Philadelphia -- Lower Stonecliff

The hillside property comprises about two acres, half with house and gardens and half a conservation easement placed in 1999 by the Chestnut Hill Conservancy to protect open space next to the steep slopes of the Wissahickon Valley Park, a deep gorge that descends into Wissahickon Creek. The house was built in the 1970's on old stone walls left by the historic house that burned down. Two massive trees that remained, a sugar maple and a white oak, have been incorporated into gardens that have been continuously designed and planted since 2006. First gardens with perennials, shrubs and trees were planted in a ring around the house. Some trees had to be removed: sweet gum, ash, dogwood, pine, and crabapple that were either dying or in the wrong place. A shrub and perennial border was planted along the length of the driveway, with a rock channel to facilitate drainage. Plants include Virginia sweetspire (itea), spirea, abelia, hellebore, peony, limelight hydrangea, roses, daffodils, and iris, anchored by a crepe myrtle. The movement of water across the property, the slope of the land, and the food preferences of wildlife have been considered when planting each of the many perennial borders and more than 50 trees. A pool garden is shaded by a Japanese maple and contains hosta, rhododendron, deutzia, astilbe, Japanese ornamental grass (hakeonechloa), and Solomon's seal. Climbing hydrangeas provide a screen. A sunnier garden separated by a wall contains peony, caryopteris, weigela, bulbs, herbs, and a honeysuckle climbing on a fence. Arborvitae and heptacodium also were planted for screening. On one side of the house a border was planted with boxwood, fothergilla, hellebore, deutzia, and witch hazel, and there is a garden shed hidden behind a white pine. A bed defining the property line has some relocated original shrubs including ilex, hydrangea, deutzia, spirea, and amsonia. Coming down the hillside there is a perennial border with hydrangea, holly, bulbs, aurelia, forsythia, lespedeza, and spirea. Trees descending the hillside include dogwood, parrotia, linden, and river birch. A skip laurel hedge screens a secret garden with a hammock, fern and other woodland plants. Along the road there are trees planted for screening with underplanting and rock channels. A rain garden designed by the Philadelphia Water Department stretches along the road. There was extreme ponding from run-off, and now there is a garden of iris, sweetspire, amsonia, grasses, pussy willow, river birch and dogwood. The exterior ring of the property has spruce and river birch with daffodils, spirea, viburnum, peony, mountain mint, quince, nepeta, and chrysanthemum. There is a paved bocce court that helps mitigate run-off. More planting along the perimeter of the property includes dawn redwood, redbud, hawthorn, and a bed of deer-resistant sorbaria. Persons associated with the garden's design: Alice Farley (landscape architect, 2006); Leslie Purple (landscape designer, 2006); Jerry Fritz (landscape designer, 2008- ).