Denise Crosby embraces the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi in landscaping her Park Street home
By Elizabeth Essex
To the casual observer, someone driving past, perhaps, the garden at 1044 Park St., might appear unkempt, even neglected. But upon closer inspection, more details emerge. The neighbor out for an evening stroll might pause to reflect and begin to appreciate how successful the owner was in achieving her landscape objectives.
The reader may remember the familiar term of xeriscape landscaping, introduced in the early ’80s, when the Denver Water District promoted water conservation in the city. Handsome groupings of native and drought-tolerant plants, drip irrigation and dry creek beds became popular features of many gardens. Over the last several decades climate warming has reinforced these principles. More recently, our community has added pollinator-friendly and deer-resistant plants, defensible space and fire-wise to the vocabulary.
When Denise Crosby purchased her new home three years ago, she wanted to leave behind the boxwood borders and expansive lawn of her large corner property and lean into the ancient Japanese philosophy and aesthetic of wabi-sabi. It emphasizes finding beauty in imperfection, impermanence and the natural cycle of growth and decay. She also appreciated that Ashland was a mountain town, nestled in a bowl surrounded by forests and rolling hills, and she and wanted her newfound residence to reflect these attributes.
A minimalist approach
Denise considers herself very fortunate in connecting with a landscaper who appreciated the same values. Her conversations with Louis Desprez of Castle Landscape & Design quickly led to a design that she approved in two to three weeks. It is minimalist in nature, encompassing drought-tolerant grasses, specimen trees and colorful ground cover enhanced with an artful composition including a rusted iron water feature and cedar screen. The hardscape materials are rich in texture and color.
The existing sod lawn was replaced with eco grass to soften the harsh reality of a wide street and driveway. The dense, low-growing, deep-rooted, no-mow grass reflects the changing seasons we so love in our surrounding hillsides.
Colors announce the seasons
A soft breeze creates a living palette of greens, turning to golden, then to blond. A cluster of ornamental grasses (Karl Foerster feather reed grass and tufted hairgrass) add screening to a small rise adjacent to a seating area. The blossoms of a flowering cherry announce that spring has arrived and a lace leaf Japanese maple greets guests by the entry walk. A Japanese black pine anchors the intersection where the driveway meets Park Street. Creeping phlox and veronica add splashes of color during the seasons.
It’s impossible to arrive at the front door without admiring the geometry of the walkways. Note the rhythm of bordo block embedded in the decomposed granite chosen to replace the traditional public sidewalk. The colored, stamped concrete of the primary walk is banded on either side with squares of concrete pavers alternating with planting pockets filled with crocosmia and multihued Mexi pebble mix.
A shorter, softly curved path of crushed Blue Ridge gravel edged with the same bordo block leads from the driveway to the door. In spring the visitor is greeted with the scent of lilac; in summer, it is aromatic calamintha. Various boulders of local heritage are included to add authenticity to this landscape, reminiscent of an alpine meadow, complete with scree.
A look that reflects the owner
Ultimately, garden design is a subjective art, very much dependent on the viewer’s interpretation of harmony and balance, scale and proportion. The viewer may have developed a critical eye but the design will not resonate unless it is compatible with one’s true self. As introduced above, wabi-sabi is a philosophy that encourages a more mindful and accepting approach to life, embracing the present moment and finding beauty in the everyday. Altogether this front garden at 1044 Park St. reflects the philosophy of the owner, Denise Crosby. Beauty truly can be found in the eye of the beholder.
The Ashland Garden Club has been selecting Gardens of the Month, from April through September, since 2000. Nominations are gratefully received at [email protected]. Check out the club’s website at ashlandorgardenclub.org for information on meeting times and places.
