I am Char Barnes, and I have been gardening at the same southwestern Connecticut house for more than twenty years. During that time it has gone from a neglected plot to a picturesque garden with paths and curved beds loaded with flowers. I have planted trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals.
Everything on this site is based on my personal experience and opinion, and I have plenty of both.
This design is for a newly renovated and expanded brownstone townhouse in Brooklyn. The townhouse will be home to the MacBreeders: a large blended family with five young children. The MacBreeders want to make the most of the precious outdoor space, making an enjoyable place for hanging out and dining alfresco as a family and with guests. They need a versatile space that accommodates all family members and offers the chance of a little respite from the hullabaloo of a large family.
The back garden is an intimate space that will provide separate seating and dining areas. Care has been taken to make the most of the space without sacrificing aesthetics to ensure the back garden provides a lovely vista from the inside of the home as well as an enjoyable outdoor space.
The front garden will blend in well with the neighborhood, but it will makes a subtle statement that makes it their own. Elements of the paving and plantings will relate to the private back garden, which will allow family members to immediately sense the transition from the public to their private space.
This plan is not developed on this site, but we have chosen a tree for this very important spot: Coral Barked Japanese Maple. There is a link to a video on the Plants page of this site.