Wellington, Ohio Residence

Homeowners asked that the front entrance of this newly constructed home be reached by a modern walkway and that the width of its northern elevation be softened with plantings. They wanted a garden that reflected their home's southern views of established woods. The installation also required extensive water management and significant soil rehabilitation. The 125 foot wide and 34 foot deep site is comprised of full sun, partial sun, shade, and the deep shade of a north facing wall, as well as varying degrees of soil moisture.

We achieved our brief with a deep, curved, and richly layered woodland-inspired planting. Artfully placed evergreen Mahonia aquifolium at the northeast foundation, and layers of tall, slender white-trunked Betula papyrifera, and multi-stemmed Amelanchier laevis grow above Viburnam nudum, Hydrangea quercifolia and Rhus typhina, all of which provide stunning fall color ranging from gold, to orange and red, to deep burgundy and purple. Thousands of carexes and grasses planted in matrixes address a range of microclimate needs, including a swale, and provide a living, semi-evergreen mulch, and work to improve the quality of the disturbed soil of the site. A plant palate of perennial forbs and ferns, including Heuchera villosa 'Autumn Bride,' Anemone canadensis, Sedum ternatum 'Larinem Park,' and Polystichum acrostichoides anchor the planting with green cover. Tall spires of white Actaea racemosa and Penstemon digitalis, and the red towers of Lobelia cardinalis, wake the woodland with their dramatic yet delicate blooms throughout the summer. The grasses provide interest in all four seasons and add tremendous ecological value to the landscape.

A gently curving custom native stone walkway leads visitors through the woodland, both gently obscuring, revealing, and guiding them to the illuminated glass breezeway entrance.