Shady Boulder Garden
Diwan Project
For a busy, young professional couple there is hardly time enough in a day for the essentials, let alone contemplating and executing the perfect shady boulder garden. Such is the case for many of our clients, including the homeowners of this project. Enter: Drake’s 7 Dees design team.
Located in Portland’s ‘Banana Belt’ on the inner Eastside, the home itself was a beautifully restored craftsman with many high-end finishes. We looked to maximize the front yard’s potential vis-à-vis the microclimate. The shade, however, kept things interesting in that we had to look for ways to brighten with color and texture without the luxury of sun-loving flowering shrubs and perennials. The boulder rockery helped with the slope, but we also made sure to source near white boulders to help brighten the space. We then repeated a few select shade lovers known for their colorful foliage and ended up with a beautiful well-rounded front yard to match the home.