click on images to enlarge
If I can remember, I always try to take a photo of the front entrance to a garden, no matter what its size. This is a back yard garden, with the entrance off an alleyway, but it looks pretty charming all the same. A simple Boston ivy vining up to the Juliet balcony, along with the ironwork and the lamps, let you know there's something nice behind the wall.
This garden, also on the Boston South End Garden Tour, was designed by Perennial Gardens LLC of Boston. (And kudos to the writers of the garden tour program, who bothered to find out who designed the gardens!). Note the nice steps and edging that provide relief from all the brick.
The real centerpiece of this garden is the old stone wall. It's actually the rear side of a two-car garage — a real rarity in the neighborhood – and it's a wonderful backdrop for the entire garden. A serviceberry tree in the corner offers dappled shade and a nice pattern on the old wall.
Simple plantings, mainly hostas — and I think some upright laurels — surround the Zeus figure mounted on the wall and they look great against the brick.
And finally, I loved the shape of this bed … an arbor on the right leads right into the garage door — and at the left end of the bed is the garden entrance. River birch, hostas, ferns,and a climbing hydrangea complete the picture.
This garden also has a music system and night lighting — a perfect place for summer entertaining, and it proves the point that you don't need a lot of space for a terrific garden.
Leave a Reply