertainment area. We replaced old wood with granite steps leading to the upper hill. One of my favorite parts of the project was the back landing. The space had been and eyesore and now it’s a great entrance out in to the new outdoor room. Sod, irrigation and landscape lighting were the final touches to the project. Plantings of rose of sharon, viburnum, and hydrangea encircle the firepit and enhance the garden feel, as one is sipping a glass of wine or enjoying a beer around the flickering light of a toasty fire.