Client Overview
Angela Bushman says a lot of dominos went down at once on her large city lot in Minneapolis. A big ash tree fell victim to Emerald Ash Borer and had to be removed, along with all the shade it provided. The grass on one side of the front yard had turned brown from burning sun. Her kids outgrew their trampoline and it was unclear whether that large portion of the backyard would bounce back. Bad grading was leading water into her basement, and a “buzz cut” on a lilac bush on her side yard exposed dirt that was previously hidden. Angela needed to shape up her yard, and she wanted a low maintenance, bee-friendly strategy to do it, creating a backyard space she could enjoy with family and friends.
Challenge
A property makeover was necessary, but Angela needed to find a landscaping company that could transform her front and backyard, while staying within her budget. Minnehaha Falls Landscaping accepted the challenge, and Landscape Architect Tom Kerby worked with Angela to land on a fabulous, functional, yet affordable design.
Solution
Grading the backyard was a top priority to alleviate the slope that was streaming water down from the alley, into the basement window. She also wanted to remedy a slippery situation on the sidewalk from the garage to the house in the winter. A lot of the front yard grass was replaced with low maintenance mulch, and an organic look of shrubs, plants, and landscape boulders that Angela says is “welcoming.” The side yard was revamped with a flagstone walkway that generates a mystique to what lies ahead in the
backyard.
Tom cut costs by repurposing plants in the yard, and incorporating Hosta and perennials, shared by Angela’s friends. She says, “Tom was so thoughtful about where to place them, and he added plants like Little Bluestem to keep the color going throughout the year. My plants are hearty and beautiful, and my son is ecstatic to have less grass to cut!”
Results
Angela says she’s happy to have an outdoor living space to enjoy, and low maintenance gardens, with the flexibility of incorporating annuals into the design. She added, “Tom was a delight to work with. He heard what was important to me and was able to incorporate everything I wanted.”
“My plants are hearty and beautiful, and my son is ecstatic to have less grass to cut!”
