Last year Brooklyn-based textile designer Rebecca Atwood and her husband leapt at the opportunity to move into an apartment with a garden, albeit one that was so overgrown that “it was a bit of a jungle,” she says. “Summer was in full swing and the weeds had taken over.”
For Atwood, author of the book Living with Pattern, it was as important to layer colors, textures, and prints outdoors as in any other room of her home. Here’s how she achieved the goal with a garden makeover budget of about $3,000.
Photography by Tory Williams except where noted.
The basics: To save money, the couple did the initial cleanup themselves (with help from Atwood’s mother: “My mom is a master gardener, and she helped us figure out the plants we wanted to keep from the weeds.”).
Hardscape upgrades: Landscape design firm DiMastery leveled the backyard, laid sod, reused existing bluestone pavers to lay a path and patio for the grill, and spruced up a gravel patio with a layer of landscape fabric and new stones.
Final touches: The couple installed bamboo fencing against an existing wire fence for more privacy and purchased furniture to create an outdoor living room.
Before
After
N.B.: For more of our favorite Before & After garden projects, see:
- An “Ugly Duckling” Landscape Transformed, in NY’s Hudson Valley.
- A $5,000 Makeover in St. Augustine, Florida.
- Rehab Diary: A Year in the Life of a Brooklyn Garden.
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