This brick home in Akron Ohio was built in 1932. Over the past few years the home and landscape have been improved significantly. Improvements have been a collaboration between the owner and landscape designer William Healy, APLD. The owner is quite a devoted animal lover, housing many rescued dogs and cats, and has provided haven and food for many a song bird. Her love of birds provided a focus for this design.

The front of the house was given a large dose of curb appeal, to use the popular term. The focal point of the front yard became the new front porch. The old circular stoop was crumbling and was replaced with a more craftsman-oriented wooden porch. The porch provides a comfortable covered spot for viewing the front yard. The porch ceiling was designed with a barrel vault to echo the nicely curved front door and was highlighted with a tongue and groove wood ceiling. The house siding was also replaced with more complementary hardy board shingles.

A more colorful, yet low maintenance foundation planting was added around the porch. Included were such plants as Bottlebrush Buckeye, Oakleaf, Annabelle and climbing hydrangea, Knockout rose, Rozanne geranium, and Happy Returns daylily. The plants were chosen for their strong performance, as well as their more antique appearance.

Approaching the backyard, the highlight is the rear dooryard garden that provides a colorful and welcoming entrance to the back door. An old Cornus mas was pruned to allow in more light for an abundance of color coming from ornamental trees, shrubs, perennials and flowers.

The dooryard garden features an entrance arbor and brick walk, both featuring the same bird motif. The arbor was positioned to soften a view to the garage, and its cedar panels surround large bird inserts that were water jet cut from strong plastic. The arbor has a peak matching the house and is covered with such climbing plants as Clematis Jackmanii, John Clayton honeysuckle, and New Dawn Rose.

The curved walk has a stopping-off patio and was constructed using a new brick offering a more antique look. The small patio is centered with a bird insert cut from a variety of stone to create a greeting robin.

The plants in this area were chosen to provide an abundance of color, featuring pinks and whites. The shrubs include Annabelle, oakleaf and Limelight hydrangea, Neon Flash spirea, Hummingbird clethera, shrub roses and tricolor Hypericum. Some of the perennials are Magnus coneflower, Big Ears lamb’s ear and variegated Iris. A patch of Gooseneck loosestrife is closely monitored by a vigilant goose.  Extra color comes from annuals such as New Guinea Impatiens, petunias and geraniums.

The back yard offers areas that are more natural. Fruiting plants favored by the birds include elderberry, crabapple, fringe tree, rugosa rose and Virginia juniper.

The yard also sports numerous bird feeders and bird houses. The owner has been very successful in attracting bluebirds. Fresh eggs in a bluebird house show that new tenants may someday be winging towards this colorful yard that always welcomes more color from the sky.

Bill Healy, APLD

HEALYDESIGNINC.COM