Crossman Garden
Location: Edgewood, Ky.
Completed: August, 2007
Client: Michael and Marian Crossman
Marian and Michael Crossman had asked Gary to come out and give them some ideas for changing their backyard, consisting of a big deck over a steep slope. Marian remembers one thing that Gary said regarding the deck, “It feels like we’re in a big play pen.”
Six years later... several of Marian’s neighbors used The Good Earth to embellish their yards; she was reminded of her dream to have some usable outdoor living space. The home that they owned before had 1.5 acres of flat, easy to garden land. While the Crossman’s had a beautiful view of a forested valley, their yard was barely mowable. Marian had a planter for gardening on the deck but she wanted more.
Was: No man's land
Now: An oasis
Cozy but not crowded
Marian loves her new path of natural limestone steppers from the patio to the basement family room. "It's so usable now," Marian says, "it has nice flow and I love how everything is connected." The addition of a landscape lighting system makes the path safe for use at night. Michael loves having the garden lit at night, "Relaxing outside in the garden has cut down on TV time
for the whole family."
A Redbud tree given to Marian by her father was safeguarded in the construction process. It now is featured prominently in the landscape and frames the view of the woodland from the driveway and the patio. Flow is a good description for The Good Earth landscapes. Preserving a family gift, opening up views, using materials and space efficiently aren't always clear to the visitor. Living in the space makes it happen, that's why we want you to get into the garden. Live in it, get to know it, nourish it. It will nourish you.
|
Before: Just a pain to mow
After: A garden room
At first Michael wasn't receptive to changing the deck, but the idea of opening up the view and having a short connection to additional living space appealed to his senses.
The steep slope required a retaining wall to create enough space for a paver patio. The limited space posed a design challenge, but Gary's ingenuity allowed for Michael's fireplace, Marian's water feature, as well as a beautiful garden.
The addition of a pondless water feature in the garden has Marian asking, "What's with the dragonflies?" She's also noticed more birds and butterflies. Water brings life to the garden in unexpected ways.
Flowing People
Flowing Water
Flowing Fire
|
