The original landscape in Lexington was stepped up behind a traditional colonial cape clapboard sided home, and at the top of the site was a brush and bramble mess which needed to be replaced by a usable family activity center. All the essentials were there, a forest perimeter, separate elevations, and a great borrowed view. To make it all functional was a difficult challenge. The environmentally-conscious family’s wishes were to be able to enjoy outdoor activities and to have access to nature. We decided to create a “journey” with curved paths, emphasizing eye-catchers along the way among the lushly planted areas. We transformed the previously overgrown terrain into casual seating, usable activity areas, and planned views from the house, all while installing a natural drainage system and stabilizing the slopes with erosion control plants.

There are three tiers of space, moving up and away from the house developed for family activity. The lower level accommodates family dining and gathering, cooking and vegetable gardening, and relaxing. A walk up or around to the mid-level will take you on a stroll through bamboo screens and a lush shade garden with garden ornament accents along the way. Continuing to the upper lawn, you will enjoy a low-maintenance natural lawn for ball sports and general open space enjoyment.  Building furniture into the structure of your garden is an effective way of making the most of the space you have, both visually and physically. Visually the furniture becomes an integral part of the overall design and gives a space a unified look when using materials that blend well with the surroundings.

We love the work that Susan and her team did for us. After several years of considering to redo our backyard and meeting with several landscape designers, Susan really stood out and gave us the confidence that she understood our goals and was more than capable of managing the entire project from starting design to installation. It has been over 5 years since they installed the new landscape and it is something we eagerly await each spring. We now have a fabulous outdoor living space which we enjoy year round Last summer they redid our front yard and we have received many compliments since from neighbors strolling up the street. Susan and her team were very professional, patient, and down to earth with us.  Christina L.