Client:

Private Residence

Contractor:

Mackey Landscapes

Consultants:

Masonry by Fernando, Lightscape, Inc.

Category:

Residential Design

For clients who sought an enchanted spot for frequent outdoor entertaining, the landscape architect created a lovely garden exploiting a three-acre plot with views of Lake Michigan. The large property’s stately Tudor-style residence is surrounded by a Jens Jensen-designed landscape with naturalistic views of the lakefront. The clients were looking for something more bold and formal for this new space, however, and their preference ran towards the symmetry and color of French gardens. Integrating these three somewhat disparate elements into a cohesive whole was challenging, and the arresting blend of whimsy and formality of the "Magic Garden" strikes a transitional yet balanced note.

Inwardly focused, the landscape design uses towering hedges, curvilinear boxwoods and bright colors to focus attention on the immediate environment. The heart of the garden features a central gravel walk anchored on one end by an antique French bronze fountain. Decorative wrought-iron arbors covered with climbing pink roses and mandevillas frame the path from one end to the other, bridging the serpentine hedges to create a striking canopy and a dramatic space for dining. Completed in 2001, the garden was included in the National Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Tour in 2002, 2003 and 2004.