New Hampshire Home March-April 2023 - 52

BY DESIGN
ing an open feel to the space. Although
the area is small, it required many elements:
the wall, a custom-designed and
fabricated gate, the stone pathway, stone
entry stairs, a stone bench, turf for the
dogs, ornamental plantings and stone
drip edging for water infiltration.
Planted within the walled space are
a Kousa dogwood, low-growing juniper,
hay-scented ferns, Hinoki false cypress,
hydrangeas " Annabelle " and " Tuff Stuff, "
and areas of turf surrounded by " Biokovo "
geraniums. " Stella de Oro " daylilies,
" Walker's Low " catmint and " Bevan's
Variety " geraniums grow outside the wall
and across the front of the house. Behind
" Walker's Low " catmint, are a fragrant
" Korean Spice " viburnum, rhododendrons
and more hydrangeas. A large river
birch Betula nigra " Heritage " underplanted
with ferns and stephanandra punctuates
the corner of the front yard. Large
granite monoliths accentuate the end of
the stone walls and create the entry point
for the Mondrian-inspired gate. " We drew
dozens of gate designs to help our client
reach her goals, " Bruzga says.
A bird's-eye view of the property shows the new curving path and its series of steps, combined with
landings and level areas, making for a more gradual descent from house to lake.
A Welcoming New Entry
The existing driveway leading to the
front entrance was red-colored, stamped
concrete. " Hot and unattractive, " says
Bruzga. " The new driveway is called a
'chip seal.' It's an asphalt-paved driveway
that has bluestone applied over the top,
held in place by a thick asphalt emulsion,
creating the look of a rural bluestone or
hardpack driveway while eliminating the
maintenance issues associated with winter
plowing. " Due to the site's sloping and
50 New Hampshire Home | March / April 2023
wooded nature, there isn't a lot of extra
flat space at the front of the house that
isn't driveway court. The new architectural
front entrance created the ability to
have a welcoming courtyard and a nicer,
more aesthetically pleasing entry, with
plantings and pedestrian space.
Bruzga created an inviting entrance
garden enclosed by a stone wall built
from split local granite. The wall is just
tall enough to prevent the homeowners'
dogs from wandering off while still keepStart
Where You Are,
Use What You Have
These thoughtful updates show that you
don't have to tear down an existing house
and demolish the entire site to create a
wonderful property. " Many times older
waterfront houses on New Hampshire
lakes are torn down to make way for new
cutting-edge architecture. While the existing
house isn't up to date in architectural
style, by adding some key elements we
could make it work for the new owners.
In some cases it can be ideal to start
over, but it is certainly less taxing on our
environment to reuse and recycle, and
hopefully less taxing on overall costs and
length of the project, " says Bruzga. This
makeover was an opportunity for adaptive
reuse which extended the life of the
structure for another generation. NHH
RESOURCES
db Landscaping LLC * (603) 763-6423
dblandscaping.net
PHOTO BY PETER BLOCH, EARTHAERIAL PRODUCTIONS

http://www.dblandscaping.net

New Hampshire Home March-April 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of New Hampshire Home March-April 2023