Just received a catalogue recently from the Branch Studio, owned by landscape designer Deborah Silver, which reminded me that I never wrote about one of her gardens that I toured last summer.
Most of us on the tour didn't realize exactly what was going on until we went inside the house and noticed the design on the cabinet doors, above the door lintels, etc. -- a circle within an "x." Silver carried this design out into the garden, over and over again.
It's used in the basic layout of the backyard, overlooking Lake St. Clair, just northeast of the downtown areas of Detroit. It's just lawn with a boxwood in the center, but it's very tranquil and soothing, as is the lake. Note the trellis in the background to the right ... there's a matching one on the opposite side that encloses the lawn between them.
Deborah established the Branch Studio, which manufactures garden ornament, to get what she wants for her designs. Note the "x" and circle motif on the planter boxes. She'll design custom planters, pergolas, fountains -- you name it -- to match her clients' desires and designs.
Nothing is left to chance in this design ... the striking gates that lead from front to fully-landscaped side yard...
Lots of evergreens help carry the landscape through the cold and sometimes windy winter season.
I also loved this simple shower/grill area in a little alcove between the covered spa/TV area and the side yard. The shower drains into a simple wooden grate just below it, and the grill is tucked away yet near the kitchen, but you don't have to stare at it all the time.
Other wonderful features include a line of espaliered katsura trees planted in a planter box along the drive court at the entrance to the house. They separate the drive from the neighboring property and of course are magnificent in autumn. There's a small deck lakeside, for private viewing of the water ... and another small seating area on the lawn with a firepit in the middle to carry the landscape into cooler weather.
Check out Deborah's designs on her website and the garden ornament at Branch Studio. I guarantee you'll be very impressed by her design skills.
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