Beacon Garden

Beacon Garden, view of office from rain garden through serviceberries. Photo by Thomas Moore

A serene, secluded garden in Beacon, New York incorporates a rain garden into a minimalist hardscape and plant palette for year-round visual interest, wildlife habitat, and rainwater collection. The rain garden collects surface runoff from the main residence, and rainwater daylights through a gap in the drystack stone wall as an ephemeral water feature. Five serviceberry trees within the rain garden provide seasonal interest, wildlife habitat, and edible berries in June. The small office “shed” nestles into the landscape overlooking the rain garden. A custom-designed modular horizontal fence creates a feeling of privacy and sanctuary, and is an elegant backdrop for the stone walls, pea gravel, and minimalist plant palette of trees and ornamental grasses.