Small Spaces, Big Moments

Blazes of color and inviting textures await you in the garden surrounding this cozy home. Along the front walk, bright orange Geum ‘Koi’ and orange tansy pop their colors against the lime green of creeping Jenny. Beneath a golden chain tree (Laburnum), the entry steps are flanked by a contorted filbert and a carmine-red dwarf rhododendron. Osmanthus ‘Goshiki’ shrubs with bright variegated leaves surround the fountain. Under a coral bark maple sits a ghost fatsia plant, known for its silvery-white webbing on the leaves. Evergreen maidenhair fern and hostas, propagated from “Big Daddy” hosta in the back, thrive beneath the old cherry tree. 

The side garden features a medley of pots, the first on your left contains a ‘Hupp’s Dwarf’ Japanese maple. Also here, find hydrangea, fuchsia, bear’s breeches, yellow calla lily and espaliered jasmine.

The back garden is a big shady room under a giant cedar canopy. Notice the variegated evergreen vine espaliered on the fence called Kadsura japonica 'Fukurin’. Bonsai experiments from seedlings that pop up in the garden line the walls in their shallow dishes. Around the dining area Podophyllum ‘Spotty Dotty’ and cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) thrive in the low light. Additional textural interest comes from the schefflera, the Disporum in the pot, and with ferns and hellebores under the deck. 

The north garden shelves display potted seedlings, with fuchsia by the pond and the ‘Big Daddy’ hosta. This property beautifully illustrates how big impacts can be created in modest spaces.