Nestled off 87th St. Parkway in the quaint little getaway of Brook Wood Place, the Thacker’s have made their home a habitat of solace and beauty for countless years. Existing Maple and River Birch trees offer morning/afternoon shade to the front landscape and house while the backyard is painted with a myriad of sun loving perennials and shrubs displaying their various colors and textures.
Inspired by the construction of a new walkway in front, Sue asked Greenleaf for help spicing up her front driveway and entrance beds. While not much was needed in terms of new plant material or work for the driveway bed due to Sue’s lovely assortment of Hostas and peaceful seating bench, the areas on either side of the front door were a blank canvas which we thoroughly enjoyed painting.
To the left of the front door, an existing Dogwood had outgrown its space and was removed prior to the project. The goal for this space was to bring life back to it by planting yet another Dogwood in the tree’s memory as well as adding additional color to the understory through Azaleas, an Annabelle Hydrangea, and a multi-colored gravel seating area in which Sue has now placed her own charming furnishings.
On the right side of the door, the goal was to create two garden beds within a garden bed. One near the sidewalk as you approach the front door and the other to be viewed from the yard and roadway as you approach the house. This was accomplished by placing Boxwoods, Peonies, and a high-grafted Serbian Spruce atop a slight berm to give the garden a dynamic layering effect while smaller perennials were planted on either side to draw the eye inward.
A Sweet Bay Magnolia anchors the southwest corner of the house with Moneywort planted at its base to carry the lovely gold color, provided by a line a Japanese Forest grass and mass of Lemon Ball Sedum, throughout the garden bed. Additional interest was created through the placement of three large Holy boulders from House of Rocks that mimicked the wonderful texture provided by the existing River Birch. These Holy boulders also offer interesting places to add additional plant material in their many crevices.
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It was such a joy working with Sue, and we look forward to watching her family and landscape grow together. Check back in a couple of weeks for additional photos of Sue’s project as well as a look to next month where we will be providing recaps of additional projects completed this summer and more. Give us a call if you need help with any landscaping projects around your home. Call (816) 916-5171.