Inner City Sanctuary
When Nishant moved to the busy pedestrian neighborhood next to Hawthorn, he knew he needed to create a sense of enclosure so his home wouldn't feel so on display. The only problem was that a massive maple ate up almost his entire front garden. We found a creative solution to plant around the maple by building up the soil with boulder-lined raised beds to create planting pockets. A new fence and arbor now divides the garden from the sidewalk, and native plants and low maintenance evergreen shrubs and perennials fill the space for a lush woodland look, accentuated by the wooden boardwalk pathway.
In the backyard, a dramatically curved gravel patio surrounded by planting beds and a rock rain garden makes the space feel larger than it is. The plants are young now, but will grow to create a mosaic of dense complimenting foliage for heightened privacy so Nishant can enjoy entertaining (he is a fantastic cook!) in his backyard, and eventually soaking in his future Japanese hot tub.
LOCATION
Sunnyside Neighborhood
GARDEN GOALS
- create privacy/sense of enclosure from street
- find creative solution for planting under large rooted tree
- add natives -low-maintenance
- Japanese/tropical themed plants for sanctuary feeling in backyard
 BEFORE |  AFTER |  Freshly planted |
|---|---|---|
 Mapping out garden beds |  |  Ken pointing out his magical mushrooms |
 A happy Ken |  Fly Agaric mushrooms popping up in the yard |  |
 |  A swale-like rain garden to hold water from the disconnected downspout and add a stream-like visual effect |  |
 |  Whimsical shaped rocks and uniquely colored flowers add to the magic |  Stepping stones allow walking through the garden for exploration |
 A curved berm to add height and contour. Plants will eventually grow tall enough to hide the porch slab |  Wonderful garden helper, Jackson, planting the Japanese forest grass |  Laying out the mosaic of colorful ground covers |
 Design Concept |  Plant inspiration |  Plant inspiration |
 Plant inspiration |