| The metal garden is a triangular space enclosed on one side by the back wall of the garage, on another by a fence, and on the third by a dense stand of rhododendrons and trees. It gets its name from metal artwork and the cast aluminum French wave furniture, the only purchased furniture in the garden. The garden also features two large wall mirrors mounted on the garage and the fence. They amplify the apparent size of this small pocket garden. |
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The location was an unsightly location had been used previously for a firewood stack, storage of old garden equipment, and lumber piles. The fence separated it from a service driveway, and sound insulation inside the fence dampens street noise. An old eyesore has become a private sanctuary. Even though the metal garden is small, it has two microclimates. The south side of the garage is a sun trap, with additional light reflected off the pea gravel surface and the large wall mirrors. The opposite side of this pocket garden receives shade all day. The forsythia has grown so that the bench now sits in what is like the mouth of a cave. |
| A dark, miniature woodland contrasts with the bright open area. The dark green of plants in both places unifies the scene. Cotoneaster, osmanthis, heucheras, and Corsican mint thrive in the sun, lungworts and bloodroot like the open shade between, while pulmonarias and ferns prefer the darker side. Rhododendron, stranvaesia and viburnum trees provide the shade. |
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Plant List: bloodroot, forsythia, Corsican mint, Stranvaesia, Viburnum Tree, Lungwort Smokey Blue pulmonaria saccharata , Lungwort Azurea pulmonaria angustifolia, Amethyst Mist heuchera