This lovely home in Church Hill had all the elements we love in creating a new garden. The clients, V and M, and I met on a Friday, painted lines in the dirt Saturday, and had the job done in 6 days before their big gala this past Sunday. O-lay!
Here were the challenges and fun parts!
Extending and matching the existing terrace
We had to match the existing aged mortar and bluestone so it looked authentic. We mixed red and white sand, yellow and tan mortar and added a touch a black paint. We lay all the stone first, so we could do all the mortar work with one batch of color. We worked in a few random pieces of yellow stone to the bluestone to mimic the original terrace.
Before
After
Water feature
We decided to make a focal point out of the useless fire pit in their backyard. The client was great in meeting me at a moments notice at the stone yard to choose a grey millstone from China. This worn grey stone contrasted well with the yellow and brown stone in the old fire pit. We plugged one hole and drilled another to create a center point for the water to bubble forth.
The layers of the hidden mechanisms in the fountain to make it look like it had been there long before the house was built were the basin, pump, concrete pillar, rebar, steel mesh, river rock, millstone and water! We had to get the millstone itself really level by using dimes and nickels under the edge of the millstone. Water splashes quietly and evenly over the edge.
Plantings
The hydrangeas you see here are a lovely new variety called All Summer Beauty! We added to the drama of the green and blue with the chartreuse colored Stained Glass hosta. A trumpet coral vine was planted along the hot side of the fence to climb up in a single column and then drool along the top of the fence. We may add narrow hornbeam trees on an unplanted fence for height and privacy this fall.
Pesticide treatment of the crape myrtle
Kevin our licensed pesticide talent, and my better half, diagnosed their crape myrtle as having aphids. The honeydew sticky substance from the insect had covered their porch furniture and turned the leaves black with city soot. Kevin treated the tree with a granular systemic and spray. A day later we hosed off the leaves. He will return in 2 weeks for another look and possible treatment.
Pots
V had a plethora of vegetable and flower pots that she had potted up herself. It was great. We used her inventory of two Jap maples behind the fountain and other perennials in the beds.
Cleaning out beds and power washing.
It always amazes me the junk you find even in tiny yards like this. (No reflection on V and M!) We tore up ivy, revealed lots of old fireplace wood, took out a few shrubs that were over powering the fence line, and free pruned the crape myrtle and red bud trees. Power washing the terrace was important to try and make the colors of the stone terraces the same hue of clean.
Christie lives in Manakin Sabot , Virginia where she manages a 3 acre garden. Her blogs are written from her 35 years as a personal and professional gardener.
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