A charming home in downtown Annapolis cried out for a total overhaul of its overgrown landscape. The front yard was ragged and uninviting, while the backyard was dominated by a ramshackle garage and an outdated swimming pool enclosed in old wrought-iron fencing. The owners called on Walnut Hill Landscape Company to spruce up their diminutive property, breathing new life into existing features and enhancing them with
lush layers of plantings.

“The garage was too small to accommodate a car, so we decided to turn it into a fun, outdoor bar with a kitchen and storage inside,” recalls principal Michael Prokopchak of the structure, now clad on the pool side in an attractive stone veneer. The swimming pool was renovated with bluestone coping. A low stone wall at one end incorporates spillways that create a focal point in the yard while conjuring the pleasant sound of falling water. Ipe decking creates plenty of room for seating around the pool.

In the front yard, bluestone steps and stone columns capped with bluestone create a sense of arrival, with custom containers providing seasonal color and interest. Banks of perennials flank the stairs, and boxwood, Limelight hydrangea and fountain grass connect the new landscape, both front and back.

Landscape Architecture & Installation: Michael Prokopchak, ASLA, Walnut Hill Landscape Company, Annapolis, Maryland. Photography: David Burroughs.