Create a View

Attention, homeowners: Here's how to improve your outlook.

Masquerading as an elegant courtyard, a strategically placed microgarden camouflages both the driveway and the neighbors' house, located just feet away. Step inside the foyer of Sara and Ronald Chastain's Greenville, South Carolina, home, and you'll see a huge arched window that offers a stunning view of this charming walled garden, which is made to be enjoyed from indoors.

Thoughtfully Styled

Sara wanted the foyer to feel open, be full of light, and have a strong focal point. So she called on Robert G. Miller, owner of Down To Earth Gardens, and residential designer N. Jackson Thacker.

Having less than 5 feet between the house and its drive to work with, they knew a wall or fence would be the best use of space. To make the area appear larger, Robert kept the palette simple. With just three types of outdoor plants, a wall-mounted fountain, and a houseplant, Robert turned what could have been a disaster into an asset.

The ideal height of the wall and correct placement of the fountain were determined by standing inside the foyer and looking out. Built from stuccofaced concrete blocks, the wall runs a little longer than the width of the room.

Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) was planted to soften the wall. To visually extend the foyer floor outside, 'Wintergreen' Korean boxwoods (Buxus microphylla koreana 'Wintergreen') were chosen to edge the base of the wall. They tolerate heat and humidity.

"Fifteen years ago, we planted a row of 3-gallon-size Leyland cypresses (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) in the 1 ½-foot-wide strip that runs along the property line by the driveway," says Sara. "Within a few years, they provided privacy above the wall." To keep the cypresses looking their best, they are sheared into a wedge and given lime each spring. "Because of the lime, we've never had a problem with dieback," says Robert.

As the crowning touch, Robert used an agave as a houseplant to tie the inside to the outside. The coarse, architectural foliage in the foreground against the fine-leaved creeping fig outside creates the illusion of depth. -REBECCA BULL REED

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Oct 2006
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