A Sheltered Courtyard Garden

The following is an excerpt from the guidebook for "The Gardens of Garden Street" Tour, May, 2004. It was penned by Susan Chamberlin and is reproduced here with her permission. Note that this material is protected by copyright.

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before."
- Vita Sackville-West

When the owners of this property contacted Margie Grace of Grace Design Associates they had three goals: create a rustic, natural feeling to contrast with the simplicity of their 1955 house; turn what was basically an asphalt parking lot bordered by lawn and gravel into a welcoming space; and provide privacy and sound control for some bedroom windows that overlooked the street. She gave them the charming courtyard you see here.

The new garden walls are set back from the sidewalk the distance required by code, but instead of acting as a barrier to the community, they form a backdrop for an interesting vignette of sculptural plants, stones, rocks and pebbles. Plants are drought-tolerant and include kangaroo paw, Echeveria and Agave 'Huntington'.

Open the gates to the courtyard and a landscape is revealed. A unique, sandstone fountain adds a lively note and helps mask traffic noise. Margie designed its basins so they are big enough for birds to have a drink but not so large that raccoons can bathe. The water in the fountain recirculates under the gravel but does not flow down the stream bed. The dry stream, designed as a drainage device to direct rainwater away from the foundation and into a sump pump hidden below the stones, adds interest to the composition.

The predominantly purple-colored flowers were selected from a list of plants the owners wanted to see incorporated along with the two existing birch trees. Large juniper trees along the fence were also retained. Popular with the 50s-style ranch houses, their shaggy, old bark adds another rustic element to this new garden.