Landscape Designer Adriana Berry initially met Carol Horvath and Rick Hafele when they came to her home garden which was featured in the 2013 ANLD Garden tour. As they visited the garden, Carol told her she felt an instant delight and appreciation for what she saw. Adriana noticed Carol’s reaction to the lush plants and the hardscape, and at that moment, sensed that we shared a similar aesthetic and love for plants.

Carol and Rick had purchased a new home in the recently developed Villebois neighborhood of Wilsonville (formerly the Dammasch State Hospital site). They were now looking for someone to design their clean-slate lot to maximize the outdoor experience of their very small yard. As an asset, the new home was sited at one of the old Dammasch entrances where large pin oaks had been preserved, creating a lovely, welcoming canopy.

When Adriana first visited the site, she noticed that all the healthy topsoil had been removed during the construction phase, and the remaining soil had been compacted by the construction machinery and crew. The priority was the side yard which was a long and narrow space wedged between the neighbor’s expansive exterior wall and their new home. This area also had other problems such as poor drainage and a lack of accessibility from the front yard.

Carol is an accomplished basket weaver, sculptor, and plant lover. Rick is a retired entomologist who enjoys fly fishing, photography and outdoor grilling. Both appreciate nature. They wanted to transform their empty side yard into a lush, inviting garden that would have a casual, restful, and contemplative feel to it. The garden was to include an informal outdoor living area, a small dining area with a BBQ, enough space for Carol to weave, plus a concealed storage area for waste and recycle bins. They appreciated gardens with curved lines that show-cased plants that would naturally spill over, using a combination of contrasting textures and colors. Being a plant lover, Carol had a list of plants that she wanted to incorporate into their new garden, including many natives such as goldthread, native irises and mock orange.

Together the clients and Adriana developed a landscape plan that incorporated their needs, desires, and addressed the challenges of the site.

With approval from the homeowner’s association, a gate was introduced at the southwest fence to improve circulation throughout the property and provide front yard access. The existing concrete patio was enlarged to accommodate a living area, circular-shaped spaces were introduced to create a comfortable dining area, and space was created for Carol to do basketry and sculpting.

Adriana also incorporated three large trellises for trailing vines along the immense neighboring side wall to bring the focus down to human level and provide a lovely backdrop to the garden. The side yard hardscape now features the garden’s namesake sculpture, Dancing with Willows, which was created by Carol and five artist friends at the 2018 Frogwood art event.