ESCAPES INC.
GETS CREATIVE WITH SMALL SPACES IN MARDA LOOP By Heather Ryan ONE OF THE CITY’S MOST TRENDY COMMUNITIES
that consists of a mix of older homes and modern, contemporary infills, Marda Loop presents plenty of opportunities to be creative in the garden. “The area is definitely in transition, with a lot of single professionals and couples who want to be close to downtown and close to trendy cafes and restaurants, buying infills on smaller 25ft lots. There are also a number of homes on larger lots; it’s a pretty neat area,” says Bonny Dann, owner of Escapes Inc., who has been designing gardens for more than 20 years. “We’ve created several gardens on smaller lots in Marda Loop and despite the size, you can do a lot
30 NEIGHBOURHOOD FOCUS RENOVATE DESIGN DÉCOR
with those spaces,” she says. “We always try to fit in an outdoor eating/entertaining area, sometimes on a deck but often with steps down to a patio area. Then we create lovely gardens around the perimeter. “Working in a long narrow space you are challenged with finding appropriate plant material because of the narrow space and shade created,” Bonny explains. “With infills in particular, you’re going from a bungalow on a 50ft wide lot to a two storey on a 25ft wide lot which creates more shade in the garden, but on the flip side the plants that grow well in the shade provide lots of green, creating a very serene and cozy feel.” Although an infill is narrower, Bonny notes they can still create any style of garden the homeowner desires. “We did a traditional garden in Marda Loop that had a little