The plantings left and right of the front door illustrate why “right plant, right place” is so important.

On the right, the dwarf Alberta spruce will eventually become far too large this area while the cotoneaster groundcover will need constant pruning in its current placement.

Left of the entrance, evergreen yew, boxwood and a magnolia tree are competing for space and block the window. Four shrubs and a tree need far more space than this bed offers; each year these plants will become more crowded, misshapen and at risk for disease.

The right bed scaled back and a coveted twisty baby locust tree was planted.

On the left, a trio of evergreen boxwood was planted to mirror three repeated on the other side at the entrance to the driveway. The white hydrangea blooms will brighten the entrance into fall and provide winter interest.

The stone borders were removed and replaced with larger granite boulders for a stronger design. The entrance area was widened heralding the start of a path that extends around the left side out to the waterfront gardens. The existing builder-quality, class A blue stone gravel was replaced with beautiful Nova Scotia granite that is very similar to the large landscape boulders on the property.

Chester granite is beautiful with white, black and grey tones and silver flecks that sparkle in the sun.

The entrance to the home was marked by an overgrown stand of trees and an unattractive metal post for the well. The homeowner sought a more impactful welcome for their stunning coastal home.

A newly created garden bed is planted with the first of seven spectacular skyrocket juniper evergreens. A trio of boxwoods camouflage the wellhead while the granite stone border is a barrier for the driveway is a barrier for vehicles parking in the driveway.

Repeated roseglow barberry, larger hydrangea varieties, ornamental grass and perennials invite visitors to walk along the path into the garden.

A wide swath of patchy lawn, sunken granite stone borders and sparse plantings left this homeowner uninspired. There were a number of stunning boulders that were concealed by scrubby evergreens and overgrowth along the borders.

Site preparation included removing the lawn and tired plantings while saving excavated granite boulders for future use. Overgrown brush and dead trees were removed from along the border of the garden.

We sourced and hand-laid 403 granite boulders. Over this week-long project, we moved some 90 tonnes of soil, crushed and 3/4 inch granite, mulch, and other bulk materials. Did we mention the full sun and 30+ degree weather?

In each renovation, we identify healthy and mature plants that can form the basis for a new garden. In this project, the stunning large granite landscape stones, wild rose shrubs and mature stands of roseglow barberry formed our recommendations for a granite courtyard and path that would join the driveway and entrance around to the back patio and waterfront deck.

We repeated the barberry in other beds: the pink and red foliage is a lovely contrast to the evergreen woodland surroundings. Pink is repeated in the wild rose bushes on the property and became part of the color palette for the garden.

The granite path is bordered by garden beds with repeated skyrocket junipers on both sides; these spectacular trees bring dramatic vertical interest in narrow gardens as they mature at 15 feet and just 2-3 wide.

The planting included skyrocket juniper, pink and white roses and spring-blooming pink and white heath with miscanthus and zebra grasses that will catch the ocean breeze. Perennial coneflower, globe thistle and Russian sage will mature, bloom and fill in this lovely coastal garden landscape over time.

Reduced mowing was among the goals for this garden renovation however, the septic field area which runs left to right at the top of the foreground elevation needed to be left grassy.

The lawn was removed to create a granite courtyard area round the patio at the back of the home. The granite narrowed into a path over the septic field before connecting to the waterfront deck.

Landscape fabric was laid on soil before a base of granite crusher stone was installed. Granite boulders of varying sizes were installed as a border before a top layer of 3/4 inch granite stone was compacted into a walkable, smooth surface.

Perennial border plantings include globe thistle and coneflower. Evergreen heath brings year-round interest and early spring color to this woodland waterfront garden. Carpet roses will echo nearby wild rose blooms throughout the season.

The existing plantings were overgrown and uninspiring.

Lush zebra grass will be lovely in summer breezes while the coneflower and pink roses speak to the roseglow barberry on the far side of the deck. Globe thistle and Russian sage introduce saturated purple hues to this pink, purple and white themed garden.

The woodland evergreen environment has very few deciduous trees making this courtyard garden very easy to care for.

A view from the waterfront deck shows a footpath across the septic field. The lower garden area is planted with repeated roseglow barberry, Japanese carpet juniper, pink and white roses, and pink and white evergreen heath.

A small bed with repeated low growing juniper, zebra grass, coneflower and globe thistle bring balance along the path leading to the deck.

In 2020, we returned to work on the woodland garden transition from the yard to waterfront. Disrupted during the completion of a new deck, the area was filling with weeds and happily, lupins and ferns. The client sought a naturalized transition from lawn into woodland to improve the view to the water.

The edge of the left garden completed in 2019 was followed on the right side for a seamless organic shape that followed the lay of the land. On the far right, an invasive ornamental grass planted by an earlier homeowner was cut back and contained by installing a crusher dust filled trench that will hold invasive roots at bay.

Jules, Lexi and Amy selectively retain desirable plants and remove weeds. We amended the existing colourful, blooming lupine with foxglove and echinacea to feed pollinators and planted more native inkberry, bearberry and ferns to blend in with existing species.

Over time, self-seeding lupine and foxglove will expand their population and native groundcovers will fill in the area for a natural and beautiful garden that improves the view from the house to the ocean.