Traditional Landscape - Milwaukee, WI

For this project in Milwaukee, our client initially reached out to us about creating a patio space in her backyard which had none. There was already a pond, but the border beds around the perimeter of the yard were planted in a cottage garden style which our client felt was too messy and out of control. We inventoried all of the existing plants with the idea of using the best ones in our new design. The goal was to create some order to the plantings while still incorporating color and seasonal interest. We tucked the new patio into the corner of the backyard as future plans may include a outdoor fireplace. Circular forms were used to give the illusion of more space around the patio, which was important in the small backyard. We also created an expanded shade garden behind the pond to help screen the neighbor's garage.

As we got deeper into the discussion of our design process, the client decided that we should also include the front of the home. The existing lannon stone walls were the only hardscape items that we retained. It was also decided to keep the large, existing magnolia on the left side of the property. Boxwood hedges help to define the private front yard from the public sidewalk. Brick piers were added to mimic the piers and walls around the front porch. All new foundation plantings were designed and simple perennial groups add some color.