Dad’s deer-proof, lawnless courtyard garden
I just returned from a vacation in North Carolina with my kids. We drove out to visit my dad and stepmother at their Pittsboro home, near Chapel Hill, which has a lovely courtyard garden out front in place of a big lawn. The wonderful thing about enclosing a garden with walls, as they’ve done, is that you instantly create privacy, a deer-proof space, and a protected microclimate for tender plants.
Dad opens the wrought-iron gates in the morning and leaves them open all day, but at night he shuts them against the numerous, hungry deer in his rural-suburban Fearrington Village neighborhood. Landscape architect Dan Sears installed the garden in 2001, at the same time their house was constructed. Although Dad and Kay enjoy the garden, their gardening tools, they joke, are put away, and Leslie Booker of Booker Garden Design maintains it for them.
The garden is much shadier than the last time I saw it several years ago. The trees—crepe myrtles, a Japanese maple, and a quirky palm tree—have shaded out some of their sun-loving perennials over the years. That’s the nature of a garden’s evolution, of course. The shade was welcome during our stay, with temperatures in the 90s. As you enter the courtyard, the paver path diverges around a central island bed. The path on the left leads to the main house.
A narrower path on the right leads to the guest house, romantically swathed with red roses.
Beautiful blue and pink hydrangeas reign supreme in the summer garden. White gardenias, just visible at left, perfumed the air.
From the main house your view of the island bed is anchored by this striking sculpture of a kicking man.
The sculpture adds a feeling of energy to the garden. At his feet sits a blue glazed pot filled with lotus, which had not quite started to bloom.
Turning around toward the house, a rusty-leaved Japanese maple and vertical palm tree catch your eye. The evergreen shrubs beneath them have really grown and crowd the paths a little. But the evergreens also make this part of the garden low-maintenance and give it good bones for the winter.
The view from the front porch. Imagine if this were just lawn with a few flowerbeds. It wouldn’t be nearly as interesting or welcoming. The walls allow Dad and Kay to grow numerous plants, like roses, that the deer would eat if they could reach them. The generous paver path meanders through the beds, inviting the visitor to linger on the bench for a few moments, and widens into a patio-sized space closer to the house, where they’ve hosted garden parties.
In a corner between the main house and guest house, where a hot tub once sat unused, they built a grape arbor to shelter a dining/grilling space. A peekaboo doorway in the hedge offers a tantalizing glimpse.
Stepping through the hedge, you enter a good-sized patio shaded by a cedar arbor supporting a grape vine. This space was inspired by a trip to Tuscany. It also has a bit of southwestern flavor thanks to the colorful stucco walls and iron crosses. Dad didn’t know the name of the beautiful plant in the pot; maybe some sort of acacia?
We tried to have dinner here one evening—the ceiling fans kept it comfortable—but a rainstorm chased us inside. Oh, how I wished I could send that rain to drought-stricken Austin.
We stayed in the guest house, surrounded by the garden, and it was lovely to stroll through it morning and evening. Thanks for a wonderful visit, Dad and Kay!
I enjoyed quite a few other North Carolina treats, which I’ll share with you in upcoming posts, including visits to the gardens of bloggers Helen Yoest and Freda Cameron, Biltmore House in Asheville, and—woot!—Plant Delights Nursery in Raleigh. Stay tuned!
All material © 2006-2011 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Wow. It’s lush and lovely. I see that this is a family talent. Thanks for sharing it with us – I’ve heard you talk about it many times before, but it’s even more inviting than I imagined.
Thanks for your kind comment, Diana. I’ve never thought of my father as a gardener, per se, but rather as someone who appreciates a nicely designed space, whether outside or inside. With the help of their landscape architect and garden designer, he and his wife have created a lovely garden that they enjoy on a daily basis. —Pam
I love this! I can see where your gardening gene came from. Does your father and stepmother both tend to it? It is very well maintained and beautifully designed.
Thank you, Phillip. To answer your question, they tinker with it. But like I mentioned in the post, they use a garden designer for new plantings and seasonal maintenance. —Pam
I hear people talk about the deer problem and how they can’t have a garden. I will send them a link to this post for sure. What a beautiful space to enjoy. I will assume Fearrington Village is the same place Fearrington Gardens are located. I went to my first symposium out of college there 25 years ago. I just love that place.
Fearrington is a planned community, and there are certainly gardens planted throughout. I wonder if those are the ones you saw? They would have been very new then, I think, but it’s possible. —Pam
Love courtyards, and this one is really special. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for visiting, Rhonda. —Pam
Your dad’s garden looks like a wonderful, cool and shady oasis from the southern heat! My husband and I enjoyed the two of you so much. It was delightful to meet.
