For this project, I wanted to create a plan that used exclusively native plants of North America to benefit the ecosystem (and attract lots of birds!) of the area. Many of these plants require little care once established, which is ideal for the client since he needs something low-maintenance. Most of the hardscaping is low-maintenance as well, so he would only need to pressure wash the flagstone and brick occasionally.

I was inspired native naturalistic gardens and didn’t want anything too manicured like a formal garden. The many Dwarf Yaupon Hollies and Inkberries I used are naturally mounding, providing an evergreen backdrop to perennial beds that the client can have fun with, or use native flowers like Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Blackeyed Susans, bergamot, coral bells, etc. 

I focused most of my energy in the back yard to create an entertainment space surrounding the recreational lawn with a modified diagonal layout to create movement and tension within the space. The clients needs for the space included:

• Carport

• Screened-in porch with new deck

• Lower level porch with an outdoor kitchen

• Edible garden area

• Somewhere to store his yard tools

• Privacy hedges along fence

• Lawn area for recreation

He expressed a love for bird-watching, especially sitting out on his front porch in the morning with coffee, so this is something I wanted to tie into the design as well.

The Front Yard

The client didn’t want to make too many changes in the front, so I kept some existing plants like apple trees, vibernums, azalea, camellia, plum yew, existing shrubs in some of the beds, and river birch. I replaced the current main walkway with a red brick walkway to match the house’s existing brick character and extended the brick walkway into the greenway by the sidewalk so visitors can easily access the front steps. 

Along the front wall beds by the sidewalk, I added some American Beautyberry framed with Dwarf Yaupon Holly to create an environment that birds will love to visit while the client and his family enjoy coffee on their front porch in the mornings. The Beautyberry will drape nicely over the wall so passerbys can enjoy them. It will help feed 40 species of birds through the winter. Along the green strip of the sidewalk I added Strongbox Inkberry, which will mound and not need pruning, with perennial beds in-between to reduce grass mowing. 

A walkway made of flagstone steppers guides the client to the gate on the left of the house. There, I moved the blueberries from the front bed to where the vegetable garden was. Near the property line I added a Downy Serviceberry, which birds also love, and some Florida Anise as a privacy hedge.

The Back Yard

Coming in from the gate on the left of the house, I added some Rotstrahlbush Switch Grass and perennials (this is where the existing horsereeds could go) to help absorb water. I added an underground downspout extension that will spit out into the front yard to mitigate some of the water pooling in this area. At the mouth of the extension, there is a subtle swale to help direct water towards the street.

I kept the existing blackberries at the corner of the fence and created a bird garden with perennials, more Beautyberry, Inkberry, and switchgrass. The existing tea olive lives behind these plants as a statement. A permeable walkway with granite gravel and steppers leads them past the raised edible garden and connects to the flagstone patio and fire pit area. The edible garden takes advantage of the sliver of sun that comes through the canopy while making it easily accessible from the nearby outdoor kitchen, where he can put his grill.

Along the fence I added DeGroot’s Spire Arborvitae to help create privacy from the large looming house nearby.

The pomegranate tree was moved to a planter box near the fire pit. I wanted to build the fire pit around the existing oven structure as a conversation piece with granite gravel (I also wasn’t sure how operational for cooking it was). Around the fire pit would be built-in wooden benches for the clients and their guests to sit around and enjoy. 

Next to the fire pit is a small formal garden, taking inspiration from English formal gardens, that features the fire hydrant as a statement piece, with a short gravel walkway that is surrounded by perennials and inkberries. Behind it is a Farkleberry.

The informal garden showcases the fig tree that the client had already planted. Two more serviceberries are included with Dwarf Yaupon Holly, perennials, switchgrass, and in the back, Virginia Sweetspire. 

In the center of the backyard is the recreational lawn, which would be a fescue grass, and a 60’ long mulched and picket-fenced dog run where the client’s two dogs can enjoy running around to their hearts content without digging up the gardens and grass. I wanted to keep these two areas in the center so that the family can enjoy being outdoors while keeping the dogs close by and viewable from the screened porch and patio. Since they are keeping their child separate from the dogs for now, this could help them coexist together outside.

For the living space, I extended the deck and made an enclosed screened-in porch so the client can enjoy the summer bug-free outside. Below that is a flagstone patio with wooden bench seating around the Holly tree he loves and an outdoor kitchen for his grill on the other side. Under the Holly would be Blue Moon Phlox, which is a beautiful semi-evergreen ground cover and provides a pretty periwinkle blue color early spring. 

The flagstone patio is connected by a covered walkway from the carport. At the walkway entrance is a waterproof shade sail covering the path to the screened porch so that the family can peacefully walk between the house and carport when it’s pouring rain. The shade sail makes it flexible in case they want to take it down for whatever reason.  

I extended the driveway with gravel and added a 1-car carport and shed to store his outdoor tools. Because of the building setback, I placed the two structures further down the backyard and added some Florida Anise, Fothergilla, and perennials by the edge of the driveway to hide the eyesore of the carport, since the view out the dining room and screened porch is important. 

Next to the shed is the composting area. Here he could also look into verm-composting (my favorite type of composting!) so I added a little bed with a vermi-compost bin in addition to his composter.

Lastly, I wanted to create a shade garden in that empty space with Rusty Blackhaw Vibernum as the focus surrounded by Oakleaf Hydrangea, Blue Moon Phlox, Cinnamon Ferns, and bright Spicebushes.