Path to a Beautiful Landscape, The

Turn a neglected area into a side yard sanctuary.

small gardens, big style

To improve their derelict side yard, Tallahassee residents Abe and Madee Schestopol set three goals. "We wanted something that would give us sometning mai wouia give us privacy, not require a lot of maintenance, and be enjoyable year-round," Madee says.

Today, what had been little more than pine straw-covered dirt is a lush and welcoming garden. The key to its design is a handsome walkway that traverses the narrow 30- x 6-foot side yard. It serves as the garden's focal point around which all the plantings are arranged. And, of course, it provides an easy way to get from front yard to back without going through the house.

Making the Transition

The walkway begins with treated-timber steps that diverge from the front drive. It then continues with mortared stone that runs through the side yard to a terrace and lawn located in the back. Why use two different materials to make the walk? Well, the timber steps help to mark the transition from the front yard to the side yard in the same way that changing from a wood floor to carpet might mark the transition from room to room in your house. Moreover, the texture of the wood repeats that of an arch and privacy fence. Repetition is a hallmark of cohesive design.

Note how the simple plantings, designed by Tallahassee Nurseries, reinforce this cohesion. Evergreen shrubs, including holly, dwarf sasanqua camellia, Sandankwa viburnum, and cherry laurel, rise from sweeps of mondo grass and asparagus fern ground covers. The evergreen shrubs add year-round color and also help to screen nearby houses. The ground covers tie together the plantings while minimizing maintenance.

Madee says that she and Abe enjoy this transformed side yard practically every day. What a difference this nice path makes. STEVE BENDER

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Mar 2006
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