Crystal Ward Kent Photography by courtesy Mark Eldridge

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Ted O’Brien and his wife, Joan, fell in love with their house the first time they saw it. Nestled on a wooded lot, it had stunning views of New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee. Built in 1912, the Shingle-style home was small so the O’Briens expanded it to fit their needs.

“We wanted to keep the original house and just add wings on either side,” explains Ted. “This allowed us to enlarge the kitchen and add a dining room area. We expanded the living space by about twenty percent, but most people can’t tell where the original home leaves off and the new one begins.”

Because a number of large trees had to be removed to make way for the home's addition, the land needed a lot of work before landscaping could begin. Belknap Landscape used their own loam for the lawn and compost for the garden beds.

Choosing trees for the landscape
First, Belknap’s designers planned what larger trees would be needed for shade and privacy. They outlined where twenty-foot spruce, hemlock and fir trees (all native to New Hampshire) could be used to create natural screens and windbreaks. They also used these large trees to “anchor” key corners, boundaries and landscape design elements.

One of the trees used was actually rescued from another construction project. Belknap heard of a thirty-five-foot blue spruce marked for cutting on another site and asked if they

Because a number of large trees had to be removed to make way for the home's addition, the land needed a lot of work before landscaping could begin. Belknap Landscape used their own loam for the lawn and compost for the garden beds.

could transplant the tree. It was agreed, and the stately evergreen was safely brought to the O’Brien lot and replanted. Transplanting trees of this size often doesn’t work, but the spruce took hold and now looks like it has always been there.

Next, the Belknap team selected various species of birches, also native, which they planted in clumps at the corners and edges of the house. The birches would blend the house with the landscape, yet not overpower the home or block views.

Belknap’s masons created two rugged stone columns to mark the entrance of the property, which is set back from the road. Stonework became a recurring theme throughout the property, with informal stone paths and steps connecting patios with the waterfront, and stone walls flanking garden beds.

When Belknap began working on the site, the land was quite raw, having been excavated down to the subsoil. The company brought in their own loam for the lawn and compost for the garden beds. This preparation worked well as everything has thrived.

“We look for color and blooming times when choosing our plants and shrubs,” says Craig. “Many of the homeowners in the Lakes Region aren’t up here until early summer, so they miss early color. We focus on plants that will bloom from late May and June through the fall, and in this case we also chose plants that like filtered light. We used astilbe, ferns, artemesia, sheep laurel, mountain laurel, low-bush blueberries and lamium, a flowering ground cover. We also work in a lot of perennials, such as daylilies, since they bloom long and consistently through the summer. When we planted, we tried to create little secret gardens along the walkway—splashes of color that kind of surprise you.”

Heavy berming was done along the boundary line to create privacy. To make the berm blend in, Belknap planted it with evergreens and viburnums, which come in 12 different varieties. Viburnums are native to New Hampshire, and have different bloom times so the color is staggered through the season.

“We work with viburnums a great deal,” says Craig. “They are hardy and take both wind and cold. We avoid shrubs like yews or other ornamentals. Deer would ravage them, and the native plants are more in keeping with the rustic look. They are also low-maintenance.”

The new stone patio
One of the most dramatic features on the property is the bluestone patio with its gas grill set in a stone foundation. “Belknap suggested the stone grill to us, and we just love it,” says Ted. “I use it all the time. It’s powerful and unique—a real manly grill! The way the area is set up, it’s nice and private. People are just floored when they see that grill.”

The stone grill has become one of Belknap’s specialties over the past five years. This grill required 12 feet of concrete from right to left, and a three-foot deep foundation. The concrete foundation was then built up with boulders and stone. Accent boulders were placed on each side, and the back of the grill is supported with fieldstone. The grill was then inserted into this stone bed, and a stone counter was added on each side.

“One of the challenges with this type of outdoor landscaping is blending these big grills into the surroundings,” says Craig. “Some of them are so structured they just don’t fit. So now we put the grill elements into our own rockwork. They create nice gathering places without dominating everything. These and fire pits are our two most requested items.”

The bluestone patio is a work of art—the design uses irregular shaped stones that were all hand-fitted. The stones are tightly jointed so patio furniture sits evenly, yet the look is not too manicured. Off to one side, a large, flat boulder serves as a seat.

“We didn’t go with the perfect squares on the bluestone because we wanted that rustic look,” says Craig. “We also try to bring in natural features whenever we can, as we did with the boulder seat. The second patio, down by the water with the fire pit, has another large, flat boulder that doubles as a table.”

The transformation of the O’Brien landscape took two years, from the planning stages in 2003, to finishing touches in 2005.

“During the construction phase, I never dreamed it would look like it does now,” says Ted. “I never thought it would be this nice. We love all the different spaces—the patio, the gardens, the fire pit—we love to have campfires at night. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many people comment on the landscape. They all say they can’t believe it’s new construction—everything looks like it belongs. That’s the best compliment we get. It was exactly what we wanted.”

Crystal Ward Kent’s work has appeared in Yankee Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul and Guideposts Books, among other publications. She owns Kent Creative, an agency in Portsmouth that provides writing, design and marketing services, and is author of Mainely Kids: A Guide to Family Fun in Southern Maine, published by University Press of New England.