A garden and outdoor dining spot evoke Old World design and contemporary flair for this Virginia home.
Olney, Md.-based Botanical Decorators was faced with quite a “must-have” list from its client—including an upper-level terrace, a covered patio space, a grilling station, a fireplace, a level lawn area, a driveway to the garage with parking for two cars, a pool and lush, colorful plantings. Winter weather, a steeply sloping back yard, and lots of regulations with which to contend were just a few of the obstacles that lay ahead, but Morgan Washburn, Botanical Decorators’ landscape designer for the project, knew his team was up to the challenge.
First, it had to tackle the backyard slope. “To properly develop this site, we custom-designed an 1,800-gallon rainwater harvesting system to capture and reuse more than 85 percent of the stormwater runoff,” he explains. “This allowed us to maximize our allowable impervious surface area, and accomplish all of the client’s requests in an environmentally responsible manner.
“For the driveway, we installed a gravel paver system that absorbs runoff and will not compact,” he continues. “The captured water is then used to irrigate the landscape.”
Having the driveway enter from the left side allowed the team to create an inviting interior courtyard. “While the paving pattern of mini cobbles and flagstone produces a stepping-stone look, the clever play of the flagstone and mondo grass inlays creates a separation between the front porch and the courtyard,” notes Washburn. “Our plantings were kept simple, with plays of textural greens and a columnar sweetgum to lend a Mediterranean vertical line.”
For more than 30 years, Botanical Decorators, Olney, Md., has provided design-build-maintenance services for residential projects in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Botanical Decorators designs, builds, installs and maintains outdoor spaces that “let homeowners and their families enjoy them to the fullest.” For more information, visit BotDec.com. Plus, see the Web Extras section of LandscapeManagement.net for more photos of this installation. Photos: Roger Foley (2 and 4); Botanical Decorators.
