Name: Michele
Location: Carroll Gardens
Size: 14x28 + 8x20
Favorite Resource: My favorite resources for perennial plants are Gowanus Nursery and the BBG plant sale. For annuals nothing beats the local farmers markets in Union Sq, Grand Army Plaza and Borough Hall.
Pitch:
"When we moved into our apartment in Carroll Gardens 4 years ago, the backyard had one bush, was overgrown with ivy and the side bed was filled with white marble chips and a 100 saplings growing from seeds blown in from a neighboring tree. But even then we could see the potential. ...." [more below]
(The space is about 14x28 feet plus a side bed of 8x 20. It includes a small upper deck and a larger lower deck. )
It’s taken a lot of work to get the garden to where it is today. We did it ourselves and worked on a budget. We slowly accumulated plants and containers over the years. We built out the raised bed which involved pulling out all the saplings, digging out much of the white marble chips, bringing in two by fours through the apartment to build up the height of the side bed and dragging in more than 50 bags of dirt to amend the soil.
Design: In terms of design, there were several missteps but I found approaching it like designing a room worked well. I created two distinct spaces. On the upper deck, we have two retro metal chairs and a small table (not visible from the overhead view but seen in the view from the kitchen window), ideal for drinking coffee in the morning. On the lower deck, we have a larger dining area plus our BBQ which is great for entertaining.
I included focal points and structural elements – the large fern in the blue container against the back wall, a tall pot of impatiens in the far left shady corner to draw the eye into the corner and to make the space feel larger, the circular pot of pink annuals in the middle of the raised beds on top of some of the remains of the marble chips.
I also included some elements of whimsy – the fountain on the upper deck, the wind mobile and the Brancusi sculpture along the back wall.
Plants: There are too many plants to list but some of my favorites are the pink spirea bushes, hostas, the pink Japanese climbing hydrangea vine along the back wall, salvia, catmint, and clematis. I also love the white heliotrope that I planted in the window boxes outside the kitchen.
On a warm day, when the wind blows in the right direction, I can smell the vanilla scent of the heliotrope while I’m in the kitchen.
We feel very fortunate to have a get away in the city that is right outside our door. And we are grateful to all our friends who have pitched in and taken care of the plants when we go away.
Fantabulous.
Plantabulous!
I shudder to think how long it takes to water and maintain all of those plants, but your garden is beautiful!
Thank you everyone. Sydney - it does take about 15 minutes every morning to water all the plants and usually about an hour of maintenance each weekend. It's why I'm so grateful to friends and neighbors when we go away. But I find the work relaxing and it truly is a labor of love. Plus we enjoy it so much in the summer.
Absolutely stunning and tranquil at the same time.
Utterly georgeous. This is the city garden space that I dream about having.
It's absolutely beautiful!
Yeah the Gardens of Carroll!!!!!!Nice.
That's the best little garden arrouuuund
Absolutely beautiful. What a great place to entertain, too!
Over the last few months I have been frantically researching ways of enhancing my back yard space and your setup is simply exquisite. Beautiful to say the least! Although the upkeep must be difficult to manage at times, the peace and relaxation it provides is probably well worth it. Well done, indeed!
michele, where did you get the rocks/pebbles? I need a lot of them for my balcony and I only see them available in small bags. Any cheap, um I mean inexpensive recommendations?
Also, is that mosaic in the last photo a fountain? Where did you get it?
Love the overhead shot of the Young's Weeping Birch on the upper deck.
Well done in every respect.
An outstanding mix of flowering and non-flowering plants helps to create a very attractive environment. Just the place to sip that scotch on the rocks after a tough day in the concrete jungle!
Oh wow! A true oasis.
Carroll Gardens has got this contest won! I'm so moving to Brooklyn.
I so miss having an honest place to garden, which is what makes your special green haven all the more enjoyable. Congratulations!
anne -
i wish you had asked me 3 years ago when we were hauling out bags of the white marble chips from the side bed. what you see is what we have left.
the mosaic fountain we got from a Moroccan type store that used to be in the back of Chelsea Market. i think it is still there in a smaller space. they had a number of fountains in a variety of colors and sizes. the one we got was one of the smaller ones.
good luck with your balcony.
Japanese climbing hydrangea. *Sigh*. Yay for Caroll Gardeners!
Your garden makes me want to shed this silly skin and fly like a japanese climbing hydrangea. Your garden is Solid Gold, baby.
Beautiful!!!
Amazing. Everything you touch looks loved.
What a lovely garden. I wish that my garden was as lovely. You get top marks, well done!
Definitely the best I've seen in the competition, but not exactly the hipster post-modernist aesthetic so beloved of apartment therapy voters, apparently. (Wheat grass finalist, ahem.) I especially like the wall in teh second picture. Your garden belongs in Fine Gardening!
Your garden is lovely. Lush without being overpowering and serene in every way. Beautiful!