English Garden Style
Fort Washington PA

This home features all the best from a garden found in a English countryside. The existing layout functioned well, but the client was looking to bring her gardens back to life with new ideas, new plantings and a maintenance regime.

Immediately, we restructured the plant material in the beds. Shrubs and perennials were moved, removed or divided. Trees were planted to corners of the house where “punctuation” was missing and needed. We set out to work on a progression of blooms throughout the year. Since this property turned over to us in the fall, we immediately planted hundreds of spring bulbs -- tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops.

Vegetables, fruits, herbs were added into the design to appear ornamental. Vines are maintained to grow over arches and intermingle through existing shrubs. Boxwood hedging is now hand-pruned to help light reach the inside of the branching and encourage new growth. Certain beds have been simplified to fewer plant varieties that repeat creating a quiet rhythm.

Patio terraces make the perfect location for containers. There are window boxes at sills, and pots on every landing, wall and terrace, creating the most colorful sprawling outdoor rooms.