On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
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Let’s give a warm welcome to Dan B!
Dogs to Weddings!
Sometimes I had an urge to drive off when I first visit a new client’s home. I’m glad I didn’t.
This couple’s residence was on the boundary between a sketchy high crime neighborhood and an exclusive neighborhood. There was regular car vandalism and they wanted a circular drive in their narrow front lot so they could get their cars off the street. This would have turned the entire front yard into a driveway with narrow shrub beds and having two curb cuts would have violated code.
And the back was a “critical slope” so steep it would likely fail. The front, right on the street, was their only level outdoor area but they couldn’t imagine it as a place to relax and enjoy.
The house was a classic mid century modern that had the unsurprising single arborvitae planted in front. It was obstructing the simple, but classic, lines of the house.
There was a weird gate that looked, and felt, like a fish weir. It and the arbirvitae went goodbye. A new concrete walk, stairs, and entry landing were installed, acid etched to a fine velvety surface l, and acid stained burnt orange.
Here is the reason for the title for this post and a good part of the reason they didn’t see much potential for the front. They were wonderful dogs but the front smelled excellent to them. The clients had excellent sense of smell. She could discern, and effortlessly describe, subtle fragrances in wine and wrote books about the emerging wine business in the Pacifuc Northwest.
Afterwards there were very few dogs and a lot more human visitors.
This shows the long narrow front lot. The existing ‘fish weir’ gate and street are visible on the right. The front is west facing which is desirable in Seattle. The backyard has a six foot wide deck facing east. It’s fine for morning coffee but not for typical evening entertaining.
She likes to entertain two of her best friends. I’m standing in a tiny spot under a big Birch where she can retreat to read.
He loves entertaining 100 of his closest friends. The area of terrace with the built in bench is adjacent to the new, widened, drive where they can park both cars, but they don’t because they like the view.
There were three weddings in the garden the first few years. Friends and neighbors loved this formerly unlovable space.
It helps that these clients are very loveable and now they have a place for their friends and family. I’ve noticed that clients gardens usually reflect their personalities despite what I do. Is it because the nicest clients trust me to realize their wishes or is there some secret karmic magic?
Part of the charge for the design was a purple and orange color scheme. She’s from Queensland and loves tropical colors. I toned them down to fit Seattle’s softer light.
The burnt orange paving contrasts with the two tone concrete panel fence.
A key component of the planting design was contrasting textures, an approach I learned from a Landscape Architect friend in Portland. When textures are interesting its not necessary to have lots of flowers.
Most gardeners start with flower color, but when flower color is the primary driver of the design it can rapidly go south. For instance if the choice is ‘pink’ bluish pinks can look sickly next to hot pinks or coral pinks and bright pinks can look brash, but good foliage makes it all possible.
The new fence is concrete board painted in two tones of purple blue. It’s a great background for bright and mid tone colors.
What’s on the Agenda for Today?
WaterGirl
Hey Dan, let us know when you get here. I”m sure there will be questions!
Dan B
@WaterGirl: Im here.
One of the Many Jens
This is great, appreciate the inspiration! Really like the burnt orange stairs and pavers.
eclare
Very nice! And usable, they will enjoy that space for years.
Dan B
@One of the Many Jens: The pavers are poured in place concrete. There’s groundcover in the gaps.
Sure Lurkalot
I like the large slab pavers. They complement the structural lines of the house and the color provides pop and contrast.
WaterGirl
So does the overall design come early? I assume you have everything planned out before a single thing is physically changed. Is that a fair statement?
Do some clients give you carte blanche, and others need to approve every single thing?
Like everything else, is half the job managing the clients?
Maxim
Lovely! What a transformation.
Dorothy A. Winsor
What a welcoming space you made.
Dan B
@WaterGirl: The design concept usually requires time. Sometimes I struggled but it’s not actually a struggle as much as recognizing it will take its own speed.
I did a thing called “the book test”. I had the clients pick photos of landscapes they liked, figured out the common themes, and incorporated them for their site. One client was all over the map. She liked every style. And every picture had water. When I pointed this out she said that she wanted to babysit her grandchildren and water would be a hazard. So I designed a pond cover of bamboo poles lashed together in a 9 inch square grid. The grandkids spent hours lying on top of it and playing in the water. So, yes, I got carte blanche but after figuring out what they loved. It also made the all important ‘maintenance’ easier because they would get what they loved. The bigger challenge was reconciling what each member of a couple wanted, hence the small private nooks for her and the big spaces for him.
Dan B
@Maxim: Thanks. They love it partly because it gave them some outdoor space.
Dan B
@Dorothy A. Winsor: I’m glad they didn’t go with the circular drive concept. I believe the illegal, and very pricey, curb cuts stopped that. And I really don’t believe they had any idea how pleasant their narrow front yard could be. They’d lived in a tiny village in France where even tiny spaces are used to their fullest but the American concept of big gardens (yards) dominates our consciousness.
zhena gogolia
Very nice!
Auntie Anne
It’s lovely and inviting space – I can see why they love it.
KRK
Lovely stuff.
Denali5
Very nice. I love to see what landscape designers come up with for problem areas.
Temp Decloaked Lurker
Nice work, Dan B!