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Bearman Courtyard

BEFORE

Before: a vast sea of gravel greeted visitors.
Before: descending into a pit to get t the front door.
Before: the view from the porch is a sea of gravel.

AFTER

After: the new courtyard is a lush garden now.
After: an elevated "bridge" element becomes the front walkway.
After: the elevated wood entry bridge.

The Bearman courtyard rose from a "dead zone" of gravel in a pit where nothing would grow.  

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This was the owners' entry too.  And their porch looked out toward this gravel pit onto more gravel beyond where the cars are parked.

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The solution seemed clear to us:

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Fence the front yard.  Add a bridge element connecting the front door to the parking.  This bridge would cross a tiny water garden for wildlife - frogs and dragonflies.  Plant the courtyard lushly with native plants, grasses and a Japanese maple that does well in our climate.

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Result?  The owners say they never enjoyed their front porch before.  It is now a destination and a nice place to spend time.

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