For this Chesterfield home front walk design, we installed a walkway made of locally-sourced Goshen flagstone with ornamental perennials alongside it.
The problems in this landscape were clear. It lacked ornamental plantings in front of the house and no inviting access to the front door. We worked closely with the homeowner to find a solution that was unique and not a typical foundation.
They wanted perennials and herbs that would attract butterflies and birds. The client loved the idea of using local Goshen flagstone for the walkway. It anchored the house more firmly to the landscape. The size and depth of the beds and walkway are in good proportion while still maintaining a front lawn. The area was in full sun and had dry low fertility soil.
Before:This is the house before the landscape installation.
After (1 Year Later): The flagstone and perennials go a long way to anchoring the house to the landscape.
Before: The soil was dry and lacked fertility. It was typical of soil around a house’s foundation, great for drainage and poor for growing. Because of this, proper plant selection was critical, so was the five yards of compost.
After (1 Year Later): The plants below were chosen for their long bloom times, low maintenance requirement, and their ability to attract butterflies and birds. Some of the plants chosen were: Black-eyed Susan, coneflower (Echinacea), blazing star, catmint, ferns, and iris.
This 6′ x 4′ flagstone piece is set on a 12″ gravel foundation. This aides in drainage and prevents frost heaving. Because of this, when the stones are set in place they will not move even a 16th of an inch.
Compost is king when the soil is poor. The way a landscape is installed will have an impact for many years to come.
Smaller ornamental stones are used at various junctions to give the walkway a “country feel”. This is in keeping with the house, the unique climate and ecosystem of the Western Mass Hilltowns, and with the vision of the client.
