The owners of this country property asked for a relaxed, welcoming entrance to their home that incorporated plants that would provide color for most of the year. As part of an extensive expansion of the home, they had recently removed a towering hedge of 60' tall spruce trees, opening up the heavily shaded front yard to full sun. Our first step was to prune and transplant the healthy plants to shady edges around the property. This was followed by planting a wildflower meadow in the spacious front yard, laying out a new winding driveway and pull-off, installing cleft-faced stepping stone pathways, and planting an extensive palette of perennials and shrubs throughout the property. Special efforts were made to choose low-growing plants along the main entry walk to keep the view to the front door open. Almost all of the plants selected were chosen for their resistance to nibbling deer. The plant palette for sunny areas included Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce, Catmint, Beebalm, Summer Phlox, Irises, Geraniums, Sedums, and Lamb's Ears. Shade-loving plants included Summersweet, Andromeda, Astilbe, Japanese Painted Fern, Snakeroot, and Bleeding Heart.

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