Space and Scale
ERIC NOTICES NOT ONLY THE UTILIZATION OF SPACE BUT AS WELL THE SENSE OF
SCALE in relation to the home. Bob has created little nooks and
crannies, nice little intimate spaces throughout the property. Bob
feels it's important in any design to stay true to the architecture of
the house. In this case that drove the landscape design, he wanted a
landscape that complimented the house. This is a modern architecture
home, thus Bob played off that theme with neat, clean, straight lines.
Click here for more info
Plant Material
ERIC AND BOB NEXT LOOK AT THE PLANT MATERIAL. Although this is a fairly
young planting the scale of plant material is impressive. Bob feels the
one mistake most homeowners make is they blow their budget on hardscape
material and don't hold back for plant material. This homeowner needed
privacy, so he put money into large, mature screening trees. They add
tremendously to the sense of scale and intimacy of the different
spaces. There is a lushness to the area yet it's only a 2 year old
planting. That additional texture is something that wouldn't be
available with smaller plants.
Click here for more info
Five Creative Areas in One Space
THE USE OF SPACE IS ALSO EVIDENT IN THE DIFFERENT, CREATIVE AREAS. The
backyard has a dramatic slope which if left "as is" would have resulted
in very limited outdoor living space. But one steep area now has 5
exciting and unusual areas of interest, multiple outdoor living spaces.
Click here for more info
Stacked Stone Walls
ERIC ALSO LIKES THE WALLS THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED. One is a stacked
stone wall that's artfully done. There is 8 to 10 feet of elevation
change here. This is a space where some might have utilized an
engineered wall or landscape timbers. Instead Bob put in the stacked
stone wall that has a soft, natural feel. It's terraced, thus
incorporates a lot of green space in between the walls which breaks up
the area and compliments the overall design. It fits. This is a dry
stacked stone wall. It has no footing, no block and no mortar. They
used refurbished concrete from an old patio. They started the wall at
about 4 feet wide at the base, kept the face straight and the back
beveled up to about 18 inches at the top.
Click here for more info
2nd Home - Design Philosophy
ROBIN TELLS US ABOUT HER HOME, HER YARD AND HER DESIGN PHILOSOPHY.
Since they moved here 10 years ago this yard has become her palate to
experiment. The house was built in the 1950's and was a modern design
for its time. When they bought this property it required many layers of
stripping to renovate because over time things like dental molding,
palladium windows and Georgian columns had been added. They wanted to
reclaim the home and bring it back to it's original intention, 50's
modern.
Click here for more info
Restoration
ERIC NOTICES THAT THE REOCCURRING THEME OF ROBIN'S HOME AND GARDENS IS
ONE OF RESTORATION. There's a nurturing aspect to both home and
gardens. They start with one special spot in Robin's garden, it is has
been reclaimed and is now natural, yet livable. It is a wonderful
sanctuary filled with lush vegetation and native plants. When Robin
moved in this was virtually a forest, one couldn't see anything in this
area. A Cherry tree fell, they came in to take it out and with the help
of a machete, cleared the area. Once done they found an
amphitheater-like setting created back in the 50's by the original
owner.
Click here for more info
The Lake
ERIC AND ROBIN NEXT VISIT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WHICH OVERLOOKS A
BEAUTIFUL LAKE. This house was originally built as a lake house in the
50's and was constructed using many natural materials, such as brick,
stone, glass and wood. They have tried to keep the integrity of those
natural materials. Originally there was one, concrete path that led
from the house to the lake. Robin has changed that, the path now
provides a rambling feel and takes one by the different garden rooms on
the way to the lake. Because, as Robin points out, it is not about the
destination, it's about the journey. Eric likes the wonderful natural,
soft lines that have been integrated throughout the garden. Everything
works well; a lot of vegetation, nice little trails leading to
different areas of the garden, especially the path to the lake.
Click here for more info
The Vineyard
ROBIN AND ERIC VISIT ANOTHER SPOT, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHERE ROBIN HAS
TAKEN THE ELEMENTS THE SITE GAVE HER AND CREATED SOMETHING SPECIAL.
This is the vineyard and they're under an arbor. The vine is a 50 year
old grape vine that, when they moved in 10 years ago, was laying on the
ground. This area, in fact, was a wooded area with a fence. The
previous owners had their dog run here. Robin came in, took down the
fence, found the wonderful vine and decided to recreate a vineyard area
by building an arbor and lifting up the vine. This is where she sat and
composed the yard. This was the starting point. It is beautiful and a
multi-purpose space that also affords a fantastic view of the lake.
Click here for more info
Vegetable Garden
IT'S HARD TO BEAT THE TASTE OF FRESH VEGETABLES, particularly fresh
vegetables right at one's fingertips. Robin has created a beautiful,
stylish vegetable garden, yet one that is totally functional. The
plants look great.
