Haven on Earth
Motor Court | Planting Plan | Water Feature | Outdoor Lighting | Native Meadow Plantings
Perched on a bluff above Lake Michigan, this property encompasses a long, narrow-shaped footprint. It seems to point you in the direction of the water. Hearing the story of how the site became our clients home made it feel almost providential. We wanted the outdoor spaces to extend that sentiment.
Project Description
As you pull off the main road and roll down the shared driveway, almost instantly, you feel a sense of getting away from it all. Meadow borders meander along the driveway, opening into lawn as you near the house. Inside the meadow borders in a central lawn space stands a small fruit tree orchard and picnic space.
As the driveway splits you cross a paver threshold signaling your arrival. A gravel motor court welcomes you giving you multiple options for parking. An existing small porch and staircase right up against the house proved a challenge. To draw out the entrance and create more of an invitation, we created a flagstone courtyard with a bubbling urn fountain. Predominantly textural plantings surround the flagstone patio. Pops of red echo the house window trim color in the urn and planting blooms. The patio also provides access from the detached garage to the house.
The flagstone patio narrows to a sidewalk, which leads you around the north side of the house to a set of steps. Up a few steps and you’re standing on a deck with the lake commanding your attention. It’s the perfect perch for summer afternoon meals and watching the sun disappear with a kaleidoscope of color.
Plantings tuck around the deck under an existing maple tree providing color through the season and food for pollinators. Hardy geranium, summersweet, blue star and lady’s mantle create a tapestry below the maple. To the south another meadow border mixed with some evergreen trees and deciduous shrubs adds some privacy without blocking views of the lake.