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It was time to change the landscaping for this Woodinville home. We decided to enhance the cottage feel, and that meant removing the cedar along with its berm of soil and the large network of roots. The homeowners requested some native plants but all plants chosen were to be hardy. They also wanted a larger area for their dog to play, a new shed, low-maintenance, woodsy areas on the sides, and some ideas as to what to do with a wet, shady area in the back. On the other hand, the front was extremely hot and dry. We had our work cut out for us. In the back, while the homeowners had a nice deck, the stairs led only to a small landing pad. They did not have a back patio area. The grill was cowering in a corner on the deck, using valuable space where the table and chairs should have been. It was this area beside the deck that was wet and shady. So we included a budget-friendly paver patio which will be dressed up with some large containers filled with shade-loving plants in the near future. We knew that the patio area had drainage problems, so we graded the patio away from the house and included a six-to-eight inch bed of gravel as paver set. And, we connected the run-off into an existing French drain that the homeowner had installed earlier. To accommodate the new grade, we installed a short retaining wall on the side which doubles as a seat wall. This created a level pad on which the homeowner can build a new dog area. As far as drainage is concerned, so far, even with a lot of rain, so good. The pathways circling the house lead past the shed on one side and, on the other side, through the woodsy area. Both paths lead seamlessly to the patio which in turn connects to the deck and the backdoor entrance. They are made of a glistening quartzite; this stone is particularly good in low light areas, reflecting any light back up. That reflective quality is important in our long, gray Northwest winters. In the design process, once the hardscaping is decided upon, we move on to plant choices. Often the style of the house and what the homeowners request will determine the materials' choices and that includes plants. So, we narrowed down the plant palette to native shrubby dogwoods and sword ferns. We added birch trees, Skimmia, Spiraea and Sarcococca to name a few. This is not a huge selection, but the plants are hardy, drought-tolerant and will shade out weeds after growing a few seasons, thereby reducing maintenance. We filled in the front with a few flowering perennials and some ornamental grasses, and again some small, flowering shrubs. Occasionally a shrub or tree does not survive. In this case, one birch in the photo was replaced as well as one small spirea. Installation was completed in March 2007. It is an enormous change and in just eight months the shrubs have grown noticeably. The house has more of a cottage feel: the new shed is in place; the Japanese maple was transplanted so its fall color could be admired; the walkways add access and light to the back; the drainage has been solved and a new back patio installed. We chose plants to survive in the shady areas of the back and sides and the sunny, dry area in the front. The dog area will be built next spring and containers installed. I look forward to seeing this garden come into its own as early as next year.
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This home also had a lovely Japanese maple growing two feet from the living room window. Japanese maples are valuable. It would be worth the expense to move it.
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