I was honored to be asked to reimagine a friend’s garden and porch in Jamaica Plain. The garden was overgrown and a mishmash of plantings and the porch was rotting away by the moment. It was an opportunity to tear everything up and start anew! First off, we pushed the porch stairs back a bit and shortened the front landing. That way we could install a longer walkway to show off the garden and home.
Before we got to work.
The old concrete walkway had to go.
Grasses and Yucca plants overwhelmed the tiny yard.
Mike from Insulart deserves a medal for figuring out how to reconstruct the rotting, floor, columns and railings. Next up, we focused on the front and side gardens. Our client wanted to enhance the porch life with colorful plantings that would provide privacy and scent. Viburnum shrubs will provide a pretty backdrop to the Bloomstruck Hydrangea and Russian Sage.
The new stairs are flanked by steeds holly and a beautiful new bluestone walkway leads guests through the garden right up to the stunning porch.
We pulled out more garden space, repositioned the stepping stones and rehabbed the lawn. Now the front garden will bloom all season long with roses, lavender, catmint, sedum, iris, liatris and autumn anemone. Perennial geraniums soften the first step off the street. We tucked in new shade plantings along the house and added a limelight hydrangea in a special sunny spot.
Our client put her own fab finishing touches on her brand new porch. Now she has the perfect porch life!
Thank you to Francis at Stone Creations for remaking the walkway with us and the wonderful FF crew who always goes the distance. Thanks dear friend for trusting me with your makeover!