Click here for more info
Creating a Focal Point
THIS GARDEN IS WHAT ROBIN VIEWS FROM THE INTERIOR OF THEIR HOME YEAR
ROUND. Because of that she wanted to create a focal point, a center of
interest. She did this by utilizing a bright colorful bench as well as
native and shade plants. Magnolia grandiflora, Iteavirginica, and Hosta
x hybrid are just a few in this area. They all make this a truly
special area, one that stands out, particularly when on the inside
looking out.
Click here for more info
The Water Garden
ERIC THINKS ROBIN HAS SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST, THE WATER GARDEN. This
is an example of a fairly difficult spot, a space with a lot of
hardscape, yet she has turned it into a paradise. This space is
approximately 20 by 10 feet and reminds one of the patio areas often
seen in townhouses, condominiums or apartments. And, these can be
tricky to figure out what kind of creative ideas can be utilized to
create a sanctuary. Robin has done a great job. This was originally a
patio leading to a carport, which has now been enclosed.
Click here for more info
LINKS:
WPBA - Atlanta
Bob Lytle-Cascade Design Group, Inc
Water Sculpture
Mugnaini Imports
Complete transcript of the show.
In this show we visit 2 very different gardens. One is small, the other
large but both utilize space wonderfully and both provide some great
design tips.
Eric first meets Bob Lytle a landscape architect that has designed the
yard of the home with the smaller space. Bob has utilized the space
beautifully and has incorporated a lot of personality into the design.
Bob was understandably most influenced by members of his family. His
father who was good with his hands, gave him an appreciation of
building things. His uncle was involved with the landscape industry and
Bob worked with him during summers where he developed an appreciation
for the outdoors. Bob always had an ambition to be an architect but
when introduced to landscape architecture he thought it provided an
opportunity to be creative and produce more immediate results.
ERIC NOTICES NOT ONLY THE UTILIZATION OF SPACE BUT AS WELL THE SENSE OF
SCALE in relation to the home. Bob has created little nooks and
crannies, nice little intimate spaces throughout the property. Bob
feels it's important in any design to stay true to the architecture of
the house. In this case that drove the landscape design, he wanted a
landscape that complimented the house. This is a modern architecture
home, thus Bob played off that theme with neat, clean, straight lines.
Additionally, he integrated a softer, somewhat Japanese theme to the
garden and transitioned beautifully between the two. Eric first notices
the hardscapes. Large boulders have been used throughout. Bob feels
they've used them differently than most. The boulders sort of
metamorphosize into the walls and the steps. Instead of using a column
they would use a boulder, for example. They integrated boulders into
everything. Because this is a smaller space the big boulders give a
sense of massiveness. It's a beautiful, natural effect. In the patio
Bob utilized smooth river stones and turned them on their edge to
provide a beautiful texture. It's quite unique. And the retaining walls
made of stone level out the different spaces and provide a very natural
feel.
Top
ERIC AND BOB NEXT LOOK AT THE PLANT MATERIAL. Although this is a fairly
young planting the scale of plant material is impressive. Bob feels the
one mistake most homeowners make is they blow their budget on hardscape
material and don't hold back for plant material. This homeowner needed
privacy, so he put money into large, mature screening trees. They add
tremendously to the sense of scale and intimacy of the different
spaces. There is a lushness to the area yet it's only a 2 year old
planting. That additional texture is something that wouldn't be
available with smaller plants.
Top
THE USE OF SPACE IS ALSO EVIDENT IN THE DIFFERENT, CREATIVE AREAS. The
backyard has a dramatic slope which if left "as is" would have resulted
in very limited outdoor living space. But one steep area now has 5
exciting and unusual areas of interest, multiple outdoor living spaces.
Starting at the top there is a coy pond that incorporates the signature
boulders. The flowing water provides a soothing sound that can be heard
throughout the garden. In front of the coy pond is a sheltered seating
area that provides privacy and captures the sound of water. Above the
seating area is a green roof. The green roof cools the area and
importantly provides a focal point, drawing the eye upward. The roof
garden and surroundings really add to the Japanese feel. Walking a few
steps down from the coy pond one arrives at a wonderful patio area. It
utilizes several different types of hardscape material as well as
benches which could accommodate larger groups of people. It is
surrounded with plant material making for a very relaxing space. It is
stunning and inviting. In the corner one notices a wall and steps.
Following the steps down unveils a great looking door and behind the
door is a wine cellar. The dark wood and wine make a great garden
destination. Not only is the wine cellar beautiful, but because it's
subterranean it's cool and comfortable. A great location for a wine
cellar. Going back up the stairs one notices some neat, offset stairs
that lead even further down the hill and into a woodland. The steps are
placed in an irregular pattern and look very natural. They almost seem
to be saying 'follow me, see what's here." It all fits in beautifully.
