GARDEN PROFILE:
Car’s Detour Changed This Homeowner’s Direction

The History

When Drew Malcomb purchased his Capitol Hill townhouse, located on 10th Street, NE, in the rapidly changing H Street neighborhood, his plan was to take time renovating both the inside and the gardens.

In his garden he spent the first months removing massive quantities of garbage. The previous owners had used the garden as a dumping ground, and truckloads of garbage had to be cleared before the first seed could be planted.

Mr. Malcomb then spent the first two years purchasing many plants. He would use the "Oh Pretty!" method for his plant selection. As he wandered through area garden centers he would buy any plant that made him think "Oh Pretty," giving little thought to plant placement in his garden. On many occasions he purchased plants not knowing their growth requirements; as a result, he spent thousands of dollars and had more plant failure than success.

His garden had three trees that created shade where plants like hosta and native ferns thrived; however, the summer sun drenched the southern side and created a harsh microclimate that parched even the toughest plants. Like many gardeners, Mr. Malcomb was patient and willing to continue creating a garden by the trial-and-error method. His plans were about to change, however. 

The Event

One evening last fall, he heard a loud crash, then a thump, in the back of his home. He looked out his back window to discover that his Jeep had picked up a hitchhiker. To his astonishment, a female driver and her passenger took a wrong turn while coming down the alley, broke through his six-foot wooden fence, flew into his garden, continued their ascent by using two of his trees as ramps, and landed on top of the hood of his Jeep. To this day he is not sure what distracted the driver, but the garden was now in bad need of a major renovation. 

The Plan

Mr. Malcomb was forced to do something he had never intended to do: seek professional help…for his garden. First he had to replace the fence. He decided to replace what was there and add a stylish lattice as a top portion. He then began the process of interviewing professional landscapers. Once he decided to go with the company that best met his idea of what the garden would become, they started the design phase. Mr. Malcomb decided that since he was replacing the elements of his garden, he would also personally expense the additional elements that would make this a truly tranquil space.

He designed a sitting wall with tiers on either end, creating stairs for candles and smaller container plants. He then installed a 10-foot by 14-foot flagstone patio set in stone dust, and joined the patio to the existing cement walk with matching flagstone set in mortar. A winding 14-foot walk incorporated the same snapped-edge fieldstone used in the construction of the sitting wall.

The problem of garden-meets-parking-pad was addressed with a 14-foot single posted pergola. The pergola is a custom designed, one of a kind installation. In fact the lattice was hand-tooled to round the edges to match the lattice borders atop his new fence.

The Plants

Mr. Malcomb has always loved butterflies, especially Monarchs, so when planning the plants, he included natives like Milkweed to lure the butterflies into his garden. He also planted Honey Suckle vines and hardy Gardenia for their scent; and expanded the shade garden area with shade roses, painted Ferns and giant Hosta. Camellias and Beautyberry were added to provide color late in the season, and Huchera and Ajuga were included to hug the ground and fill in the gaps. In the spring, Mr. Malcomb will continue working with his landscaper to add the bulbs, perennials and annuals to further enhance the space.

Mr. Malcomb took a lemony situation and made some of the best lemonade that Capitol Hill has to offer. He turned a bad, surreal, life experience into a positive garden renovation. His outdoor space is now an inviting, welcoming place where he will enjoy many sunsets, birds, flowers and hopefully his Monarch butterflies. 

Gardener's Challenge

Tell us your garden tales. Share your trials and failures, successes and victories. Each month, we will feature one gardener who has a great garden and story to tell. Please submit your entry to www.thomaslandscapes.com subject: Garden Stories. Professional landscapers are welcome to share/feature their gardens and stories with us.