J. Montgomery Studio Garden

J. Montgomery Studio garden

Here at J. Montgomery, we are celebrating the 30 year anniversary of our Studio Garden! To us, it is so much more than just a beautiful landscape. We have played, worked, and sweated in every square inch of our outdoor paradise! (Sorry if that’s Too Much Information.) We invite you on a virtual time-travel tour of this landscape which is constantly evolving. Welcome to our garden!

How it Started… How it’s Going…

There’s nothing more satisfying than a before-and-after lineup, and when there’s a 30-year gap between the two photos, it’s even more incredible! We loved going back through these photos from 1992 showing the original yard. It sure has come a long way.

J. Montgomery front yard before and after

So, that was our curb appeal in 1992… The front entry is always a major spot for transformation. One of the first things we did was remove the monster shrubs that blocked the view of the home from the street. 30 years later, let’s just say it’s hard to recognize.

J. Montgomery backyard dining area before and after

Sometimes you have to start from scratch.  Such was the case with this existing concrete patio.  It just was not working for us in any way.  By replacing it with a warm-toned gravel we updated and softened our look, and created a space where we actually want to hang out.  We also planted a miniature woodland along the back fence, making the yard feel way more expansive than it is.  Our recent addition of the café lights makes for a sweet outdoor living space.

J. Montgomery side yard before and after

Well this is fun! When we first encountered our side yard, it was basically a jungle… and not in a fun way. We quickly removed most of these shrubs and cleaned the place up, but we actually didn’t complete this raised bocce court and meadow planting until a few years ago. We find that sometimes projects (and ideas) can take a long time to develop, and this area which used to be wasted space is a new favorite spot for us. Worth the wait, and the work.

Personalized (Quirky) Details

repurposed bedpost garden trellis

We create elegant landscapes every day, but we really enjoy a landscape with personality.  So when it comes to our own space, we like giving used objects a second life, in a classy way. Bedframe Trellis? Check. Weather Whale? Check. Bowling Ball Balustrades? Of course, check. What do you have in your garden?

J. Montgomery garden repurposed objects

DIY, But Keeping It Real

J. Montgomery contemporary landscape with DIY elements

We love a home improvement project. We love hardware stores and stone yards and thrifting rusted metal, and dragging things around outside until we feel they are in just the right place. In fact we love these things so much that we’ll proudly tell you every single detail we built in our highly DIY yard (dear neighbors, we think the welding hobby was a phase.) We will also tell you that this project has been and continues to be a lot of work. Especially for busy people like us, this kind of thing is 100% a labor of love. Oh, and the major earth-moving, rock-work, and fancy carpentry of our most recent phase? We absolutely hired professionals. Even we know when to call it a day!

DIY lighting installation in the J.Montgomery studio garden

That being said, we are always adding to the secret list of things we’re proud of. Whenever one of our weird ideas works, for instance. Or when we actually have the right tools for the job! We are also proud to have the real-world sense of what goes into construction and landscape maintenance, even on a small site. We always want to remember what goes into creating and maintaining the landscapes we design. Keeping it real, always.

We look forward to posting more Studio Garden updates this coming year, not to mention fun features on landscape construction from our oversight crew! Did you know we offer design plans for our DIY clients? If you want help designing your own home transformation, we are here to help.

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