This client took over care of a family home in Elmira, with the hopes to leave a legacy with the landscaping. The architecture of the house really sets the tone for what we could do outside - we wanted to stick to formal shapes such as lines and ovals, and making sure we extended the longest views along the property axis.
Two public gardens that we drew the most inspiration from were Longvue Gardens in New Orleans and Chanticleer Pleasure Gardens outside of Philadelphia.
The client is a photographer and artist, so having hand-crafted, unique materials, furniture and details are going to be critical for creating the experience in the space.
The first order of business was to create a conceptual master plan, with a key ingredient - a formal hedge along the sidewalk, lined with spring flowering trees on the other.
Additionally, we wanted to make sure that we created a series of rooms that would allow the client to enjoy smaller spaces separately, or host events outdoors and use multiple spaces at once.
While this master plan is still being developed, we knew we could start with the first phase of planting, knowing that it would take 2-3 years for it to really start to take off.
Year 1 - we focused on adding feature trees by the sidewalk, intending to let them start to mature as we work on other phases of the project over the coming years.
Year 2 - we decided to make a big statement - installing the 4’ hedge along the front and border of the property.
Keep checking in as this project continues to evolve and we install the next phases!
Keep checking in as this project continues to evolve and we install the next phases!
