cherry on top

Out front of this elegant Park Slope townhome, a Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’ (Kwanzan cherry) shades the garden and puts on a show of pink blossoms each spring, while Buxus (boxwood) and white-flowering azalea give the beds a crisp, formal frame. Below, Liriope (lilyturf) edges the plantings and Paeonia (peony) adds lush, seasonal blooms. Up the stoop, a procession of pots filled with evergreens, including Helleborus (hellebore) and azalea, welcomes visitors home and carries the garden all the way to the front door.

Three tiers of gardens dress the back of the home, starting with a slim terrace running the full width of the third floor, where a row of modern black planters supports a line of gem boxwoods interplanted with evergreen grasses, white flowering veronica, pink-flowering heuchera, and draping English ivy – a lush view from the home office and upstairs den!

Off the kitchen, clusters of pots frame the parlor-level deck, creating colorful layers of ornamentals and edibles: Japanese maple, quickfire hydrangea, azalea, and rhododendron provide the formal foundation in large, black ceramic containers, with cooking herbs and flowering annuals in black and buff clay accent pots adding color and an aromatic atmosphere.

Stepping out at the garden level, an edge-to-edge, full color bluestone patio invites family gathering and play against a backdrop of fresh cedar fence and formal plantings; Taylor juniper, rhododendron, buxus, hydrangea, and azalea provide a dynamic and layered structure, with tiarella and other flowering, perennial underplantings offering seasonal interest and pops of color.