P
NORTHJERSEY.COM ❚ THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2020 ❚ 1H
A SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION OF THE RECORD
Homescape
Designed For Living:
Creating two rooms that
work together.
INTERIOR DESIGN ❚ HOME IMPROVEMENT
3H
No need to
travel further
than your
own backyard
GARDEN GETAWAY
Creative changes can
turn yard into destination
By DONNA ROLANDO
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
A
PHOTO COURTESY OF RVBOX/GETTY IMAGES
This country garden is a true hideaway meant for relaxing and enjoying nature with a variety of plantings, flower beds,
shrubs and a fruit tree. The umbrella, table and chairs, striped lounge chairs and hammock invite visitors to stay a while.
Find peace and privacy
in evergreen garden space
Flowering vines add color, enhance architectural detail
By TERI GATTO
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
A
pril was a dreary month —
cold, wet and crammed with
grim Covid-19 news. By this
time most of us are in serious
need of a respite and long for a tran-
quil place to escape, even for a short
while, from the realities of our new
normal.
Those fortunate enough to have
a bit of green space of their own can
take advantage of this quarantine
vacation to create a secluded spot in
their yard where they can read, enjoy
a drink, or just zone out.
PLANNING IS KEY
“A garden, especially during this
surreal time we are living in, can be
a sanctuary,” says Cynthia Corhan-
Aitken, a landscape designer and
owner of Twig and Vine Design in
Montclair. “Begin by finding a space
that speaks to you and start planning.”
According to Corhan-Aitken, the
first thing one should do when plan-
ning a garden is to take a walk around
the property and find a spot that lends
itself to being transformed. If there
is no apparent place, then consider
creating one with the use of structures
such as a trellis, pergola or gazebo.
“Currently, I am working with a small
property that contains a driveway
and a garage next to a strip of lawn
that you educate yourself about those
that ends at a fenced-in playground,”
you are considering. For example,
she explains. “What I suggested to my
do they need shade or sun? Will they
clients was to build a pergola up and
spread? Will they grow too tall and
off the fence, and then plant some
become unmanageable? Will they
shrubs around it, creating a private
attract deer?
space at the end
of the grass strip.”
Once completed,
the pergola and sur-
rounding greenery
not only create a lit-
tle oasis in the small
yard, they also offer
a pleasing view
from the house.
Since ever-
green shrubs
make excellent
living screens,
Corhan-Aitken
suggests plant-
ing flowering
PHOTO COURTESY OF CJMCKENDRY/GETTY IMAGES
shrubs along with
A classic portico with colonnade serves as a garden retreat
the evergreens
on this larger, well-planted, wooded property.
so during the
winter you still have some green in
“There is no such thing as a no-
the garden.
maintenance garden; it can be low-
For example, hydrangeas and box-
maintenance, but everything needs
woods are a good pairing because
to be tended to and trimmed and
during the summer the hydrangeas
pruned,” she adds. “If a plant is not
provide color, and they can be pruned
working out, just move it; never be
down in the winter, so you can enjoy
afraid to dig something up and move it.”
the verdant texture of the boxwood.
It is important when choosing plants
See GARDEN, Page 4H
lthough travel expectations for the summer
aren’t looking too bright right now due to COVID-19
concerns and cancellations, there’s no reason not
to make enjoyable use of your yard space, if you
have some. With a little inspiration, even smaller yards can
be quickly transformed into a family getaway or outdoor
sanctuary, postponing the need to venture away from home.
Maybe you’re new to the backyard scene, or a pro look-
ing to add some amenities to an existing family hot spot.
Either way the ideas below can help you unwind in no time
… because after all, it is summer.
ALL DECKED OUT
A grassy yard may be great for playing ball, but when
it comes to barbecues and lounge chairs, a deck will give
your outdoor space a central focus. If you’re handy
with a shovel, hammer and saw, a platform or “floating”
deck can be tackled in a weekend. The DIYer will need
pressure-treated 2x6
timbers, 8 feet in length;
three-quarter-inch gravel,
and 1-inch-thick red cedar
or southern yellow pine
(6 inch wide and the desired
length), said Rich Cording,
owner of CLC Landscape
Design in Ringwood.
