Michigan Garden

Boulder, CO

Having settled in a semi-arid Rocky Mountain location, the client wished to create a haven that would harken back to the farms and gardens of her Michigan childhood. Because the lot was large, the goal was to keep maintenance to a minimum and focus on a small, gem-like kitchen garden that was fenced from the hungry deer who pass through the wildlife corridor on which the property is located. While the majority of the space is simply planted with low-maintenance trees, shrubs and flowering perennials, the tool shed and fenced garden were considered with utmost care and provide important viewsheds from the house. Raised beds were made with stone from the same stone-mason who had worked on the house, and the shed was designed to be an armature for climbing vines. Complex water issues onsite required an irrigation system that switches between city water and ditch water. The end result is a Great Lakes paradise adapted for the climate of the Rockies.