Park Slope Yard
This client’s backyard was full of construction rubble and fully shaded by an existing tree. We designed a central patio area, and a new cedar fence to accommodate the beautiful large trunk of the tree. We brought in new soil for the beds, pea gravel for the patio, and designed plantings to provide four season interest, with spring, summer and fall blooming perennials, fall foliage, and evergreens.
The three anchors of the design are the existing tree, a trio of evergreen Cephalotaxus ‘Fastigiata’ (mature height 10ft) and an Acer Palmatum Seiryu, (upright lace-leaf Japanese Maple, mature height 15-20ft) which has brilliant orange-red fall color.
Next to the maple on the right side of the yard, we planted two Leucothoe axillaris ‘Sarah’s Choice’ shrubs. These graceful low-growing evergreens have glossy dark green leaves, profuse white blooms and striking reddish new foliage.
Along the left side of the yard we planted a grouping of native Cimicifuga Racemosa perennials which have showy, large white fragrant flower spikes in late summer. The Cimicfuga are underplanted with variegated Tiarella Cordifolia groundcover which has delicate white flowers in the spring and trails down into the entrance stairwell.
Along the back fence we planted late-summer flowering Japanese Anemone and evergreen Liriope ‘Pee Dee Ingot’ grass. In the difficult shallow soil around the existing tree roots we planted evergreen Cutleaf Pachysandra and a flowering Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Moonlight’ vine which will climb up the trunk of the existing tree.