One needs to recount, yes there are 5 levels in all. It's unbelievable.
A beautiful use of space. Bob tells Eric how it was done. It was
certainly a challenging site. For the upper terrace, where the the coy
pond is located they would have needed to build a retaining wall to get
a level space. Instead of putting money into backfilling and installing
a retaining wall, because the homeowner was interested in a wine
cellar, they were able to incorporate that into the same square
footage, which minimized the need for backfilling. The other areas fit
beautifully once the pond and wine cellar were constructed. This a
great use of space with a small backyard, interesting and very
functional.
Top
ERIC ALSO LIKES THE WALLS THAT HAVE BEEN UTILIZED. One is a stacked
stone wall that's artfully done. There is 8 to 10 feet of elevation
change here. This is a space where some might have utilized an
engineered wall or landscape timbers. Instead Bob put in the stacked
stone wall that has a soft, natural feel. It's terraced, thus
incorporates a lot of green space in between the walls which breaks up
the area and compliments the overall design. It fits. This is a dry
stacked stone wall. It has no footing, no block and no mortar. They
used refurbished concrete from an old patio. They started the wall at
about 4 feet wide at the base, kept the face straight and the back
beveled up to about 18 inches at the top. That is what gives the wall
it's strength, the dirt compacts against the angle. There is no
hydraulic pressure, water runs right through and in Bob's opinion this
wall will be here in a couple hundred years, much longer than with a
manmade wall. The drainage is incredible and the wall has broken up
what would otherwise be a long, tall hardscape.
Eric thanks Bob for the tour. This has been a wonderful learning
experience. It's been very interesting to see how an expert has made
use of a smaller space and made it look quite large.
Eric next visits with Robin. Robin is a master gardener and an artist.
Her yard is fairly large, yet she has created small intimate rooms
throughout the property to create a series of intimate spaces. It all
works together beautifully and artfully.
Top
ROBIN TELLS US ABOUT HER HOME, HER YARD AND HER DESIGN PHILOSOPHY.
Since they moved here 10 years ago this yard has become her palate to
experiment. The house was built in the 1950's and was a modern design
for its time. When they bought this property it required many layers of
stripping to renovate because over time things like dental molding,
palladium windows and Georgian columns had been added. They wanted to
reclaim the home and bring it back to it's original intention, 50's
modern. She did that, added an eyebrow over the front door, which she
felt the original architect would have approved of, and brought the
design into the 21st century. It's all simple, elegant and interesting.
Robin has utilized similar design techniques throughout her gardens as
well.
Top
ERIC NOTICES THAT THE REOCCURRING THEME OF ROBIN'S HOME AND GARDENS IS
ONE OF RESTORATION. There's a nurturing aspect to both home and
gardens. They start with one special spot in Robin's garden, it is has
been reclaimed and is now natural, yet livable. It is a wonderful
sanctuary filled with lush vegetation and native plants. When Robin
moved in this was virtually a forest, one couldn't see anything in this
area. A Cherry tree fell, they came in to take it out and with the help
of a machete, cleared the area. Once done they found an
amphitheater-like setting created back in the 50's by the original
owner. There was cast iron irrigation throughout and wonderful
vegetation. Things like spotted Acova, natural Azaleas, Hydrangea
quercifolia Oakleaf and wonderful ferns along the creek bed were
everywhere. Robin has taken a conservatory approach throughout the
property. For example, the chairs came from the Cherry tree that fell,
the paths on the property were created with mulch that came from other
trees that were cleared. They have tried to use and recycle as much as
possible.
Top
ERIC AND ROBIN NEXT VISIT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE WHICH OVERLOOKS A
BEAUTIFUL LAKE. This house was originally built as a lake house in the
50's and was constructed using many natural materials, such as brick,
stone, glass and wood. They have tried to keep the integrity of those
natural materials. Originally there was one, concrete path that led
from the house to the lake. Robin has changed that, the path now
provides a rambling feel and takes one by the different garden rooms on
the way to the lake. Because, as Robin points out, it is not about the
destination, it's about the journey. Eric likes the wonderful natural,
soft lines that have been integrated throughout the garden. Everything
works well; a lot of vegetation, nice little trails leading to
different areas of the garden, especially the path to the lake. On the
way they pass a little room. It is the fish bench area which has a
beautiful Salisburia adiantifolia 'Ginko biloba' tree. Robin reminds
Eric that the Ginko tree was one of the 7 trees in the Garden of Eden.
Robin has another tree that was in the Garden of Eden, the Ficus 'Fig'
tree, in the front yard. Eric likes the way the pathway winds down the
hill, then pops out between 2 dense evergreen hedges. By doing this
Robin has created another nice garden room. And it is right on the
lake. This is one of the favorite areas of their house. It overlooks a
beautiful 5 acre lake. The lake was created in the 50's when they built
the road systems in the area. It was created by damming up 3 streams.
