Charming Gardens

Karla and David Blinn moved to the area a year ago from an oceanfront home in San Diego California. David a retired attorney and part-time painter now spends his days surrounded by the living canvas that comprises his gardens.

The Blinns hired Tim Clark of Clark Carolina Construction to complete the structure that they purchased in foreclosure. Working with Tony Parker of Classic Landscapes to design the gardens Karla says “was like dealing with another artist.”

Parker personally spent more than13 hours studying the topography identifying the problems of the sloped site and sketching a solution. By the time he finished Parker had created a plan for the garden that elegantly set the stage for the drama that was to unfold in three independent and functional outdoor garden rooms.

Facing south the French parterre entry court enclosed by a sea of maiden grass features granite-lined gravel paths boxwood hedges annuals and a central millstone fountain. To the east is the runnel garden that contains a dry streambed. To the rear of the house on the north side is the lower terraced rill garden built around a functional water channel. This garden transitions to the natural wooded fern and hosta garden beyond.

Although each space is different and has its own unique purpose each is tied to the other through Parkers masterful use of repetition in form line color texture and materials all fundamental elements of garden design.

Dramatic yet harmoniously balanced the Blinn gardens achieve a restful peaceful solitude. The gardens dynamics are grounded in four elements: the built environment water plants and wildlife yet the most striking aspect is the sense of movement achieved by the creation of pathways and the selection of plant choices. While evergreens the backbone of any garden are prominent the grasses sedges ferns and herbaceous perennials are the stars of the show. Used in bold painterly strokes their fine-textured foliage blows easily in the wind to create a dramatic and fluid effect as well as a pleasant auditory rustle.

Karla notes “This garden is all about texture movement sound and smell ” which makes it all about the senses. Movement is introduced through fluid water features and Landfalls wildlife population which darts in and out of the plant cover. The gardens paths curved walls and terraced steps create a sense of progression and destination from each space to the next from granite-lined gravel to flagstone to stepping stones to mulch every walking surface except sod is represented.

It is easy to spot the international influences in the Blinn gardens. Karla says that she and David have traveled the globe visiting Europe Asia and Japan Australia and Africa. With each trip they visited more and more gardens. “This garden ” she says “is a conglomeration of many of the gardens weve visited.”