After many years in their home, the Ellyson’s dreamt of a new
“The design called for the creation of an intimate courtyard using
landscape design that would complement and enhance their
a twenty-four inch high design feature wall, which partially encloses
Cape Cod style home. A more intimate atmosphere was desired,
the entry. The wall is natural stone and serves as a wonderful
which their spacious yard lent to many ideas.
backdrop for plants and is further highlighted by nightscape lighting,”
They approached Kelly Van Elders, Landscape Architect, who ultimately designed a magnificent plan that incorporated color, texture, and stunning stonework. “The front was so spacious that
shared Maverick Pickering. The natural stone materials were selected to complement the style of the home.
we wanted to use features to break up the line of sight, declutter
“We used a beautiful Blue Flagstone for the walkway which only
the line of vision, and make it compelling from different angles,”
gets more beautiful with age and stands up well to freeze-thaw
Van Elders shared of the plan.
cycles. For the wall we used a complementary Antique Gray
“Some of the design challenges included working with a landscape that included many fully mature trees and spaces that transition from full shade to full sun. Another design challenge was making a spacious yard feel more intimate,” explained Van Elders.
Limestone which comes in multiple shades and blends well with other stone,” he explained. Maverick only uses natural stone materials in design implementation, something growing rarer he shared.
“I like to incorporate groupings of plants, whether it is five or
“Nothing beats the look of natural stone; and projects like
fifteen, for dramatic effect and the greatest impact,” Van Elders
this one only highlight this fact. People gravitate toward natural
spoke of his plant choices and design. “In this case, we had to be
stone because of its elegance and feeling of permanence. This
especially selective in the plant choices as most plants favor either
project highlights a beauty in stone that even the best and most
full sun or full shade, or partial sun or shade. Most do not tolerate
technologically advanced processes could never replicate,”
both very well.”
asserted Maverick.
The result was a clean and sculptural design that incorporates plenty of natural stone in the creation of walkways and feature walls. After creating the landscape design, Van Elders handed the
Resources Design: Kelly Van Elders Landscape Architect
project over to trusted landscape design and install expert,
Installation: Maverick Landscaping
Maverick Landscaping for installation and execution of the design.
Plants: Kat Nursery Stone: Sturgis Materials
56
|
KCH&S May 2015