Cincinnati February/March 2024

Step back
Then take a step around the back of the
home, and it’s hard to imagine, as you take
in the lush opulence of their back yard, that
this is Lorie and Jeremy’s first summer
here.
“This was all just dirt when we moved
in,” Lorie says as she scans the 40-foot-wide
by 140-foot-long section of land between
their home and the thick expanse of woods
beyond their back yard.
That statement is mind blowing considering
the vibrant scene that you are taking
in only had one growing season. Plus,
according to Lorie, the original plantings
were not especially large.
“Lorie has done an amazing job with
these plants,” says Dwight Goodin, landscape
designer with Siebenthaler’s.
A shaky start
Seeing the stunning results, it’s hard to
believe that Goodin passed on the project
twice before finally agreeing to take a look.
“This project came across my desk three
times,” he says. “The builder contacted me
first, then the man who was grading the
property was next.”
There were a few challenges that set off
alarm bells in the designer’s head. First, the
distance was an issue. This location was out
of Siebenthaler’s traditional work radius
and would add time and expense to the
job. Second, it was an ambitious undertaking.
Did the company have the staffing and
resources to commit to this project? And
finally, Goodin wasn’t a fan of the existing
landscape design, which had been created
before he came on board.
But the pressure persisted. The grader
contacted him again and begged him to take
a look. “He dragged me here kicking and
screaming,” Goodin says.
When he finally was coerced into travelling
south for a visit, Goodin took one look
at the site and immediately saw its potential,
and knew despite his earlier misgivings,
he had to accept the challenge. ➻
Before
Before The land’s existing slope was reworked to allow
for the flow of water.
After The third of three spillways, just outside the
couple’s bedroom, provides a soothing soundtrack for
sleep.
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