Knitting into an island hillside
From its perch atop a windy hillside facing the sound, this newly constructed modern home cried out for outdoor living spaces with warm coastal plantings that would sway in the breeze, bask in the sun, and bring the home into communication with the native landscape surrounding the recently bulldozed site.
We carved terraces into a steep hillside, creating a winding path where soft grasses invite fingertips and fragrant, sun-loving mediterranean plants luxuriate on warm stones. Gentle steps invite sitting amongst the plants for a quiet moment. Small-statured trees strategically placed within the gardens and on the periphery provide a needed sense of enclosure and echo the surrounding forest, without blocking the heavenly ocean views. A forest floor garden was created in the large shady area near the front entry, providing an interesting change of scene as one moves through the gardens. Heavy deer browsing, cold winter winds and poor soil made a challenge that was overcome with significant soil building, and over 12 varieties of grasses, leatherleaf viburnum, sumac, pine, lavender and other proven survivors of the PNW island ecology.
Design: Emily Aring/Kabloom 2017
Excavation/Stone/Collaboration: Monty Coffey/The Woodsmen