Freda
We really enjoyed our visit and your hospitality, Freda. It made my N.C. vacation even more special. —Pam
I do love garden walls…especially in deer country. Beautiful and functional!
Yes, I wish I could wall in my front garden, Sylvia! —Pam
This is a beautiful garden, Pam, and yes, those attractive walls and gate would be most welcome in deer country. Leslie Booker does a great maintenance job. Thanks for sharing the pics. Glad you had a lovely visit with your dad and stepmother.
Kerri, it’s great to hear from you again. Thanks for dropping by. I’m sadly behind in my blog reading too. Where does the time go? —Pam
I think I learn almost as much about my colleagues by hearing about their families! And they even hired an LA…puts a smile on my face. Thanks for sharing, P/D. And a nice visual relief from the desert, as it is SO different at that end of I-40 than here!
Yes, very different, even the quality of the light. It’s still hot there, but the Death Star doesn’t seem quite as intense as further west. Maybe the thick humidity filters it. 😉 —Pam
Thanks for sharing your Dad’s beautiful garden. Couldn’t help notice the familiar blue on the glazed pot! A full, lush green garden is such a treat in this hot dry summer we are having.
Ah, you know, what garden doesn’t look better with a cobalt blue pot? 😉 —Pam
Thank you for sharing your Dad’s lovely garden with us. A good design makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it?
Indeed it does, Carol. I bet you are enjoying yours this summer, yes? —Pam
Nice design by the LA. The lotus is striking. Thanks for the tour.
My pleasure, Greggo. Thanks for your comment. —Pam
Oh, Pam, you come by it naturally, right down to those big blue pots! (Is it possible that unidentified plant is some sort of broom?) Can’t wait to see your Biltmore post. I lived in Asheville for two years. Hope you made it to Grove Park Inn, my main hangout while there! (And my book is at Malaprop’s! Any chance you visited?) Absolutely lovely inspiring post.
That could be a broom, Kathryn! It caught the light so beautifully. Asheville is such a lovely city. Lucky you to have lived there for a while. Our schedule was tight and I had my kids with me, so I didn’t make it to the inn or Malaprop’s, but we had a fine time touring Biltmore. They don’t allow you to take pictures inside the house, but I got lots of pics of the gardens. I’ll post about it in a few days. —Pam
Several years ago a few of us from work took a busman’s holiday to NC and one of our stops was Fearrington Village where we strolled shopped and ate. We also visited Big Bloomers in Sanford, the Farmer’s Market, Raulston Arboretum and several garden centers in Raleigh. One of our highlights was Plant Delights, so I look forward to a future post.
Les, could I have read about that trip—did you blog about it? It sounds very familiar. Plant Delights was a highlight of the trip for me too. I’m culling my photos this weekend for an upcoming post. —Pam
Love everything about this courtyard! Far more interesting that lawn and flower beds. I think I’d stay for weeks in that guest house … they would have to kick me out! Thanks for sharing. I really enjoyed my visit and scrolled up and down your photos for ages taking it all in.
They probably wouldn’t kick you out, Bernie. They love Aussies, ever since they visited your country a few years ago! Thanks for your kind comment. —Pam
A very lovely little garden, indeed. Amazing what some thought and effort does, as opposed to the usual “bed and lawn”.
Yes, so true, Nicole. Thanks for popping by. —Pam
What a lovely garden…as you say, so much more so than a lawn would be. It looked so peaceful and welcoming. And could that potted plant be Breath of Heaven? Coleonema?
Thanks for the possible ID, Leslie. I’m not familiar with that plant so can’t say for sure. Kathryn, who commented above, wondered if it was a broom. Maybe I’ll get lucky and their designer will leave a comment to settle it! —Pam
That front gate and wall is quite impressive. I really like the cobblestone paths. Yay for no mowing.
Dad would agree, Lisa, only he does still have some lawn to mow outside the walls. But he’s mulling over ways to get rid of that last bit of grass to mow. —Pam
Breath of Heaven was my guess too…they have it at Lotusland, which we just toured, and this looks similar. The intention is that you brush against it as you walk by and release some of the fragrance.
That sounds delightful, Elm. I did brush this plant with my fingers and didn’t notice a strong fragrance. But maybe the BBQ was overpowering it. 😉 —Pam
Beautiful pictures of your dad’s wonderful garden and home. Regarding your gardening talents, my late father-in-law would say, “She comes by it honestly.” Thanks for sharing.
My dad says that too, Sherry. Thanks for your kind comment! —Pam
Your dad has great taste in art! NICE!
He and his wife are both collectors, more of indoor than outdoor art. I like this sculpture too, Jenn. —Pam