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Marti
Neely, APLD
May - 2005
A Casual Estate Garden.
A Brief History of the Project
Contacted by the client in the fall of 1995, we were asked to assist them in creating a garden, on a one-acre lot, for their new home. They planned to demolish the existing brick home and replace it with a much larger home, to suit their family and social needs. The area had wonderful mature Oaks, Ash, Maples, Linden, Hackberry, Spruce and Pines and they would need to be preserved.
The house would take 18 months to construct and the cost of the house was in excess of $1,000,000, with the landscape budget being approximately 10% of this figure. In June of 2001 the property was featured on the Meyer’s Rehabilitation Center’s Annual Garden Walk.
Site Analysis
The
site is relatively flat and rectangular in shape and slightly elevated
in regard to the neighboring properties.
The landscaping has been neglected for more than 10 years and overgrown vegetation will need to be removed.
Soil conditions in this area are quite good.
Design Intent
The
home being built would have the character of the casual elegance of the
French countryside, using granite, slate and limestone as surface materials.
The gardens needed big lawn areas so their two young children had space
to play. Outdoor spaces would need to accommodate large groups yet still
feel intimate and comfortable when just the family was using them.
This project also needed to make a statement of reserved elegance and natural beauty. The very nature of its location and the owner’s social position would call attention to it. We wanted the landscape to downplay the extravagance others would assume took place.
Design Concept
The gardens for this home would need to accommodate some very specific needs:
- Plants that flower and fruit
- Shade and protection from the elements
- Water to cool and irrigate
- Objects of delight and interest
- Dynamic line and form to unify the rest
The
existing privet hedge would be pruned to serve as the foundation for
the outer perimeter plantings. Additional perimeter plantings will be
installed to soften the edges, screen unsightly views into neighboring
yards, providing more privacy. Borders with broad flowing undulations
and layers of plants will create the casual lush country estate look
the client is yearning for.
A pair of entry pillars was suggested to the architect
to reinforce the passage between the 2 spaces. Instead of the usual double
wide or circular drive, it was decided to use a narrow drive with parking
turnarounds as needed. 
The
approach to the front door should be gracious and the use of natural
stone would keep with the integrity of the architecture. Pennsylvania
Blue stone will be used in a random pattern on all major hardscape areas
to create unity within the landscape. Creating a variety of garden experiences
could easily be achieved by defining various ‘rooms’. The
cluster of Spruce in the front would be the perfect spot to create a
hidden garden, and the children will have fun exploring this little woodland.
The backyard is generous and several distinct spaces can be created for play. The first space includes the formal terraces off the back of the house. This will be a garden of bold and dramatic masses, dynamic lines and classic style. The connection between the terrace, the house and the planting beds must flow as a natural progression. The existing trees are used as pivotal elements, creating several lines of sight that connecting four garden rooms.
The
southeast corner with the group of large shade trees will form the canopy
for a secondary seating area, used by the family and serve as well as
an overflow at large gatherings. Broad grassy paths will lead through
the casual outdoor rooms and the surrounding borders.
The Northeast corner is home to a pair
of craggy specimens of Redbud and Magnolia. They must have been planted
when the original
home was built and their sheer endurance to live to such a size makes
them a central element in this garden room. What better place is there
to create a magical Fairy Tale Garden - populated with plants appealing
to the senses and the whimsy of children and their playful manner? This
would become a special garden to accompany a cottage, filled with plants
that will delight any young child. Harry Lauder’s Walking stick
will provide magic wands for the fairies, Roses will perfume the air,
and Lamb’s ears will make soft blankets for little dolls. 
Planting
annual color will encourage the children to develop an appreciation for
gardening. Shielding all this and standing guard will be two ancient
woody sentinels, the Redbud and the Magnolia. This garden will be situated
in such a way that from the house it will be a picture perfect view.
Unsightly
views to the north will be shielded with a dense wall of yew with in
front an abundance of seasonal color displays. This garden will encircle
you, as well as lends the opportunity to serve as a great location for
a small-tented party. Mass plantings will have enough substance to offer
a visual barrier, yet one will still have glimpses to the scene beyond.
Offering a bit of intrigue, this is the area where we will use the old
peony shrubs salvaged from the original landscaping.
The
four garden rooms all surround the central lawn, an open place for play,
open for the sake of openness. A backdrop of majestic Concolor Fir will
be a unifying element. This landscape has all the elements of a garden,
however, the element of water did not reach it’s full potential.
Design ideas for a pool of water within the formal terrace were abandoned.
Concerns over safety and maintenance eliminated this aspect from consideration.
This site, once a neglected mass of overgrown shrubs and trees, has been
transformed into an lovely estate filled with comfort and beauty.
Short
Marti Neely, APLD holds 2 B.A. degrees from Hastings College, NE. One in Fine Art and the other in Sociology. With additional studies in Horticulture she has also earned a certificate in Landscape Development from Metro Community College in Omaha, NE. She is a Nebraska Certified Nurseryman, having served as Chairman of that committee as well as the Landscape Design Certificate Committee. She has been honored twice by the Nebraska Nursery and Landscape Association, once by being Presented the Certified Nurseryman of the Year for 2000 and also recieving the Distinguished Staff Member Award. Having worked as a Landscape designer since 1988, she is currently the Lead Designer at Mulhalls Nursery in Omaha, NE. Specializing in large scale residential design, Marti enjoys the opportunity to work with some of the areas most respected architects and custom home builders.
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