On our most recent project we were hired to bring some new energy to this downtown Concord property. For the most part, we had ourselves a blank slate, as there were only a few foundation shrubs in the front to start with. To begin, we installed one of our signature large format, locally sourced, granite front entry ways. We carried this same stone to all of the egress points around the house giving a nice stone landing off the deck and again from the garage side entrance. Our client had some major water issues to be addressed, as their sump pump ran all hours of the day dumping hundreds of gallons of water into their front yard.
To solve this water issue, we created a rain garden which will capture all of the runoff from the sump pump as well as the majority of the front roofline. The rain garden is essentially a large dry well in the front yard that has the ability to hold water, should the water table and rainfall become overwhelming. We utilized a large 3’x10’ slab of granite to create a walking bridge over the garden which leads you into the backyard.
To complement the stonework and rain garden, we planted the full perimeter of the property along with the majority of the foundation. The theme of this yard is mass plantings. We planted a row of European hornbeams down the property line which will act as nice compact, yet tall privacy screen from the neighbors. The backyard was lined with little lime hydrangea which will flower and look beautiful from early summer right into the late fall. These trees and shrubs were complemented with a mix of native and non native perennials adding not only seasonal color but also varying textures throughout. We will be revisiting this property early in the fall to finish it off with a fresh new lawn, the most successful time of year to grow grass, and look forward to sharing more photos as things grow in and mature.