“When I moved here from South Florida and couldn’t tell the difference between a black walnut and a sugar maple, Chris Carrington came to my rescue. My new property was a weed patch on the top of a ridge with a view of the Wissahickon in the background. I knew that a native garden would pull that vista into my daily sight, but I didn’t know how to design it. Chris listened as I described what I thought I wanted, and then she got busy. What resulted was a spectacular four-season garden that is bursting with color throughout the year. She prepared a plant list that included some fragrant plants, shrubs that began blooming at different times in the spring and summer, flowering shrubs that attracted bees, shrubs that fruited and brought birds to my backyard, and shrubs whose foliage and stems were brightly colored in the fall. She also designed a well loved trail through my new woodland for the grandchildren to go exploring.
The property also needed a privacy hedge, and she recommended and had planted a brilliant mix of fast-growing trees. I have enjoyed looking out my kitchen window and watching the berries turn red on the holly trees and seeing the camellias beginning to bloom in the fall.
In addition, I wanted raised beds for summer vegetables. The containers that were built on my property are the mother of all raised beds. They reach my waist, making bending and squatting unnecessary and gardening more enjoyable.
When I was ready to transform my driveway entrance, Chris designed a bed that was in keeping with the other public areas. The flowering tree that she planted there will provide shade in future years for cars parked in the driveway. The entrance now is both friendly and says to anyone passing by on the street that this is a property that is loved and well tended.
Thanks to the thoughtful creation of my new garden, all the hard work has been done. What is left now is the fun part such as planting bulbs in the fall and introducing interesting woodland plants to flower along the grandchildren’s path.
I feel very fortunate to have met Chris and that she was willing to take on my various gardening projects in stages. My property has been beautifully transformed, and I could not be happier with the results.”