Transforming a Brooklyn garden

I think I’ve said it before, but I’m a sucker for a good “before & after”. I love taking a raw, unused space and transforming it into a beautiful garden for my clients to enjoy. There are always parameters such as budget, existing fences, amount of light, etc. which just add to the challenge.

This garden is a great example. They had a space that hadn’t been used in years. The yard was filled with very pervasive weeds. What might look like grass in the earlier photos were weeds that had to be removed to make way for grass. There was also the unsightly chainlink fence on two sides and a low, almost chicken wire fence in the back. In addition to improving the aesthetics, my clients wanted children to be able to play back there without worrying about them tumbling over the low back fence.

We started the renovation by tilling the ground to break up the extensive network of weeds. There were some very invasive weeds such as Japanese knotweed, trumpet vine and mugwort.

We then put in a cedar fence to cover the chainlink. Afterwards we planted a mix of native and ornamental shrubs, perennials and a dogwood tree. My client wanted lots of color, which was easily obtained due to the great sunlight they receive. Finally we spread down grass seed.

A few weeks later, the grass has sprouted. We will still make regular maintenance visits to keep the weeds in check. The weeds were setting seeds for years, and are happily coming up with all the great care and watering we’re giving the garden. It will take a bit, but we’ll win the war on them.

The client is pleased, we kept to our budget and we will keep adding plants each season to add to their oasis in Brooklyn.