Cheery new entry: a lattice fence and well-chosen plants transform a yard

Sunset, Sept, 2004 by Julie Chai

Once the ugliest yard on the whole block, this entry garden in Bremerton, Washington, is now one of the most inviting, thanks to a significant reland-scaping effort by owner John Paulsen. When he and his family moved in, the yard was almost barren, and there was a dangerous drop-off between the front walk and a deeply recessed driveway. To solve both problems, Paulsen decided to enclose the yard with a fence that runs along the sidewalk and the driveway.

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Paulsen designed and built the lattice fence himself, setting the stepped sections back slightly from the sidewalk to accommodate a planting strip. The cedar fence is 3 feet tall except for a 4-foot-tall section near the porch. To form the latticework, 2-by-4s were ripped (i.e., cut lengthwise) in half, then strung between 4- by 4-inch posts. The top and bottom rails are beveled to shed rain readily, a necessity in the Pacific Northwest. The wood is coated with a transparent oil-based stain.

Inside the fence, a curving path of flagstones dotted with Corsican mint leads to the front door. The path threads through a cottage garden featuring a palette of plants (see list at left) that landscape designer Anne Janisse helped Paulsen select.

DESIGN: Anne Janisse, City People's Gardens Design & Landscape, Seattle (206/324-0963)

RELATED ARTICLE: Plant lineup

A mix of perennials, shrubs, and small trees provides year-round texture and seasonal color.

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Fence softeners

* Variegated potato vine (Solanum jasminoides 'Variegatum') bears white flowers throughout the year and gold-and-green leaves.

* Senecio greyi has graygreen leaves and yellow summer daisies.

* Spanish lavender (Lavendula stoechas 'Otto Quast') displays deep purple flower spikes in spring and early summer over gray-green foliage.

Accents

* Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) carries dark green leaves with white undersides and spikes of fragrant purple flowers in summer.

* New Zealand flax (Phormium tenax 'Rubrum') brandishes swordlike maroon leaves.

* Rosa chinensis 'Mutabilis', a China rose, has single blooms in shades of buff, pink, and red from spring into winter.

* 'Sango Kaku' Japanese maple displays yellow leaves in fall and red branches in winter.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CONNIE COLEMAN