The Staircase Garden

An entrance to a nature reserve woodland on private property in Brookline, the area was formerly a purely functional staircase and the homeowner asked us to create an unexpected place of natural beauty. Inspired by a secret garden, the plantings are naturalistic and layered with fragrance. A few varieties of English thyme is planted on the stair corners, along with grasses, foxglove and fern to enhance the woodland feel. A jasmine plant is providing scent and structure. A handmade urn is placed next to the wide trunk of a tree. The overall feel is very much that of an enchanted woodland, where moss is draped over felled tree trunks and the bell-shaped petals of the foxglove are almost surreal in their natural perfection. Thyme and lavender add to the earthy fragrance while the light, natural palette make it feel like the plantings could have been here all along.