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A Weekend Retreat
Rosalind Reed, APLD
We
developed a master plan for my client’s 15-acre property in
rural Woodstock, about 60 miles northwest of Chicago. With mostly one
thing in mind, we wanted to respect the character of the house that was
built in 1848. Although we wanted the gardens near the house to feel
like those of a favorite grandma’s, we would also use contemporary
cultivars of plants, as well as a few other contemporary elements. We
developed walking trails throughout the rolling site, and rejuvenated
the apple orchard, which had been in production for over 100 years. Woodstock
is deer country, and the orchard serves as summer snack food, limiting
the deer browse on the ornamental plants.
As you walk through the property, away from the house, less is more when
it comes to landscaping. The light splashing through the trees, and
some stands of native wildflowers provide all the show one needs. My
clients were quite fond of a pond they had seen rimmed with water iris,
so we planted both blue and yellow iris around our pond for a big splash
of color in the early summer. Much to our delight the irises are slowly
forming large colonies. Then we dropped a large dead tree into the
pond edge to provide a sunning place for turtles. The grassy area around
the pond is mowed several times each summer.
We added a swimming pool to the property. We wanted to make the pool
feel as natural as possible and to mimic the pond area, so we used
a grass deck around most of the pool. We also tinted the gunnite bottom
a dark color to make it seem more pond-like, and to better reflect
the sky and surrounding landscaping. The pool was literally integrated
into the site as we cut it into the hillside and elevated it’s
deck. To retain the slope we cut into, we installed a dry-laid stone
wall, which is reminiscent of the foundation of a long-gone old barn.
A contemporary and geometric feel is instilled by the 2-foot square
bluestone stepping stones that are set into the grass deck around the
pool – they coordinate well with the pool’s bluestone coping
and the bluestone patio. Behind the stone retaining wall, we planted
native prairie plants, installing deep plugs in swaths of 30-50 each.
This facilitated weeding (easy to tell weeds from swaths) and gives
a bolder more geometric effect.
The property is full of peaceful walks, as evidenced not only by the
garden trails but also by the 12-foot wide steps that lead generously
up to the pool deck. Then on your way out to the wilder areas of the
property, you find yourself wandering amongst the many well-behaved
varieties of native prairie plants that are included in the perennial
gardens, and again you feel as if you were strolling through grandma’s
garden.
Rosalind Reed, APLD, Rosalind Reed Associates provides residential landscape
design services for clients, including construction and maintenance
supervisory services. This project was a second place winner in the
2003 APLD Design Contest for projects in excess of $75,000.
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