Seward Park Lush Landscape Design

Hand-drawn

OVERVIEW
The challenge for this class was to find a real client that we could design a garden for. In my case, I worked with friends who own a property that doesn't have any landscaping done. The predominant theme of the home's architecture and existing features are straight lines, so it made sense to continue the landscape design with that same style and approach, but in a way that felt informal. 

The clients' wishlist included an area somewhere in the front/side yards where they could have a private area to hang-out and sunbathe, as these are the areas of the property with the most sun exposure (front yard faces south and side yard faces southeast), more privacy in the front yard without relying on a fence, screening the backyard from neighbors to the north, having a defined outdoor dining and lounge areas to accommodate 8-10 people, maintaining some of the lawn for their dogs, and creating a dedicated bike storage and trash area that are screened from view. They requested the plants to be low maintenance and drip irrigation to be installed to avoid manual watering while the landscape gets established.  

The entry garden features a small crushed gravel patio with a basalt dish rock that can be appreciated from the living-room window, the deck, or by sitting on the small rock bench proposed for the design. A plant palette of evergreens with different heights and seasonal interest is used to create screening and privacy from the sidewalk, and the plants closer to the house are deciduous to avoid a feeling of encroaching. There's a small concrete paver path that leads to this lush patio. 

On the southeast corner of the property, I included a designated trash area that consists of an arbor with gates that block the view of the cans. A star jasmine will be planted so it can grow on the trellis and provide a pleasant fragrance. While it will have gates to block the view, the top is open for easy access when needing to dispose of trash. 

On the east strip of the property, I created a small and private lounge patio for two people. It has a small arbor with a vine growing on it, and it's surrounded by plants to create a feeling of enclosure. 

In the backyard, a row of Arborvitae will be planted to create privacy with the neighbors, two lawn areas are maintained, and a lounge patio with an arbor breakfast will be created. The bike shed was included in the west nook where there's a current kayak cover.