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Judy Nauseef, APLD
The
state of Iowa is known for its corn and soybean fields and native tall
grass prairies. We also have some lovely woods of oaks and hickories
where many Iowans build their homes to enjoy the shade. My clients Ken
and Mary Lowder live in a woods on a private lane just past a small pond.
When I asked Mary if she would mind if I used their garden for this feature
she replied, “I would be honored.” I was also very honored
back in 1998 when they first asked me to design their gardens – as
the Lowders are avid gardeners. Ken and Mary do all of their own planting.
They shop the local nurseries for shrubs and perennials and order many
perennials from mail-order specialty nurseries. Mary labels all of her
plants and divides or moves plants yearly to maintain the beauty of the
garden.
The first year I started working with the Lowders a large amount of
stonework had just been completed. Limestone is our native stone and
it was their stone of choice. It was used to build a stone terrace and
two sets of steps. Large pieces were used to define the pathways. To
frame and soften the beautiful limestone features, we added a mixture
of small flowering shrubs for sun and shade and some evergreen shrubs.
The limestone and the shrubs formed a perfect framework for the much
beloved perennials.
The
most recent phase of our project was to work on the steep slope at the
back of the house; this is what a visitor first sees when driving
up to the house. It was overgrown with a thicket of trees and failed
hostas, and there was not an easy way to climb the slope to get to the
house. I designed a few limestone terraces and a path with steps that
would compliment the existing stonework. This addition also allows you
to get to the house via a beautiful stroll through the newly planted
flowering shrubs and perennials, and two graceful japanese maple trees.
The Lowders hired the landscape contractor who had built the terraces
on the other side of the house to remove some of the trees and install
the new terraces and steps. Again, Mary and Ken did the planting to complete
the landscape. The transformation of the area is remarkable as you can
see by the before and after pictures. The Lowders are thrilled with their
new garden and the additional areas they now have for perennials.
Clients like the Lowders make landscape design a truly rewarding profession.
Even though I've been in this business for over 14 years, working
with this kind of client gives me the opportunity to learn something
new which I can then incorporate into my next design.
-----------------------------------
Judy Nauseef owns Judy Nauseef Landscape Design in Iowa City, Iowa. After
a number of years working as a fine artist, she earned a degree in
Horticulture in 1989. Judy has been an Iowa Certified Nursery Professional
since 1997 and a certified member of the Association of Professional
Landscape Designers since 1996. In 2004 she will become certification
chair for APLD. Her web site is www.judynauseeflandscapedesign.com.
Certified Members seeking to be profiled should send before and after photos with SHORT design intent statement to:
Bethany Dennis
APLD Communications Manager
Email: communications@apld.org
Phone: 717-238-9780
* PHOTOS SHOULD BE CLEAR COLOR PRINTS OR JPEG COMPRESSED FILES