Today’s photos are from Terri Bennink.

We were not able to really work on the front and side yard, as there was a giant sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua, Zones 5–9) in the easement that was too expensive to take out. It had created significant damage to the driveway. A third of the tree fell into the house during a windstorm, and we quickly seized the opportunity to remove the remainder of the tree (rotting on the inside) and excavated the entire front and side yard.

I was able to fulfill a dream I had had to put in brick walkways and antique iron gates and a small courtyard with a fountain. We met many neighbors during the project who planned their walks to see the progress we made each week after the tree fell. Here are a few pictures. It is a work in progress.

Here’s the “before” photo—not bad, but not very exciting.

And here is what it has turned into! Terri says it is a work in progress, but it is sure progressing well.

View through the iron gates to the new courtyard and fountain.

And stepping inside, it is a beautiful, formal garden space. Those chairs look like a perfect spot to sit and enjoy the sound of the fountain.

Taking a step back, you can see the new plantings around the courtyard. And you can see that this isn’t a big area. You don’t need a huge yard to make beautiful garden spaces.

Abundant, romantic flowers soften the formal lines of the garden.

Repeated hedges and blooming hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens, Zones 3–9) unify the space into a harmonious whole.

A garden sculpture is half-hidden by the flowers around it.

A romantic old flowering cherry tree (Prunus sp.) is set off perfectly by the formal hedge around it.

The winding path and shed beg to be explored.

A four-legged garden resident

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