The lake is about 60 feet at its deepest and is filled with lots of
fish-bass, crappy and catfish. At the far end is a bird estuary where
Heron and Owls and Geese and Ducks live. Once again they've recycled;
the Georgian columns that once adorned the front are now located on the
dock. By the lake are some neat Iris sibirica 'Japanese Iris', they
were taken from another location on the property, the water garden.
Robin divided them, brought them down here and they're obviously happy
because they've multiplied prolifically.
Top
ROBIN AND ERIC VISIT ANOTHER SPOT, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF WHERE ROBIN HAS
TAKEN THE ELEMENTS THE SITE GAVE HER AND CREATED SOMETHING SPECIAL.
This is the vineyard and they're under an arbor. The vine is a 50 year
old grape vine that, when they moved in 10 years ago, was laying on the
ground. This area, in fact, was a wooded area with a fence. The
previous owners had their dog run here. Robin came in, took down the
fence, found the wonderful vine and decided to recreate a vineyard area
by building an arbor and lifting up the vine. This is where she sat and
composed the yard. This was the starting point. It is beautiful and a
multi-purpose space that also affords a fantastic view of the lake.
Top
IT'S HARD TO BEAT THE TASTE OF FRESH VEGETABLES, particularly fresh
vegetables right at one's fingertips. Robin has created a beautiful,
stylish vegetable garden, yet one that is totally functional. The
plants look great. Robin's husband is a gourmet cook, thus they've
planned the garden together. He cooks them, Robin grows them. Here one
sees many varieties of tomatoes. This year they're using a new staking
system using bamboo from the yard and heavy string to hold the tomatoes
up. The plants are irrigated from the lake, thus water isn't a concern.
Eric notices about every herb under the sun and they are all doing
well. Robin shows us a few. Remember these are for the kitchen, yet
some are used as a border for the herb garden. She has Ocimum
basiliscum (Basil), Coriandrum sativum (Cilantro), Origanum syriacum
(Oregano), Salvia officinalis (Sage) as well as Rosmarinus officinalis
(Rosemary) which is used as a frame for the garden. It is great in the
kitchen as well as providing a great scent when walking by. Thus these
plants provide utilitarian uses for the kitchen but also serve
structural or functional purposes in the garden.
Top
Regardless of how much space one has available there are always
wonderful, creative ways of creating intimate spaces in the garden.
Today we've seen some great examples of small gardens that have
utilized little nooks and crannies and niches in the garden; as well
we've seen a big garden that has utilized small spaces to basically,
break up the big area and make it feel nice and intimate. In many
respects a garden is an extension of the home. Eric and Robin visit
just such a space. THIS GARDEN IS WHAT ROBIN VIEWS FROM THE INTERIOR OF
THEIR HOME YEAR ROUND. Because of that she wanted to create a focal
point, a center of interest. She did this by utilizing a bright
colorful bench as well as native and shade plants. Magnolia
grandiflora, Iteavirginica, and Hosta x hybrid are just a few in this
area. They all make this a truly special area, one that stands out,
particularly when on the inside looking out.
Top
ERIC THINKS ROBIN HAS SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST, THE WATER GARDEN. This
is an example of a fairly difficult spot, a space with a lot of
hardscape, yet she has turned it into a paradise. This space is
approximately 20 by 10 feet and reminds one of the patio areas often
seen in townhouses, condominiums or apartments. And, these can be
tricky to figure out what kind of creative ideas can be utilized to
create a sanctuary. Robin has done a great job. This was originally a
patio leading to a carport, which has now been enclosed. Thus this area
originally was a blank canvas with only a beautiful Camellia japonica
tree and a beautiful Acer palmatum (Japanese Maple). Robin then added
the water garden because she likes to engage the senses when designing
her gardens, thus the sound of water. She added the Trachelospermum
jasminoides (Carolina Star Jasmine) because of its scent and added a
lot of ferns growing along the bank for their texture. As well, she
added some glass balls, water sculpture, that her son, a professional
artist, made for Robin's garden. She once again has blended art with
the design of the garden. Eric likes the lush feel, in particular, he
likes the Colocasia esculenta 'Red Stem,' Iris virginica shrevei 'blue
flag' and pitcher plants. Eric thanks Robin. Her gardening skills and
artistic talents really make this yard and garden stand out. We
appreciate the tour.
We've been fortunate in this show to view 2 different gardens. One
utilized a small space and incorporated garden rooms throughout
utilizing space very effectively. The second was a larger space but
still utilized smaller garden rooms throughout to provide a sense of
intimacy. Both provide lessons we can all utilize in our yards and
gardens.
Top
LINKS:
WPBA - Atlanta
Bob Lytle-Cascade Design Group, Inc
Water Sculpture
Mugnaini Imports
