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COUNTRY GARDENS // FA LL 2019
On the home’s exterior walls, Janet hangs art as if she were
decorating indoors: oil canvases and engraved, pigmented
aluminum panels, all of which she brings inside in winter
to protect from wind damage. Rain isn’t much of a concern,
however, thanks to the home’s deep eaves and Portland’s
dry summers. The couple transformed the rear wall of their
neighbor’s garage, which abuts their deck, into a pretty
backdrop for the garden. With the neighbor’s blessing, they
shingled the wall and painted it salmon to match their house
and hung faux windows with planted window boxes, creating
an illusion of depth. “The idea was to make it appear you’re
looking into a little house,” Janet says.
Nautical-style lanterns and a romantic chandelier in
Janet’s little shed cast a warm glow in the evening, extending
enjoyment of the garden after the sun goes down. She and
Eric love hosting family and friends and redesigned their
back deck to make better spaces for entertaining. An outdoor
kitchen, bar seating, sofa, and fi re pit maximize enjoyment of
their small yard and make it usable for most of the year.
But plants are Janet’s true love, and she delights in creating
showy containers to display en masse on the spacious deck.
“I love using different textures and grouping plants by color
because it looks dramatic,” she says. With the pots, the plants,
the art, and a passion for orange—one thing is for sure: This isABOVE A Buddha meditates in a tiered a garden with a lot of heart.
bed of SunPatiens, coleus, elephant’s ear,
‘King Tut’ papyrus, canna, and other showy
plants. Janet elevated the Buddha statue
on cement blocks so it stands out amid fast-
growing annuals.
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- Deck off living room
- She shed/toolshed
- Buddha garden
- Balcony overlooking
heart-shape lawn - Cannas and impatiens
- Fountain
- Dining area
- Neighbor’s garage wall
- Outdoor kitchen
- Bamboo privacy hedge
- Deck off kitchen and
entertaining area