Mixing stone varieties such as brick and bluestone for the patio, sandstone for the table and hearth, and granite for the fi replace surround and garden entry pillars creates a sophisticated effect.
For almost two decades Glen Gutierrez and the artisans that work with him at European Landscapes & Design (ELD) have been designing and planting unique landscapes throughout the region. Early this spring Glen and his team created a stunning display garden for the Maryland Home and Garden Show at the Maryland State Fairgrounds and won several awards for creativity and quality, including ChesapeakeHome’s own Best Landscape Award.
We caught up with Glen and ELD artisan Richard Kearney to learn more about what inspired the garden and their overall goals for the landscape. According to Glen, “It all started with a big slab of sandstone that needed a home. I like to push limits and wanted to do something dramatic. I had this huge slab of sandstone and thought that it would make a nice focal point.”
Unlike a typical landscaping project, display gardens tend to start with a blank slate-no client input, so in addition to the large slab of sandstone, Glen sprinkled in a few other such “must include” elements for the garden: some big boulders, a tree stump, blue stone for the patio surface, and granite for stone pillars that would create a formal entry to the space. With these essential building blocks established, Richard Kearney and fellow artisan Sandor Martincsek started work on designing the garden.
“A successful garden brings people outside. They turn off the TV and spend time in their backyards. It changes the way they live their lives.” —Richard Kearney
One goal for the planted elements of the design, says Richard, “was to bring color into the garden.” A variety of blooming and evergreen trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals were combined to achieve the effect. Of note, ‘Okami’ cherry trees create striking focal points, while PJM rhododendron, tulips, dwarf daffodils, and hellebores punctuate the garden with color and ferns, Japanese umbrella pines, and cedars present a green backdrop.
Moreover, though, Richard explains that the fundamental goals for the garden were the same as those ELD has for any client and backyard. “A successful garden,” he says, “brings people outside. They turn off the TV and spend time in their backyards. It changes the way they live their lives.” So, while the indoor landscapes on display each year at the Maryland Home and Garden Show always are meant to illustrate just what each landscaping company is all about, the best of them really communicate the possibilities of outdoor living.
Dennis Hockman is the Editor of ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
European Landscapes & Design: europeanlandscapes.net or 410-296-3162
