I thought  that this month I would share with you the variety of features that we have created in our gardens.  Ready?

Cottage Garden in Manakin –Sabot

This site surrounds a small building used to store tractors  and tools.  But with this sweet little garden, you are fooled into thinking it is a cottage in the meadow.  We did a total make over by edging, weeding, deadheading, planting, mulching, and laying a crisp garden path with raw woodchips.

Three Retaining Walls That “Talk” to Each Other Off Lauderdale Rd in West End Richmond

Here the clients and I carefully staked out and designed this minuet of dry stack walls with hidden mortar.  Of course, our crew did the artistic hands on creation.

The lovely stone arcs in the landscape will contain light airy plantings of small evergreens, hydrangeas and long blooming perennials.  You do not want too many varying plants in this small space.  The main features are the two Japanese maples and the stacked walls.  Keep it simple.

A Garden Fence and Trellis Near the University of Richmond

You might remember the garden we have been working on since last winter.  Well here is the garden trellis that functions as a gate.  It is constructed with cedar boards “ripped” to this specific size on site.  It is the perfect scale for the house and property.  The lightness of the feature is surprising for its strong structure and is repeated on the shed and privacy fence.

You are captivated from the street view, and drawn through the functional carport to the garden space with the fountain, terrace, and seat wall behind.

Dry Creek Bed That Helps with Drainage Off Atlee Road in Mechanicsville

This yard had a soggy ditch and a stop short vista in the back yard.  Our design and installation of river birch trees, hypericum ground cover, and carefully placed river rocks and boulders serves three purposes.  It helps rain water run off the property quickly; provides a natural wall for privacy; and transports you to a New England style landscape with Virginia spring weather.

Riverbirch Before

Riverbirch After

New Gravel and Small Stone Pedestals off Westham Parkway in West End Richmond

How about a driveway pull- in with warm tan stone that doesn’t splay?  Try Sherando buff.  Unlike pea gravel, it is a clean stone (no dust) and angular.

For even more curb appeal, we constructed two short stone pedestals near the street so the stone pots were not lost as you entered the front walk.  The New Guinea impatiens give the shaded garden a luminescent bright white color.

Cheap Fix For An Eroding Hillside Off Robious Rd in Midlothian

There was heavy erosion to this slope whenever it rained.  The gutter just could not handle it all.  Instead of a pricey retaining wall, we installed a few heavy boulders, so when the rain did fall, it hit the rocks.

Labor is less because we just “plant” the rocks.  The homeowner does not see this side of her landscape so it will most likely be planted with a tough groundcover.

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.