The soothing warm breezes of spring and summer are blending harmoniously in our community. After a long winter, it may be a transition we appreciate more now than in the past few years. Our perspectives have shifted toward community, home and family and making the most of everything we have right here. That includes the gifts from Mother Nature.
As the lilies and hydrangea begin to bloom this year, you are more likely to find people enjoying their backyards. Of course some “back- yards” naturally exceed the term; one can only rightfully call them grounds or even estates — and still fall short of the mark. One particular Fairfield property comes to mind. It’s near the water, located on a beautiful street, and last year underwent a landscape transformation in order to meet the needs and evolving style of the family. Growing into its new potential, as the plantings mature and the flowers pop with color, the property is a pure getaway at home — an on-site recreation paradise for children and parents alike.
The reason for the outdoor redesign was the undeniably expanding interests of the family’s very active teenage triplets. “When our children were toddlers, we had a play area in the back that was gated, because we live on a busy road,” says the homeowner. “We were worried about them running out into the street when they were young. So in that area, to keep them busy, there was a swing set, a sandbox, and a kid’s playhouse. Then we realized they were getting older, and we wanted a different kind of place where they could play with their friends — that was the impetus for putting in more sporty areas.”
She’s referring to a mixed-use court for tennis or basketball, a full-size batting cage, a redesigned pool area and a swath of open lawn so big one can easily host a touch football game, a round of croquet and a soccer match simultaneously. Just look out for the grand maple overlooking it all. “This has been, and hopefully will continue to be, our family home,” says the owner. “Our needs have changed over time. One thing that’s become more important to us when we entertain has been being able to enjoy our home with our friends and to have our children, now teenagers, and their friends nearby. We have a lot of dinner parties, I like to cook, we like to be outside. This way, our children can be playing sports or hanging out with their friends in a separate area on the property.”
While the kids do everything possible to burn off their youthful energy, their parents unwind from busy days by relaxing in a comfortable seating area, complete with oversized, softly cushioned furniture and a modern, easy-start fire-pit. The two escapes — active and repose — are connected via a stone-stepped path, along which a wall of mature arborvitae adds privacy from the neighbors. During summer evenings, the adults and their guests share stories with one another by the fire-pit and grill station, which often attracts the younger generation, too. “We do a lot of grilling, a lot of buffets by the pool,” says the owner. “We really like having other families over. If we have a big crowd, we serve the food on a table between the pool and the portico, and there are a couple of different sitting areas where we can eat. We choose one spot and the kids sit in the other.”
Modern Traditions
Over the years the owner has taken a more spare approach with the interiors of the house. “It’s been the same thing in the garden,” she says. “I have a very specific view. I have gone from loving very traditional things to loving those that are simpler, more linear, more contemporary with traditional elements. I guess as my children get more complicated, I need more Zen in my life.” It makes sense then that what one finds on a tour of the property is a well planned layout. The green Japanese holly block a white picket fence, while Australian tree ferns cascade from nearby pots, introducing softness. The result is an intimate space, with a tactile, visually interesting barrier. While most every plant and bush are green, the variety of shapes and textures are masterfully arranged. The owner says, “I don’t enjoy primary colors.” Indeed, part of the garden’s transformation to a modern, fresh aesthetic was to adopt a sophisticated reserve and effective use of color. “I wanted more jewel tones, and I like unusual colors, such as chartreuse,” says the owner. She also introduced fresh color combinations, such as “apricot with aubergine or a deep ruddy red.”
Redefining the style has been an evolution, and perhaps a reaction to the past. “One year, friends and I went online and ordered all these different bulbs. Two dozen of these, two of those — we got really carried away. The next spring, this yard looked like The Wizard of Oz — the newly colored film,” she says. “It’s definitely much calmer now.”
Time-honored traditions are nudged forward. The owner appreciates her traditionally shaped though updated knot garden. “This used to be a much busier knot garden, with masses of mixed flowers. I’ve added mosses,” she says, pointing out a chartreuse-colored variety. “It gives it a modern element.”
A Touch of Fun
The owner praises landscape designer Rob Wilber of Wilber & King Nurseries. “I can say, ‘I want this fire-pit area to look like a sleek outdoor night club,’ and he gets that I want to transition away from the more traditional elements, while still respecting them.” He introduced ferns, unusual flowers, such as Armeria, and various succulents. With the work done, she says, “I’ve gotten to the point of planting more perennials and fewer annuals — and praying they survive.” With hideaways for adults and recreational escapes for kids, who can blame her?