Stone pavers surround the pool on three sides with a grassy expanse beyond and the Weems River as a backdrop.
What was initially a small installation job for Michael Prokopchak and his team at Walnut Hill Landscape Company turned into a total property overhaul—with the same deadline. “It was tight, but we met it,” says Prokopchak, who worked with a design by Graham Landscape Architecture to refresh and energize the landscape in correlation with a home renovation by architect Scarlett Breeding.
The existing pool was improved with a large, curving flagstone deck that serves as a roomy gathering place. The subtle gradations of color in the stone complement the furniture the owners use to lounge and dine al fresco.
An adjacent garden shows off a bank of purple coneflowers, which provides summer color. The gray foliage and delicate purple blooms of Russian sage, along with deep green boxwood, create interesting texture. While the pool deck affords views of Weems Creek, a fountain nestled in the garden emits the relaxing sound of trickling water flowing through a large concrete urn on a base of gravel.
For privacy from the adjacent property, Prokopchak installed a row of 16-foot tall Natchez crape myrtles along the white wooden fence. Their white blooms signal summer and shade the owners’ whimsical blue bear sculpture set alongside the fence.
A new garage dictated an updated driveway. Concrete pavers accented by granite cobblestones lead to the garage past the front of the stately white Colonial home. A large magnolia tree and black-eyed Susans welcome guests as they come up the drive.
Karen Watkins is a freelance writer based in Bethesda, Maryland.
AWARD: GRAND, TOTAL RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTING. LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE: Graham Landscape Architecture, Annapolis, Maryland. LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: MIKE PROKOPCHAK, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland. PHOTOGRAPHY: JAY STEARNS
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