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A Tapestry of Textures04-01-02 | 161
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by Kay Tiller, Executive Regional Editor
 
The shape of the land allowed gardens within a garden. Meandering pathways tie the garden spaces together, connecting plantings in a rich color scheme of orange, yellow, blue and white. From perennials to roses to stately trees, the residential landscape paints a tapestry of colors and textures.
 
Just imagine a residential garden with such diverse typography that both a wonderful view of the Pacific Coastal Range of mountains can be seen from one spot and a fabulous woodland scene, complete with a creek, is less than 100 yards away. That is just what exists today in a garden just outside Portland, Oregon-- a residential garden designed by Nan Booth Simpson, ASLA, a Partner in Landscape Refinements, LLC, of Portland. "The shape of the land allowed gardens within a garden," explained Simpson in an interview on the site. "That was due to the deep and narrow site, but there was a whole lot to do to make the entire scene what it is today."
 
When the house was built, the builder set the house into a side slope, removed all the vegetation and did not pay attention to the drainage. "A lake formed in the rear garden during the first winter when the house was under construction," noted Simpson. "Ten truckloads of soil had to be removed and a rock wall constructed. Twelve inch drainage ditches were dug to channel water from behind the house to the front, fabric-clad flexible perforated drainpipe was installed and the ditches were backfilled with gravel to carry off the excess water."
 
Simpson continued, "To add to the misery, the developer had stripped off and hauled away all of the topsoil. We amended the soil but did not anticipate all the other problems. Not only was the hillside comprised of a heavy clay subsoil, but there were also five springs in the hill which resulted in soil that was too soggy to support plant life-- we lost a number of plants the first year to root rot." Since water could not flow down the hill through the clay, Simpson devised an unprecedented solution. All the newly planted trees and shrubs were dug up and a series of 3' by 3' trenches were dug across the hill, gently sloping down to a new drainage pipe along the property line. The "forest" was replanted with all the rootballs within the trenches, and, thanks to the new drainage system, are now thriving.
 
The architect had designed a modern entry for the traditional house "and a steep slope left the house with no base-- it seemed to float," commented Simpson. "The garage side of the house, which opened onto the cul-de-sac, appeared to be too heavy." The answer-- "We thought it would be more pleasing to have wide brick steps that descended to a walkway," she explained. That walkway ramps up from the driveway and circles around to the back of the house, not only allowing handicapped access to the home, but also allowing the owners to haul compost and other things in a wheelbarrow to the rear garden and into the house, without having to deal with steps.
 
Today, there are planter boxes on either side of the entry steps that give the house a "base" and hide the foundation. To balance the weight of the garage side, the Landscape Architect designed the fence wall and handsome gate on the south side of the house. Simpson also found the brick for the steps and then matched the color of the front door, gate and metal stair railings to the brick. But, the garden... or gardens at the back of the house are spectacular! Meandering paths that tie the spaces together, from the top of the hill where there is a seating area to watch the sunset over the mountains, to the quiet bench which overlooks the wooded stream bed, there are plantings-- many of them appearing to be natural. There is a cutting garden-- a rose garden which was a must for the "man of the house." Simpson referred to it as a "gum ball machine" and it was sited behind the main garden so that it is not visible from the house. The great thing about this garden is the fact that the homeowners are avid gardeners. And it seems that their son is fascinated with Landscape Architecture. In talking with them, I too, found that they are enamored of the work done by their Landscape Architect. And, as they say, "it's an ongoing project, and we truly love it that way!" lasn
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