Project Profile by Designer Bill Peters

From Derelict to Dramatic

Jamie called and indicated that he and his family had just purchased the home where he spent many days in his growing up years. He stressed his love for the home and the property, but the landscape, and outdoor patio area, although it had wonderful design elements, had fallen into a state of disrepair. Upon my arrival I was enthralled by the gorgeous and meticulous design elements of the home and property, and yet disheartened by the run down and overgrown condition of landscaping. The Architectural elements of the home are English/Colonial in design and the first thing I noticed, outside of the state of disrepair, was the lack symmetry. The pool was off center and sort of like an afterthought. Jamie mentioned his love for symmetry and even suggested that the pool should be moved to a different location but did not feel like that was in their budget, especially since the pool was in good shape. The patio was elevated masonry with built in planters but was literally falling apart. Having a love for the colonial era and English formal gardens, I was designing in my mind the entire drive home, and even into the late-night hours. The lack of symmetry along with a beautiful off center stone wall, and normal budget constraints, created quite a design challenge. After a few visits with different sketches of ideas we were quickly able to create and implement a final design. We created a large Masonry raised patio and formal garden planter with natural cut limestone caps and steps. The patio surface and garden walks are cut gray sandstone with a perennial garden path for limestone gravel. These elements give an old world feel reminiscent of Old France or England. Plantings were kept simple in design with formal boxwood and taxus hedges, white hydrangeas and bordered with nepeta for the look of Lavendar, in which the property is not conducive in successfully growing.   Jamie is now ready for the second phase, which is to complete the symmetry by adding an allee’ of pleached lindens with boxwood hedges and formal seating areas. We are looking forward to further development of the property. His is now entertaining the rear open area become what looks like a field with rows of lavender, which of course on this property will need to substitute with nepeta. I love my monthly site visits, as it calms my spirits and wafts my mind to the French or English countryside