Unique vertical elements were added to add dimension and add visual depth. Tim Lessard custom made the rock statue.

The homeowners wanted more than a basic foundation planting. Their Craftsman-style home had strong architectural details, but the entryway felt stark and uninviting. The goal was to design a garden that would soften the hard edges, bring out the beauty of the house, and offer a balance of structure and seasonal variety.

The Design Approach

We designed a layered foundation garden that anchors the house with year-round structure while offering dynamic seasonal interest. Evergreens, including a dwarf mugo pine and weeping conifers, provide a stable framework that ensures the garden looks polished in every season. Flowering perennials such as coneflower, pincushion flower, and Siberian iris add color, while ornamental grasses like Korean feather grass and purple switchgrass bring texture and movement.

Strategic focal points, including a decorative urn and rock features, lend permanence and artistry, turning the front approach into a welcoming statement. The palette was chosen for harmony with the home’s muted tones, ensuring that the garden complements rather than competes with the architecture.

The Result

The result is an elegant, highly functional garden that enhances curb appeal and showcases the home’s architecture. The planting design ensures year-round interest: spring bulbs and perennials bring bursts of early color, summer grasses sway with warmth and vitality, and evergreens maintain a structured elegance through winter.

The client’s residence now stands out in the neighborhood — not just for the beauty of the house itself, but for the thoughtful garden that frames and completes it.