Verdant Design

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The Smith Residence shows how a very steeply sloped back yard can become its greatest asset. The slope of the yard meant water cascaded down the slope and would erode the soil in the shady part of their yard. Most of the time the area is dry (as many creeks in Kentucky behave) but while it rains, it controls the water. The dry creek swale, or shallow depression, slows the water down and allows it to soak in. The created swale is a point of interest in the yard and is low maintenance. Click here to learn more about the Smith landscape.

New photos of the Richardson landscape show the mature landscape and the new plants working together. The materials were chosen to have a timeless quality.

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In 2007, Highland Baptist Church started working on a Landscape Master Plan. The planning effort arose out of a need to look at the larger picture of the whole grounds, a desire to deepen the care of the exterior of the facility, to create a greater focus on their work days, and to develop a lasting vision for outdoor sacred space. The plan also is intended to be implemented in small manageable portions.

The planning began by looking at other sacred buildings: English Gothic churches. Through that research, it became apparent that landscaping around the sanctuary did not live up to the historical, pastoral character. The landscape committee toured Christ Church Cathedral’s sacred spaces. Through this, we learned about their landscape changes and maintenance. From there we created an inventory and analysis of the HBC property looking at lighting, parking, tree conditions, and current maintenance. This led us to create landscape zones consolidating areas of similar character. A final master plan was compiled and made into a video. The final master plan involved the following areas:

Restoring Landscapes
* Historical
* Ecological
* Meaningful

Creating Sacred Spaces
* Prayer Garden
* Courtyard
* Labyrinth

Installing New Plantings
* Tree plantings
* Lawn alternatives
* Sign/street landscaping

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This video takes one from the sidewalk through the landscape up to the deck overlooking the rear yard. The wall/fence combination allows for views while the earthen ramps transcend the various levels. The plantings around the perimeter maximize the flat play area.

John Pacyga with Verdant Design was a part of a recent radio broadcast discussing preparations for our changing weather on Louisville’s Public Radio. You can find the audio archive and written form at this link.