Our first task was to deal with drainage issues on the site and then to build walls that would both retain the land above the house and shape the space.
Layers of walls
Rather than build one monolithic wall around the house, we terraced the slope with layers of walls, some organized, some loose.
Adding plant material
Our plan is to naturalize the landscape so the hillside will look like it flows right up to the house, so we planted on both sides of the walls, using much of the same type of vegetation already present on the site.
Finishing touches
We added a pine needle path to finish the project. Now all it needs is a few years for the plants to fill in and the rocks to start weathering in place.
The other side of the house
The view from the porch of this new home includes Alford Lake in the distance.
More rock work
Of all the rock we used on this project, the flat stone for the patio was the only rock we did not find on the property already.
We found a birdbath
The owners wanted a natural stone birdbath to be part of this project, and we found this beauty in the woods not far from the house.
Zen Retreat, Long Island, Casco Bay
Our task was to settle two small buildings into their wooded setting on Long Island in Casco Bay.
Steps connecting to ledge
We added some steps and a few retaining rocks to the existing ledge to provide a natural, but effective way to enter this meditation building.
Groomed woods
Clearing fallen and dead branches from the trees and ground and then lightly raking reveals the contour of the land.
Screening
Cedar posts with short twigs spiraling around them echo the spruce trees whose lower branches die and break off.
Obscuring the view
The purpose of these lines of posts and branches is to act as a light fence, obscuring the view toward the buildings of the retreat area.
The unnecessary driveway
The new owners of the house inherited a needless driveway right by their front door; our task was to convert it to a secret garden area.
Getting the "bones" in place
The property was ringed by large granite blocks. The first phase of this project was removing the driveway and shifting the rocks around so they became sculptural elements throughout the garden.
Creating around the rocks
Once the rocks were in place we created paths and planting areas.
A road to screen
The lilacs that were attempting to screen the house from the road when we first went to the site were obviously not going to do the job.
A more substantial screen
Evergreens make a much more substantial screening for the clients' yard. (We moved the lilacs to another spot.)
A parking lot in Friendship, Maine
The owners of this lot wanted to do something with this unsightly parking area that they no longer needed for parking and storage.
Starting the transformation
We replaced pockets of the parking lot gravel with loam and began planting tall grasses and perennials to make sweeps of "natural gardens."
Grass beds in grass
We sowed lawn grass between the beds we created.
First year
After the first full year, the grasses and perennials were robust and expanding to fill the beds.
Grasses shine in the autumn
Most of the ornamental grasses that do well on the coast of Maine are at their most lovely at the end of the growing season as their drying seed heads shine in the sun.
Long mixed border
We have been maintaining and developing this mixed border of shrubs and perennials since 2001.
A garden of trees and shrubs
This garden is more about texture and repetition of forms than flowers.
A yellow and white border
This border is mainly seen from a distance, so depends on long sweeps of plants, playing with yellow and white flowers, and dark maroon foliage.
A "natural garden"
This pool-side garden depends on tall grasses and perennials, and is at its peak in August, which is the month in which the pool sees the most use.
Gardens in autumn
A very shady garden that is brilliant in the autumn.
