Mills River Zen Garden

Zen Meets WOW(!) for Ideal Outdoor Living

Client ‘Wish List’

Transform their open, continuously sloped back yard (+/-8% existing slope) to incorporate a large patio with fireplace, a hot tub area with pergola, a water feature that combined both natural & more contemporary design, and a separate fire pit area. Also, screening for privacy, lots of color & interest with new plantings, a more level large lawn area for play & sports, raised garden beds, and space for a future greenhouse. The clients desired a naturalized, Zen’ aesthetic but with contemporary touches; and TPS underscored the need for site drainage to be improved to address occasional flooding along some house walls.

Notable Design Elements/Intents

Use cut & fill to achieve different terrace levels & views without need for large amounts of fill (or soil removal off-site)—The hot tub patio/pergola at the highest level, the main patio & fireplace at mid-level, and large lawn area below. Maintain/improve positive site drainage by constructing a raised walk section to span the existing swale, also for visual interest. The custom water feature begins as a “spring” near the hot tub/pergola, flows down as a naturalized stream, and then runs alongside a seat wall—with a ‘waterfall weir’--at the main patio edge. Landscape lighting includes ledge lights at the retaining walls & seat walls, path lights, accent uplights at selected tree plantings, & water feature illumination.

3-D Design Concepts

Notice how closely the 3-D renderings mirror the finished landscaping, allowing the clients to better visualize their space with the finished product in place.