Birmingham Magazine April 2018 Issue

BIRMINGHAM GARDENS I A Craftsman’s Approach
A
CRAFTSMAN
APPROACH
BY ANDREA FANNING
PHOTOS BY JEAN ALLSOPP
The garden features wooden accents and plenty of sitting areas.
Thoughtful solutions and Southern charm bring
curb appeal to this arts-and-crafts-style abode.
IN BIRMINGHAM’S MT. LAUREL NEIGHBORHOOD,
NATURE AND NEIGHBORS RESIDE SIDE BY SIDE.
The planned community focuses on experience, with even
the sidewalks designed around the area’s abundant sights and
sounds. So, when residents Don and Gail Rule decided to
enhance their home’s surroundings, they resolved to focus on
elements that would blend into Mt. Laurel’s overall aesthetic
and enhance the grounds of their arts-and-crafts-style cottage.
The Rules called upon David Brush of David N. Brush
Landscape Architecture to help bring their vision to life. “Don
and Gail’s program was for me to design something simple
that looks like it’s been there,” Brush says. “Don’s main request
was to use materials that were part of the neighborhood’s
vernacular; Gail’s was the inclusion of a place where she could
plant annuals and perennials.”
The home features a wraparound porch along the front
facade and a screened porch on the side, so Brush formed
a plan to extend those two living areas into the landscape.
He wanted to create a seamless flow between them.
“Their front porch is more of a transitional space and doesn’t
provide much separation from the community sidewalk and
the house,” he says. “I intentionally developed outdoor spaces
with glimpses of the street, yet they retained enough privacy
to serve as a sanctuary of sorts. To help reinforce this, we built
a wooden trellis, gate, and fence, all of which were stained to
complement the heavy wooden timbers on the front porch.”
Since the Rules had moved from a spacious three-acre
property in St. Louis, they wanted to maximize their smaller,
narrower lot in Mt. Laurel to make the transition and
downsizing smoother. Brush helped the couple ease into
their smaller space by creating a series of interconnected yet
distinctly different garden areas. He used a layered approach
to pull it off, including a meandering sidewalk, subtle changes
in construction materials and flora, and attention-grabbing
ground cover such as Blue Star Creeper.
Says Brush, “The best plans are fully realized when topquality
craftsmanship is part of the process. You can’t
overemphasize or shortcut this fact. I’m fortunate to be able
to work with true craftsmen on this project.” The talented
team also included Blackjack Horticulture, who handled the
millwork and softscape, and Valente Martinez who performed
the masonry-related work.
Though the landscape is fairly young, the Rules are already
enjoying the fruits of their labor, which is exactly what Brush
hopes will happen with each one of his designs. He says,
“Landscape architecture is quite unique in that it’s not static,
it’s always changing. It’s been a pleasure to watch the Rules’
garden grow.”
RESOURCES:
Landscape Architecture: David N. Brush
Millwork and Softscape: Blackjack Horticulture
Masonry: Valente Martinez
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