WYLDINGS
Raleigh, NC
Designed for a former florist (Wylde Flowers), graphic designer and their five-year-old daughter, this garden reclaims a previously unused and overgrown landscape to create colorful outdoor spaces which can be enjoyed by the whole family. The dynamic plant palette, composed of native shrubs, ornamental grasses and flowering perennials, changes drastically throughout the seasons – offering color inspiration and endless possibilities for seasonal arrangements.
COMPLETION:
Spring 2024
Armature Design Build
Fred Construction
COLLABORATORS:
property size:
.31 Acres
Following a house renovation and the construction of a new accessory building, excess soil was redistributed to create a flatter, more usable front yard. Concrete pavers provide an informal outdoor patio out front while doubling as a temporary parking space, and a series of bluestone steps help visitors navigate the steep hill, stabilized with sun-loving grasses. As they walk up the steps, visitors are immersed into the meadow before emerging onto a lush lawn surrounded by flowers, creating a sense of arrival into the garden.
At the side of the house, the lawn narrows into a path which circles the entire property, with pockets for playing, daydreaming, or hiding. Behind the house, the deck – which connects to the new home office – steps down onto a stone patio used for smores and storytelling. Gentle landscape steps made of lawn and heavy timber provide seating for outdoor movies, while navigating the slope at the back of the property.
Wyldings is a garden for playing and running full speed into childhood adventures, but also a place to slow down, and listen – to birdsong and wind through the grasses. It is a space for wandering, and getting lost after a long day. It is a garden for all and a garden for one, where introverts and extraverts each have their space.
Wild·ing noun
1. a wild apple tree.
2. its fruit.
3. any plant that grows wild.
4. a plant, originally cultivated, that now grows wild; an escape.
5. a wild animal.
