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COTTAGE WHIMSY

WHERE WE STARTED

Cottage Whimsy, front before
view from the front sidewalk shows the need for a new retaining wall; the open porch goes to the front door

Cottage Whimsy, driveway before
the owner had attempted an intricate brick pattern up the center of the driveway, but it quickly got weedy and made for difficult maintenance

WHERE WE'RE GOING

click on the plan for an enlarged view of the proposed renovation

the architect's sketch of the new retaining wall will be all brick faced with brick columns that have amusing ceramic tiles on them; click on the sketch for an enlarged view

Cottage Whimsy, wall tile
a sample of a proposed wall tiles; the owners are making them

WORK IN PROGRESS

Cottage Whimsy, driveway in progress
new steps adjacent to the retaining wall, a new planting bed, bricks set out to line the new driveway

Cottage Whimsy, retaining wall
the wall is ready for bricks, as viewed from the sidewalk

Cottage Whimsy, patio progress
progress at the steps down to the patio with the new stone wall around the quince tree bed

ABOUT typically-sized city lot; front garden is the project area steep elevation change from street to house beautiful existing quince tree in front although on a residential street, it is a thoroughfare with little privacy and at the very end of a perpendicular street homeowners are 1-plant collector and 2-do-it-yourself for certain things existing soil is extremely well drained with considerable rock, but is excellent at maintaining slope	PROJECT GOALS replace existing driveway and create new stairs create private seating area in front include water feature keep plant collector organized and directed to prevent a garden with too many 'masses of one'. most of garden must be low-water usage	DESIGN CONCEPTS new curved concrete steps lead visitors gently to the front porch and private front patio in the garden. An olive tree anchors the border between the new steps and the patio. Wider paths wind around the existing quince tree bed and access the back garden through the gate. The water feature begins at the quince bed level and spills over the wall into a rill which bisects the patio before it ends at the affectionately named "monolith". The monolith will be a piece of art to create a barrier between the owners and the street, providing privacy and focal point above a rectangle of water below.
Award Winners and Show Gardens ......	Gardens in Progress ....	Some Finished Gardens ..........

ABOUT

typically-sized city lot; front garden is the project area

steep elevation change from street to house

beautiful existing quince tree in front

although on a residential street, it is a thoroughfare with little privacy and at the very end of a perpendicular street

homeowners are 1-plant collector and 2-do-it-yourself for certain things

existing soil is extremely well drained with considerable rock, but is excellent at maintaining slope

PROJECT GOALS

replace existing driveway and create new stairs

create private seating area in front

include water feature

keep plant collector organized and directed to prevent a garden with too many 'masses of one'.

most of garden must be low-water usage

DESIGN CONCEPTS

new curved concrete steps lead visitors gently to the front porch and private front patio in the garden.

An olive tree anchors the border between the new steps and the patio.

Wider paths wind around the existing quince tree bed and access the back garden through the gate.

The water feature begins at the quince bed level and spills over the wall into a rill which bisects the patio before it ends at the affectionately named "monolith".

The monolith will be a piece of art to create a barrier between the owners and the street, providing privacy and focal point above a rectangle of water below.

Award Winners and Show Gardens

......

Gardens in Progress

....

Some Finished Gardens

..........