The difficulty of access to the rear of this site, in addition to budget limitations, have necessitated a creative approach to the design and materials used in the project. The clients needed to level the path to a lower-level utility room which was dangerously perched at the eroding top of a steep and unsightly slope and replace a broken and poorly graded front walkway and lawn. They also wanted a raised, kitchen garden that would allow them access while standing. They wanted a landscape that would be safe, productive and sustainable. 

 

We created a large, three-foot-tall planter out of raw, unfinished cedar from a local mill at a fraction of the cost of commercial cedar. The base of the planter was used as a retaining wall, allowing us to level the walkway to the utility room and provide a stable platform for gardening. Additionally, the many large stones excavated when digging the footings for the planter were used to terrace the slope which was then planted with blueberries, perennial herbs and other edible perennials. The front walkway was regraded and replaced with concrete pavers and antique granite and cobblestones from the property. 

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Future steps include replacing the front lawn with a pollinator garden of native and sustainable plants, adding steps and railing on some steep slopes and creating a grass play area with a small stone patio and fire pit on the lower level of the property.