Jim Douthit of a Blade of Grass in Wayland, MA, received a 2017 Gold Award from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) for this farmhouse garden — his own – in Wayland. To screen the property from a busy road, Douthit planted a row of mixed evergreens along with deciduous trees and shrubs, and also installed lush gardens to make the area around the gravel courtyard feel much less like a driveway.
Views from inside the old farmhouse were reoriented to the backyard and the river beyond. The designer handled a five foot drop from the back door to the yard by adding a small porch one step down from the kitchen and a bluestone patio three steps down from the porch. A yew hedge separates the patio from the front courtyard, and the patio and firepit are oriented to offer views to the river.
And finally, a veg garden was added on the far side of the barn, along with beehives and a chicken coop.
Most plantings on the property are native, and reclaimed granite pillars, cobbles and landings were installed throughout the site.
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