At the front of the stone-façade dwelling, a live oak between the street and the sidewalk casts shade on what was once a straightforward lawn with foundation plantings. Instead of the de rigueur row of formal boxwoods, Kim created a soft rolling hedge, adding texture and a loose painterly air with azaleas, ferns, and more. Mixed annuals like petunias, caladiums, torenias, and impatiens freshen the beds each season. A treasured pair of antique terra-cotta urns on pedestals flank the entrance, always with a graceful fern.
One advantage of working on a project over decades is the ability to edit the plan as elements present surprise appeal or, in some cases, overwhelm. Several times plantings had to be trimmed back or replaced when they grew too large. “In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined watching all of these plants grow to the scale that they did,” says Kim. “It’s just been lots of fun to be a part of that every step of the way, and to have a relationship where the trust is so great that they say, ‘Just do what is best.’”
Find this story and more details in our September 2021 issue.
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