We first met with our clients when the foundation hole had just been excavated on a steeply sloping lot half way up the side of a cherished local mountain.
The challenge with the site was to allow for quality outdoor spaces within the steep confines of a mountain slope. We swung the drive close to the front porch in order to maximize the lawn (future vegetable garden) across the drive. A river birch screens the front porch from the drive. On the south side of the house, we nestled in a pea stone patio shaded from the western sun by native trees. This patio has a southeastern view – across meadows and layers of hills, culminating with the ridge lines of the Green Mountains. Once we designed the grades and terraces, we then dealt with the sloping hillside. A stone stairway approaches the terrace and upper gardens. From the grassy hub, a wide sloping grass path heads down to a lower field where a small orchard and grape vines are located. The lower slopes were stabilized with wildflowers.