French Country Garden

Description of original landscape

This large suburban lot features glorious views of the Minnesota River Valley from the many windows on the rear of the home. The property had a 12-foot drop from front to back and a number of trees. There was no access to the backyard from the existing deck and the patio was small and not very functional. Access was difficult between the customer’s property and their neighbor’s without damaging mature trees.

Owner’s vision and goals

The owners wanted to incorporate a water feature that could be enjoyed during most of year in Minnesota and provide spectacular views from their basement. They also wanted a spa that didn’t seem out of place in relation to the house. Although the house has formal French country architecture, they wanted to create an access from the deck into the backyard that was functional, yet quaint. Lastly, they wanted an entertainment area relative to the size of their home that would serve their family and guests.

TriDesigns assessment

The design suggested by TriDesigns enhanced the existing boulder walls so that money could be saved for use on other parts of the project. The challenge was designing a waterfall that worked with the existing walls and still be visible from many vantage points both inside and outside the home. Another key focus of this design was to incorporate the deck access, entertainment area and spa to take advantage of the vistas of the property.

TriDesigns solution

Working with the glacial boulder wall, an unusual “pondless” waterfall and stream was created to flow throughout the gardens and optimize the views from many vantage points on the property. The water can be enjoyed from the overlook designed into the deck access, from the porch, private stone patio sitting area, deck and deck stairs, spa, stone patio and brick patio. A beautiful project completed on time and within budget.