Outdoor Living
A Raised Bed Garden Space in Anderson Township
Each project has a story.
Our homes and lives are undeniably intertwined, memories etched with the trees, plants, and the space we experience them in.
We design with this in mind.
When a legacy tree had to be taken down an opportunity arose for a new use of this part of the yard. Sunlight was now abundant. Growing vegetables was now possible.
An old deck currently occupied the area with poorly routed drain pipes underneath and around it. The client's vision of this space was for it to be an extension of the home, one that would become the family’s vegetable garden. Goals included deer protection, unify the disparate elements (patio, shrubs, massive stump) in the area that were still viable and also address the multiple downspouts that were draining too close to the home.
Not only did this new space have to look great, it had to perform!
The massive oak tree stump from the recently downed tree had become a standalone eyesore along the side of the house. To counter this we brought new garden beds around it while removing patches of wintercreeper and working a small dry creek around it.
Pollinator attracting perennials were used on the periphery of the entire garden. Vegetables need these allies.
The rain water management included running the downspout into dry creeks framed on both sides of the garden with one serving as an overflow from a rain barrel that is used to water the raised beds.
Upon completion, this space turned out to be a place of refuge for the clients during the pandemic. The clients' children were able to learn about plant life cycles and eat fresh vegetables throughout the season.
Growing food enables us to detach from the day and focus on the immersive practice of seeding, weeding, pruning, trellising and harvesting sustenance. The outcome of this is nutrient dense food to share with family and friends.
Before
Protected and surrounded with life!
Cedar raised beds and brassfield crushed stone pathways.
Native ground covers replaced invasive wintercreeper in this area. A flagstone path was also installed to provide access to the hose bib.
The overflow from the rain barrel weaves between the old oak stump and existing dogwood shrub.
The other downspout was buried under the garden space and daylighted into this new dry creek to the rejoice of these aster, yarrow and goldenrod!