Recent Projects

Falling Water Designs can help you with both large projects and small renovations of your garden.

In the first example we were asked to create a garden design for a couple who’ve recently purchased a new home. Their garden is large and expansive but has very little going for it right now. A front fence is trying to block road noise but is too high and makes the property feel like a fortress. The walkway to the front door is too close to the house and feels more like a hallway. In the back garden there is an old broken concrete patio and just about nothing else except for a small grove of existing fruit trees.

Rick’s garden design is for the entire property. First he removed the fence in the front and added a low retaining wall and a higher berm so there will be no need for a fence and yet the additional plant material will do a better job at mitigating road noise. He also created a new entry to the front door that is wider, more gracious and slightly curving. In the back garden the broken concrete patio will be covered with a low deck so that there is a level entry from the house. Walkways, a large Koi pond, an intimate fire pit area, a covered entertainment space, a secondary patio, walkways throughout the garden, and a raised vegetable area hidden from the rest of the garden were all added to the design. Low maintenance plant material was chosen that fits the space and gives three seasons of interest. Because of the size of the garden this design will be implemented over several years.

The second example is a small renovation of a mature existing garden. Much of the plant material in the front of the house was overgrown and had been added over time for an eclectic mix that did not have any cohesion. Rick came up with a design for the front entry, two beds at the street, and a large wet area at the front of the property that has flowing groundwater in the winter and dries up in the summer. The plant material for the front of the house was chosen to compliment a brick house with burgundy trim and the wet area was planted using a variety of our specialty plants that like wet feet but can take dry summers. We also upgraded their garden lighting so that existing large shrubs and trees are lit at night. The renovation took two days to complete.

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