HIDDEN ZEN

Allow me to take you on a journey through the Forest and into a magical backyard oasis! The client contacted me in hopes to improve the space, making it more aesthetically pleasing and functional. The inspiration for this project was taken from the client's passion for camping in the Bruce Peninsula and their desire for a natural stone patio with a seating area and stairs to the forest floor below. This proved to be extremely challenging both creatively and mechanically. The dense foliage and elevation changes made it impossible to use machinery. We opted to build everything by hand and cart all the materials in using wheelbarrows and sleds. The stairs were built in December using a toboggan to slide the steps down the snow-covered hill. The finished product features a flagstone patio and composite bench overlooking the forest creating a magical place to sit with friends or do yoga under the trees. The unused rock-filled retaining walls were accentuated with native woodland plants including dogwood shrubs, ferns, shade-loving evergreens, and old cedar roots to help mimic a natural forest and add visual interest. The stairs were built using a combination of 3' and 4' granite slabs to create a more natural and enchanting appearance. They take you down to the forest and back up to either the seating area or the top patio. The small triangular planter box was a challenge to fill and the final decision was to plant a columnar weeping spruce. This variety grows narrow as to not encroach on the stairs but still grows tall and fills the vertical space along the staircase. I had a lot of fun designing and building this project despite the creative and physical challenges. This was a wild and unique project and it's one that I will always cherish.