This client felt their two acre Germantown estate home, though lovely, was missing something essential: “Curb appeal,” said the owner, “it needs a little flair.” Drawing inspiration from the time period evoked by their French Colonial home, the client decided courtyard gardens, gaslights and meandering stone pathways would lend the property a sense of charm and mystery.

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We began with the pathways, designing each to connect a series sumptuous gardens peppered throughout the grounds. The client named every garden after family members: Sherry’s Garden (for his wife), Rachel’s Garden, Maddie’s Garden and Carys’ Garden (for his granddaughters). The entrance to each is flanked by two stone columns, where oversized ferns burst forth to greet you. We installed adjacent gaslights and accent lights around all of the gardens and pathways, tastefully  illuminating the scenic landscape, as well as increasing visibility and security at night.

Sherry’s Garden, the grandest of all (and still in progress), is in the center of the front yard and draws its design elements straight from New Orleans. In it, we built a large iron fountain, immediately surrounded by manicured boxwoods, then further encircled by a variety of plants and flowers. Rachel’s Garden is located in the side yard, close to the front of the house. The family can spend quiet time in the shade on an inviting bench under a tree, or just enjoy looking at the sea of flowers and plants, easily viewed from inside the home. Maddie’s Garden is connected to the house by the a stone pathway that curves by the kitchen and contains a generous swath of seasonally diverse blooms: tulips and hyacinth in spring, begonias and impatiens in summer, to name a few. A stone fountain in the middle of the garden promotes a sense of peace with its soft, watery whispering. Carys’ Garden is a backyard paradise situated near the future site of Hayden’s Hangout, where guests will eventually be able to pitch horseshoes under a shade tree.