by Laura Beitman

The Green Scene

August 2006 

 Leaning on her washing machine and holding a framed photograph in her hands, Liz Schumacher points to the "before" status of her Gulph Mills, PA property, where she and her husband Ralph moved in the late '60s.

A steep-looking slope with a few rudimentary walls, this one-acre uphill space - deemed "unsavable" and "unworkable" by neighbors- even turned off landscapers.  " I think they looked at us and said this is a lost cause," Schumacher recalls.  "It took us a long time".

 Today, However, the award-winning, multi-tiered garden is esteemed by many for its strong "bones."

"The term 'bones' means it has good structure," Schumacher explains, spanning the carefully planned expanse of stone walls, greenery and ornamentation. "The lines have to be strong because plants go every which way."

Schumacher's first move in creating a solid structure was to plant groundcovers and trees- a recommendation from a Swiss Landscaper who was apparently unfazed by hills.

"You have to think about tree shape and bark texture," says Schumacher, adding that gardeners should research what trees and other plants will look like year round.  Her garden includes Katsura , whose foliage turns an apricot color in the fall. "Most of the trees here have nice bark."

Schumacher then replaced the crumbling stone walls. Shrubs, stone staircases and even a purple jungle gym, first used by her children and now covered by her grandchildren, were also added to anchor the space.

 A view from the ground level barely does the garden justice. Multiple staircases lead visitors through six landings, including a stroll garden with skipping stones, a pond, a hammock area, and a tea house. Each space has its own carefully placed garden ornament.

"Garden art expresses your style," says Schumacher, who opened her own garden-ornament business Garden Accents, in West Conshohocken in 1979.  "The key is quality, not quantity. You get carried away with too many garden ornaments. You should use them in the context of garden design."

She says another way to create good bones is to take advantage of your site's views.  "My garden seems a lot bigger because of all the levels. I don't think you have this many areas of interest on a flat surface. I love looking through the garden to something beyond. That gives you depth and makes you want to explore the garden more."