FTLComm - Tisdale - June 7, 2000

This yard is special, the owner clearly has given a lot of thought to the way things are laid out and has made the best of the site and created interesting spots that set this yard apart from others yet still is in harmony with the neighbourhood. It looks like the house was built on a developed site with this huge row of evergreen trees down the West side of the lot. To make this an

integrated part of the yard the owner has cover the ground beneath them with rock and some Junipers to create a mini forest like environment. With the rock theme established they have decorated the front of the house with a stone face on the basement walls then set out a boulder and planter on the front yard. If we only consider the front yard it is a pretty attractive setting but this lot moves up a notch or two when you look at the back yard. The back alley is buffered with a dense hedge, then a row of pine with a bed of rock and a few scattered boulders.

As you drive down the alley from the East this is what you see and it is impressive, the picture below is looking toward the East and sees the alley-scape in a different light. These pictures were taken in the later portion of the afternoon and the placement of trees and boulders will have a dramatically different look to it each day as the light comes through the trees and highlights different portions of this yard. Tucked into the one corner of the lot is the family camper trailer in its own graveled parking area and the evergreen forest behind it but the inner yard with its playground equipment and rich deep shadows is the

sort of place a kid or adult would simple feel comfortable and sheltered. When we work on a yard we tend often to think of the elements within the yard, the garden, the flowers, a planter but rarely do we put it altogether forming a total and cohesive theme or focus. This yard reflects a good deal of planning and a concerted effort to make things work together. The trees, the shrubs and tough roughs all combine with the surface cover presenting both a practical place to live and play but also an attractive site all year round. One other interesting aspect of this yard is that it does not look to be hard to maintain. Some forethought went into the rock work and there are no pesky weeds to deal with.