Jones Road
Girard, Illinois
We strive to connect our clients to nature and the larger landscape while creating a rich, evocative experience for them. Jones Road is one such example. Our clients, a middle-aged couple with grown children, were in the midst of a whole house renovation when they engaged us to design the landscape for their rural property. Their bi-level home is situated on a ridgeline with views of pasture, timber and a meandering creek. They requested a design that would be sensitive to the borrowed landscape and not disrupt their views. Woodruff imagined a grand, stylized prairie enveloping the home to compliment the charming pastoral setting.
The property was largely turf with few trees and an existing pool surrounded by a poured concrete patio. The grade abruptly dropped off along the back of the house. Consequently, an entire hillside had to be moved and soil repositioned to accommodate expansive new beds. The bold move improved aesthetics and overall functionality. The new garden, nearly 20,000 square feet, seamless blends the wild and the domestic, bringing pollinators, birds and wildlife to the doorstep.
Grasses form the foundation of Woodruff's naturalistic design, a matrix through which shrubs, perennials, natives and bulbs emerge. Plants are artfully woven together to insure a diverse and visually dynamic display with good bloom succession and seasonal interest. The feeling is spontaneous and natural.
Patinaed sculptures of bronze and brass are recent additions. Their graceful feminine forms enhance the grassy garden providing year-round focal points and adding a touch of whimsy.
Winner of the Gardenista Considered Design Awards Best Professional Landscape 2014.
“The garden at Jones Road doesn’t so much borrow the surrounding landscape as collect it. The plantings near the house evoke the spirit of the long view, but with an intensified palette that remains prairie–subtle and intoxicating." Flora Grubb
The garden at Jones Road has been featured in several books and publications, including:
