New Garden in Federal Hill
This fall we had the opportunity to plant a new garden in Federal Hill! I love planting new gardens anywhere but I really love Federal Hill- its so quaint and historic. Often when we renovate backyards in the city we can reuse the existing hardscapes to make the budget more client friendly. In this cute little backyard we pulled up the flagstone, regraded and laid down a new layer of stone dust. We prefer using stone dust under our hardscapes (patios, walkways, walls) because it helps block weeds, helps with drainage and allows the stones to shift over time without breaking the mortar.
The client wanted a little more garden space and a little less patio so we reshaped the patio to accomodate this while making the nicest curve to draw the eye into the garden. The right curve makes a big difference.
New Federal Hill Flagstone Patio Before Pic
The client also requested plantings that would thrive in the mostly shady backyard as well as provide something interesting year round. We selected a mixture of shrubs and perennials suited to meet these needs.
Relaying the flagstone patio
New Federal Hill Garden and Flagstone Patio
New Federal Hill Landscaping After
Once we relaid this flagstone patio we planted a variety of shrubs and perennials that worked well in shade. We used winterberry holly, PJM rhododendrons, autumn fern, lentin rose, fernspray falsecypress, caramel heuchera, jacob’s ladder and nandina.
This garden will have something interesting going on in each season. We used some tried and true common landscape plants but also added a variety of unique shrubs and perennials that will do well in this mostly shady yard with minimal maintenance. The client got everything she needed:
- More garden space
- Space for the dogs
- Something interesting all year long
- Low maintenance
- An updated backyard
Finishing Touch
One of my favorite parts of renovating a backyard is the last little bit- planting flowers, container gardens and mulching. I love turning boring containers into something really interesting. I like to use a variety of evergreens, seasonal annuals, perennials, texture and colors.
Cabbage and pansies