In northern Maryland, there is a nature conservancy where native plants thrive, wildlife meanders happily and new blooms come with every season. It is a sanctuary for all things untouched, the things we see on postcards but rarely in our back yards. When husband and wife Fred and Andrea relocated to this part of Maryland, they wanted their back yard to be the exception. The couple chose a traditional brick estate set on two-and-three-quarters acres of land. Their back yard, however, is anything but traditional, as it sprawls directly into that conservancy. They understood the chance of roaming deer, birds and other small creatures, and they essentially laid out the welcome mat. In revamping their outdoor living space, Andrea and Fred had one major request: Do not force the conservancy to stop at their property lines.
When Jeff Bollinger and his team at Hively Landscapes (www.hivelylandscapes.com) took on the project, they designed a space catered to the naturalist. Andrea, passionate about environmental preservation, hoped for an atmosphere that would invite birds and butterflies and create wildflower meadows. While creating a smaller scale conservancy out of the property, Jeff helped to transform the existing outdoor living area into a luxurious abode. He used natural materials like stone and wood to carry out Andrea’s vision of a style resembling a cottage nestled in the English countryside.
From the house to the pool, Hively Landscapes laid large stone pavers to create a rustic pathway through the grass. A simple wooden fence separates the property from the conservancy, so close that the garden’s daisies tangle with the neighboring fields. More gardens take over the entire perimeter, held in only by the fence. A stone fire pit sits away from the house and under the trees, creating the perfect s’more-roasting getaway for summer nights. Near the pool, tables and cushioned lounge chairs are set beneath an open pool house and pergola where guests unwind to flitting butterflies and a mellow stream.
Coiling through the garden, this stream is part of a water feature Hively Landscapes installed that eventually won a Grand Award and a People’s Choice Award at the 2015 Remodeling Awards of Excellence, a competition for members and remodelers of the York Builders Association. Andrea and Fred had asked for a water feature that not only adds ornamental value but also attracts and nurtures birds and butterflies. Jeff also ensured that the feature would use little water and energy while fitting in naturally with the space. He explained that there were two options for the feature: One would be an 18- to 24-inch-deep pond with a waterfall, and the other would be a disappearing waterfall, where the water flows into an underground reservoir topped with gravel. Andrea and Fred feared the physical risk of a deep pond and the aesthetic risk to a pondless waterfall.
So Jeff created a hybrid system. Hively Landscapes installed a disappearing waterfall feature but added an extra layer of pond liner below the gravel surface, allowing the water to stand before flowing into the reservoir. “This results in shallow standing water and the drama and shimmer of a pond, without the hazards,” Jeff says. To continue the naturalistic look, Hively Landscapes used fieldstone boulders and river-worn gravel. They created a gentle slope in the terrain to construct a 16-foot-long stream that snakes through the garden. Around this, they planted deciduous and evergreen shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennial flowers and shallow water plants.
Now, Andrea says that one of her favorite parts of her home is the pond; however, she says it depends on the season. In the warmer months, she relishes strolling through the wildflower acres, listening to the splashing in the birdbaths and watching fluttering butterflies. In colder months, more tenacious plants begin to bloom and the pond becomes glittery ice. After several years of designing, constructing and tending, this home has become a nature lover’s sanctuary.
By Kaila Young, Photography by Hayman Studio Commercial Photography + Video