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Creating a Backyard Sanctuary in the Suburbs
A conventional Kirkland backyard becomes a natural wonderland.
AUTHOR: Shannon O’Leary | July 2014 | SEATTLE MAGAZINE
One of the British native’s most ambitious undertakings to date has been transforming a conventional lawn-dominated suburban property along the shores of Lake Washington in Kirkland into a naturalistic, native-plant-dominated haven. He was given a great deal of free rein on the design, and he and the homeowners took their inspiration from Seattle’s downtown sculpture park. “Here, one can take a walk towards the water that is both artful and also becomes progressively more natural, culminating in a reclaimed beach,” he says.
And over the past three years, Broadhurst has carefully cultivated a paradise of primarily Northwest native plants, including a signature drought-tolerant Roemer’s fescue meadow, an intriguing hardscape of wending stone walkways, a druid-worthy circular fire pit, a lagoon-like pool and a comely guesthouse.
PHOTO CREDIT: ANDREW BUCHANAN