Charlottesville -- Leslie Harris Garden

The Leslie Harris Garden is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. Established in 2014, the 0.8-acre property features a woodland garden with stream and fish pond. Approaching the house, five Hinoki False Cypress, (Chamaecyparis obtusa), a weeping ornamental cherry, two crab apple trees, and several Ilex crenata hedges are viewed on the east side of the front entrance. On the west side, a holly hedge (Ilex cornuta) lines a low stone wall that stretches the entire length of the house providing a backdrop to Azalea 'Girard's Pleasant White' and Hydrangea 'Little Lime.' Spring bulbs, self-sowing columbine (Aquilegia), Forget-Me-Not (Myosotis), and in summer Caladium complete the row of plants along the stone wall. A curving gravel path inlaid with flagstones connects the front door to the garage area. On either side of the path are perennials including Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium dubium 'Little Joe'), Echinacea purpurea, Rudbeckia maxima, Sedum Autumn Joy (Hylotelephium 'Herbstfreude'), various lilies, spring bulbs, fall asters, and Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle.' Nearby evergreens and trees are pruned in shapes of balls and lollipops. Around the back of the are walking trails through a woodland garden containing a variety of understory plants selected for their colorful waves of blooms throughout the growing season. A stream is fed by recirculating pump from a small fish pond 75 yards east of the spring house where the water flow begins. Adjacent to the pond is a small circular terrace bordered with Buxus 'Morris Dwarf.' A small kitchen garden adjacent to the house features cloches used to protect the plants from wildlife. Also nearby is a small knot garden created from boxwoods which the owner transplanted from her former Connecticut garden. Persons associated with the garden design include: Leslie Harris (designer and horticulturist, 2012- ), Tony Kline (water feature/Earth Tones Inc., 2016),a and Jon Heilbron (wall construction, 2016).

Tony Kline designed the waterfall and bridge.Jon Heilbrun designed the gate and wall.