Featured Gardens Portfolio
creating a greater network for us to live to live with nature
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Bernstein Evanston, Illinois
Before:
This client wanted to give his neighbors the gift of a lovely native garden to offset the more closed off design of the front of the house which served their privacy. Additionally we collaborated with the architect to help best manage the water off flow from the large structure that had been built. The back yard was to be a paradise for pollinators and for food growing. The prairie/savanna flowers were to mimic nature's own regional habitats and manage the water by having a rain garden and swale for when water is moving through in bigger rain events. This very special place was a special gift for his wife.
The earth was really impacted by the construction process. We partnered with two of our favorite collaborating companies, Leon's Landscaping (for overall soil mangement and grading) and D&G Landscaping (for the western swale work) Spirited Gardener project managed the elevation markers for the grade, rain garden ponding areas and successful dry river bed movement channels. We also provided and planted all of the plants.
After (the front yard):
Western side of the property had a 5' wide area to work with. Here's the rain swale with 2 catch basins, first year of plantings
Front rain garden after a 2.5" rain event. Water being managed handily and between during drought periods
View of the front rain garden from the entrance walking out of the house and the Jackalope statue that has charmed the neighbors.
After (the backyard yard):
The backyard rain garden manages the roof run off from the garage and the back of the house (utilizing a rain chain that handily manages the water. And raised beds installed by the client, allow for lead free food growing.
Prairie Patch by the House Patio on the East side of the Building
Short grasslands area with rain garden in the background
Rain Chain looking out over the short grasslands area with shrub border and raised bed in background
This client wanted to give his neighbors the gift of a lovely native garden to offset the more closed off design of the front of the house which served their privacy. Additionally we collaborated with the architect to help best manage the water off flow from the large structure that had been built. The back yard was to be a paradise for pollinators and for food growing. The prairie/savanna flowers were to mimic nature's own regional habitats and manage the water by having a rain garden and swale for when water is moving through in bigger rain events. This very special place was a special gift for his wife.
The earth was really impacted by the construction process. We partnered with two of our favorite collaborating companies, Leon's Landscaping (for overall soil mangement and grading) and D&G Landscaping (for the western swale work) Spirited Gardener project managed the elevation markers for the grade, rain garden ponding areas and successful dry river bed movement channels. We also provided and planted all of the plants.
After (the front yard):
We designed a system that captures approximately 3441 gallons of water that is generated by roof run-off in a 2" rain event from the downspouts on the western side of the house. The system successfully moves the water underground through the use of 2 catch basins, an intermediary 60 gallon Flo-well buried near the entrance and PVC pipes to then surface again in the front yard rain garden. There the water is managed by the plants through evapo-transpiration and by creating a spongy root layer in the soil to infiltrate water as well. On the west side of the house, to manage an approximate 3437 gallons underground, we set up a simple system of Catch Basins to capture a where the water flowed down to and an intermediate 60 Gallon Flo-well, under the sidewalk and then moved back out into the garden to pond and be managed by the plants.
Western side of the property had a 5' wide area to work with. Here's the rain swale with 2 catch basins, first year of plantingsFront rain garden after a 2.5" rain event. Water being managed handily and between during drought periods View of the front rain garden from the entrance walking out of the house and the Jackalope statue that has charmed the neighbors.After (the backyard yard):
The backyard rain garden manages the roof run off from the garage and the back of the house (utilizing a rain chain that handily manages the water. And raised beds installed by the client, allow for lead free food growing.
Prairie Patch by the House Patio on the East side of the BuildingShort grasslands area with rain garden in the backgroundRain Chain looking out over the short grasslands area with shrub border and raised bed in background