Swing for the Fences – My First Major Garden Design

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

A few weeks back I shared on Instagram a photo from on of my first design projects and I figured I should revisit the one I give credit for the growth of our business and me as a designer. I am a true believer that good work leads to more work. This project was a catalyst for so many of the clients and gardens since.

 

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

This project in New Albany, Ohio was one of my very first complete landscape design projects. When I showed up the home was recently built with just a basic assortment of trees and shrubs.   The clients were existing maintenance clients of ours at another home. They were thinking about buying this home and asked if I would meet them onsite to check out the site so I could give them my blessing before they purchased. Keep in mind at the time I was 24 years old.

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

 

The scale was much larger than I had ever worked before. The soil was terribly compact from the construction of the home, and the site lacked any trees with character or strong presence. To add insult to injury the trees were still in their baskets and were being strangled by synthetic twine. So this was a design and rescue for the few plantings that were to remain. What the site did have was a beautiful natural setting of gradual topography, mature trees away from the home and a spring fed pond.

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

 

The site had too much turf initially, so one of my first ideas was to reclaim the lawn and restore back to a meadow / prairie. Granted, I had no experience with this, only what I had read on the subject. Additionally, gardens lacked any good bones; no organization, structure, or rhythm. So being the plant nerd I am I went straight into perennial mode creating borders. Looking back my borders were pretty basic and lacked depth and variety. Granted at the time in the early 2000s my palette was a bit restricted to what I could source from my local wholesale nurseries. But I am okay with that and I am proud of what I was able to achieve with really very little experience. Truly every project is a learning experience.

 

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

 

My overarching thinking with the garden was the closer you are to the house the more formal and structured the gardens are and the further you radiate away from the home the more it naturalized. One of the key formal features was a potager garden with granite cobbles and pea gravel. I had always wanted to design a formal vegetable garden ever since I studied in England. The college I attended had a lovely and very active potager which has stuck with me ever since. We would often sneak in at night and raid the strawberry patch. I am so sorry who’s ever berry study we so often interfered with.

 

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the BoxwoodSwing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the BoxwoodSwing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

 

I owe such a debt of gratitude to Phyllis and Len who had faith in a newbie straight out of college. Without their support and confidence I am sure my work trajectory would have been very different. I like to believe this is an example of you have to make your own luck and take advantage of the opportunities you are given. In this case I swung for the fences and it paid off.

 

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood   

 

Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood      Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood Swing for the Fences, Thinking Outside the Boxwood

11 thoughts on “Swing for the Fences – My First Major Garden Design

  1. Thanks for sharing this story Nick. I can’t imagine the amount of courage this must have taken to design and install at 24 years of age. Very impressive!

  2. Just gorgeous, Nick. You have enhanced the natural terrain very cleverly without turning it into something mundane. Your natural artistry coupled with expert knowledge has produced a masterful result.
    Congratulations on being part of the current show and. Loads of luck at the show..

    (I am from England so I think gardening is in my dna., although it was only when moving to rural Ohio that the gift of living in a beautiful acreage really let me loose.).

  3. This is gorgeous. I’m curious if any changes have been made since your original design. You said that looking back your borders were pretty basic – what would you do differently today?

  4. I am pretty sure that I have pinned these photos so many times…every time I see it I love it!!! So so good!!

  5. Nick, this was the most spectacular garden! I wished we could have brought it (and you) to our new home back east…..am thrilled with your success…but we never doubted you!

    • Phyllis! I hope you guys are doing great!!!! I pass your place a couple times and always think of you guys when I do. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you both. I could never thank you enough.
      Warmest regards and a big hug!

      • We are all fine….doing well outside Boston (but not a great yard, frankly!). Len teaching at Harvard, I’m semi-retired, enjoying grandchildren and kids…things are good.
        Glad to see/hear all is well.

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