Seasons Garden Design project - Award-Winning Riverside Arts and Crafts

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RIVERSIDE ARTS AND CRAFTS WALP 2010 Grand Prize Winner

WHERE WE STARTED

Riverside front before
Front of the house, before

Riverside terrace before
Back terrace near the river, before

Riverside side, before
The east side of the house was a maze of septic caps and then a steep drop

Riverside deck, before
The old deck cantilevered over the river had seen better days.

THE PLAN

The garden plan shows the new driveway, paths to the terrace and the new pergola at the terrace (click on the plan for a larger, labeled view)

Riverside deck, after
The new deck allows full view of the river with its gurgling sounds.

RESULTS

Riverside front, after
View of the front, after

Riverside terrace, after
View of the terrace after the pergola was built and the fire pit renovated

Riverside east side, after
Weaving the side path around the septic caps, we then stepped down to the lower terrace level by the river.

ABOUT

A new house was built alongside the Lewis River on the foundation of a burned ruin, which allowed them to circumvent the codes to build farther away from the river. The result: stunning views of the river from the house and portions of the garden. It includes rebuilding a former deck that is cantilevered over the river.
Our original design did not include a koi pond (the owner did not want a large water feature), however, he changed his mind. The contractor that installed the driveway installed the koi pond. *The contractor (Woody's Custom Landscaping) submitted the overall garden for the award to WALP.
The owners have an eye for design and fully participated in the design process. We selected and combined plants together at a nursery. Then they placed and planted them in their garden.
The owner loved trees. He purchased MANY before we started. He knows that at some point in the future some will not succeed because they will be shaded by others. His love for them drove him to see how they would grow.

PROJECT GOALS

Create a stunning shade garden in front and a sunny garden in the back by the river. Work with existing stone - and one enormous boulder.
Work paths around the septic system and existing trees.
Work with new retaining walls to create steps down to the river.
Establish a new terrace alongside the back to take in the river view. Challenge: relate the height of the house in back to the terrace and river bank garden.
Create a new driveway and parking friendly to the front door that does not delete any of the existing trees.
Re-commission the old fire pit at the riverside terrace.
Work in all of the trees that the owner purchased before hiring us.

DESIGN CONCEPT

The new Arts and Crafts home and existing terrain dictated the style of the garden and its structures: the new deck and the terrace's arbor.
Dodging the septic caps and the drain field and trees on the north side allowed for some very curvaceous paths and sweeping garden beds.
The steep slope from about mid-way alongside the house offered opportunities for attractive stairs and amazing views.
Working with the existing woodland area, we added more native plants and other woodland plants.
Alongside the sunny bank of the river, the owner added plants that love sun including grasses that would survive when the river rises over the winter.