CHURCH STREET
Wallkill, New YorkPrivate Garden - Summer 2021
The owners of this shady, little backyard in the Mid-Hudson Valley were looking to create a space where they could gather as a family and appreciate the landscape with one another. Defined by a small wetland on one side, the space offers views into a natural landscape where an array of migratory bird species live for several months of the year. The goal of this design was to create a useable space where the homeowners could gather while also enhancing the landscape in a way that would support the local bird populations living adjacent to the site.
The solution: a firepit gathering space surrounded by a composition of native and non-native woodland plantings. Constructed from irregular bluestone flagging sourced from nearby vendors and natural rocks and boulders gathered on-site, the firepit patio is a place where people can comfortably gather and share stories, informal meals, and a bottle of wine with one another throughout the year.
The designed planting composition provides year-round interest while simultaneously serving as a resource for local wildlife. Understory plantings such as Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Witch-Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), and Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) serve as both a habitat and food source for a number of bird species while also creating a sense of enclosure around the firepit space.
Native and non-native perennials mark changes in the seasons and promote feelings of excitement and discovery. Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) heralding in the spring, Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) cascading between native boulders in the early summer, and yellow and purple Iris flowers followed by pink Astilbe spires are just a few examples of these seasonal moments.
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