Because even a flat
deck needs strength and
drainage, Cording said the
first steps are digging a
3-inch-deep trench as the
perimeter of the deck and
lining it with gravel before
laying the timbers on
edge so that 3 inches of
DELPIXART/GETTY IMAGES
each framing timber rise
Anchoring a sail canopy or
above ground level. Then,
two is a creative alternative
after making sure the tim-
to an umbrella or awning
for shade and sun protection. bers are level, secure the
four corners with screws
and lay the planking side by side across the frame for
positioning, leaving a screw width of space between each.
Adjust the positioning of the overall span if the width of
the final plank comes up short near the edge of the frame.
A little overhang evenly positioned around the frame can
accommodate any needed span adjustment. Then screw
down the planking to the frame, making sure to maintain
a screw width of space between each plank for drainage.
Suggested materials for planking are red cedar (a good
choice for less splintering) or southern yellow pine. Also,
consider a layer of gravel under the whole platform for
drainage and longer life.
If the span is greater than 8 feet, attach two depth-
appropriate and evenly spaced crossbeams underneath
the decking and anchored to the frame for additional
support.
Not so handy? Consider snap-together composite
tiles with a sleek wood look that can easily transform
a flat concrete patio into an inviting family hangout. One
of the brands, NewTechWood, calls it a true day project.
See INSPIRED SPACE, Page 2H
Paths and walkways are integral to landscape
By FRAN DONEGAN
SPECIAL TO HOMESCAPE
A
lthough many people consider
them an afterthought, yard and
garden pathways add structure to
a home landscape. They provide
a route to get from the street to the front
door, from the back patio to the border gar-
den or from the house to the private sitting
area tucked into the corner of the yard.
They can be straight as a plumb line
or meander and curve like a woodland
stream. Those that are made from natural
stone look as though they have always
been part of the yard’s landscape, and they
complement the plantings and structures
that are there.
“Walkways make getting where you
are going in the garden fun,” said Ellen
Goldfarb of What’s Blooming?, a garden
design firm in Bergen County. “Walks
are the gardeners excuse for a leisurely
journey from point A to point B.”
WALKWAY DESIGNS
The design of the walkway, the material
used and even its dimensions depend on
a path’s purpose. A front walkway provides
a route from the street to the front door.
For a formal entrance, the path is usually
straight, although gentle curves are also
used, and consists of natural stone cut
in precise squares or rectangles, as well as
PHOTO COURTESY OF WHAT’S BLOOMING?
Stepping stones provide dry footing as they meander through a boggy garden planted
with iris, grasses, astilbe, sedges, and hosta, which do well in wet growing conditions.
brick and concrete pavers to provide
a structured look.
The same is true in a formal garden. The
path will be straight with right-angle turns.
Some sort of edging will separate the plant-
ings from the walkway. A traditional mate-
rial, such as brick, bluestone or limestone is
often used.
A path that winds its way through a cot-
tage or English garden will be less formal.
The plants will spill onto the path. It may
consist of large irregular stones with spac-
es between them. The spaces can be plant-
ed with grass or moss or contain gravel or
mulch. Often, the stone used for this type
of walk is called garden path stone or step-
ping stones. The large, irregularly shaped
pieces provide a casual look.
A vegetable garden with raised beds
may have compacted gravel paths. An
Asian-style garden may also make use of
gravel paths. Asian gardens often include a
water feature or a dry stream bed, which is
often made of small rounded stones. Both
real and dry water features often include
large bridge stones as part of the walkway.
Garden paths often include a bench
or some type of ornamentation, such as
a sculpture, gazebo or a pond or fountain.
The seating or ornament can be a stop
along the path or it can be the destination
at the end of the walk.
The way the path will be used also de-
termines its design. “If people are going to
be carrying things, they should not have
to worry about watching their step,” said
Goldfarb. “So, I might use plain gravel or
flat bluestone. But if they want the area to
be pretty and want a garden along with the
path, I know they will be going slowly, so I
will use garden path stone.”
WALKWAY MATERIALS
“Bluestone irregular, which have no geo-
metric shape, and bluestone pattern, which
are cut into squares and rectangles, are the
most popular types in this area,” said Chris
Nordstrom, sales manager for Wicki Stone,
a natural stone yard in Great Meadows.
The familiar blue-gray colors of bluestone
See WALKWAYS, Page 2H