Transforming a Barren Backyard: berms and a dry streambed change the terrain from flat to rolling

摘要

When my sister and her husband asked our landscaping firm to design and build the garden for their new home in Vancouver, Washington, we were both flattered and challenged. The budget was more than adequate, but the property offered little aestheticpromise. Their 45- by 85-foot backyard, which consisted of little more than lawn, was boxy, fiat, and somewhat sunken. To combat the monotony of the small, rectangular lawn, we suggested changing the terrain from fiat to rolling by creating a series of berms. While the rolling berms would add height, we also wanted to create depth, so we designed a naturalistic dry streambed. The streambed was laid out diagonally, bisecting the lot, creating near and far spaces separated by the stream. This also helpedeliminate the boxy feeling of the property, as diagonal lines tend to lead the eye toward more distant spaces and borrowed views to make the garden feel larger.