Inspired destination
Just off busy Dishman-Mica Road, Paul and Kathie Scott have created a lush oasis. The Scotts share a passion for landscape design and gardening.
“We’re seven years into our five-year landscape project,” said Kathie Scott.
The couple sold their boat and lake home and chose to create a getaway in their own backyard. “We’re going to have to live here forever,” said Kathie Scott. “We’ve put so much of ourselves into this yard.”
When they added a sunroom to their home six years ago they were inspired to create a view that would change with the seasons.
The couple’s approach to landscaping is destination oriented. Every path leads to something special or surprising. The design gives the feel of garden “rooms.” Their goal was to bring the outdoors in and the indoors out.
Paul used terra cotta pavers flanked with red brick to create a central footpath leading to the rose garden. Asters and mums nestle among the roses. “We’ve taken a lot of thought to make sure we enjoy all four seasons,” Kathie Scott said. When one variety of plant is dying another will be blooming.
An arbor, draped with clematis and flanked by lavender and honeysuckle, stands sentry in the midst of a 90-foot-long perennial bed.
The central footpath gives way to another made of rainbow pea gravel. The multicolored gravel seems to shimmer when wet, and the path weaves in and out among 11 raised beds. This kitchen garden is home to potatoes, peas and assorted berries, among other tasty treats. Three goldfish swim lazily in a small pond, while an antique red pump burbles. Beyond the pond, burning bushes are just beginning to flame with color.
The Scotts have a hard time picking a favorite area of their yard, but both agree the pergola just behind the raised beds makes a great relaxation destination. A graceful waterfall is surrounded by Stella Doro lilies that bloom all summer. Classic Adirondack chairs are clustered around a small table. This spot is cool and shady even on the hottest of days.
“It’s like going on vacation in your own backyard,” Kathie Scott said. “It’s mentally, spiritually and physically relaxing.”
An eye-catching metal sculpture of autumn leaves was installed on the wall of the barn. Local artist Melissa Taylor painted a tree and branches on the wall, and Paul Scott hung the gold and copper leaves above it.
Arctic willows line the back of the property. The purple stems of these plants add welcome color to the yard during the winter months. The newest addition to the family is a Japanese weeping willow. Its leaves wave and bend, and when they fall the bare branches have equally graceful curves.
The northeast area of the lawn is home to lush ferns and hostas, surrounding a towering Ponderosa pine. The verdant greenery brings the flavor of the rainforest to the gardens. This mingling of microclimates is what makes the Scotts’ landscaping so unusual. From the desert garden at one end to the grassland garden at the other, the couple has created a unique, ever-changing landscape.
Next on the Scotts’ ambitious agenda is a bird sanctuary. The garden is already home to 30 quail, as well as pheasants, finches and doves. The birds are drawn to the plum and cherry trees, and to the cone flowers that edge this area.
A flagstone path ends at a lovely gazebo. Crafted by an Amish family in Montana, the cedar gazebo is a work of art and where you’ll find the Scotts most evenings, enjoying dinner or a glass of wine, and basking in the fruits of their labor.