English Zen Garden

The Banak Garden

This professionally designed and maintained garden emphasizes year round splendor with drought tolerant plantings. A 50-year-old Monkey Puzzle and magnolia, camellia, and Katsura trees loomed over a mole-holed crabgrass lawn in back. Grassy-blah parking strips were the first to go; they now contain low maintenance groundcovers, Hebes and Star Magnolias (Magnolia stellata). Walking up four steps into the terraced front yard, the visitor surveys the dramatic repetition of hardy geraniums, lavender, daylilies, hydrangeas and other flowering shrubs. Settle into an Adirondack chair and take it all in.

Strolling west along the College St. sidewalk, the visitor passes a Smoke Tree, original to the property, and swaths of Alyssum. Enter the English Zen garden through the gate flanked by Hollywood Juniper and lavender to discover more lavender drawing the eye inward past variegated foliage and the herb garden to your right. Montana clematis crawls along a trellis, a Queen Elizabeth rose hovers protectively over lemon thyme, basil and dill.

The owner wanted a soothing place to rest, not a riot of color, and she got what she desired. The furnished patio for entertaining centers this private sanctuary where spot lit trees glamorize the night. Cannas, the beloved lavender, hydrangeas and daylilies grace the sunny side where a fountain streams soul-calming music. The shadier north side houses the hammock, hostas, heuchera and Japanese forest grass.

Old pathway bricks have been recycled to create a stage for a large ceramic pot before a curtain of Arborvitae—a delightful exclamation point to this blissful manse.