The same softening effect of ‘Tardiva’ hydrangea repeats along the back wall of the house, with the addition of ‘Endless Summer’ hydrangea to echo the blue window frames.

Stone Path Through a Dramatically Sloped Lawn To complete the rest of the grounds, he had trucked in 5 tons of stone, along with some 160 yards of fill and topsoil, to build retaining walls, staircases, and pathways leading to and through other garden rooms he then created. Welsch cleaned up the area, reinforcing the planting pockets with native stone, then inserting ornamental grasses that also act as a privacy screen. Overgrown plantings had obscured the view of the water feature, and falling plant debris was a hazard for the fish in the pond at its base. Welsch then came in to tackle the small waterfall and rock garden beside the patio. A small existing patio was fine for family meals alfresco, but it couldn’t hold a crowd, so the owners hired a contractor to build an adjoining terrace about four times the size of the patio. Providing a large, level platform just steps from the back door is a sure way to invite outdoor exploration. Curved DrivewayĪ pair of stone lions and stately ‘Tardiva’ hydrangea mark the transition from the curved driveway to the front door. Here are the steps he took to tame the slope and create that longed-for series of special destination areas. On their wish list: multilevel outdoor spaces, each with a different mood, to enjoy with extended family who visit each summer, and plants that pump out plenty of color and fragrance. In no time, a meeting of the minds led the homeowners to commission Welsch to transform the entire acre. When the owners of this impressive 1910 Tudor Revival house in a close-by suburb of New York City asked him to revamp a rock garden and waterfall just off the back patio, the rest of the yard was overgrown, rock-strewn, and patchy with struggling turf, with terrain that fell steeply away from the house. Such was the project that landscape designer Robert Welsch ( Westover Landscape Design, Tarrytown, NY) took on and, as seen here, transformed with a series of lush, elegant garden rooms. Layering plants of graduating heights lends depth to a verdant wall of lamb’s ear, purple fountain grass, and hydrangeas.

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