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Stunning city garden, Park Slope

This garden in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was designed by super-chic Brook Klausing. No wonder then that it has such a neat, smart style. Brook explains to F&F readers how he designed such a sweet, colourful small space.

This garden design/installation included a modern terrace, complete backyard renovations and a front yard makeover. We created a usable space that mixes old with new, giving it an urban chic. With its dry-lay stone wall and multiple levels, this garden becomes a playground with lots of options for how the space is used. Blackened steel is used to create a thin retention wall that maximizes green space while adding a modern contrast to the other classic building blocks.

This garden came to me flat with the curved stairwell. We wanted privacy so I thought dropping the main sitting area down would be a great way to work with fence codes and not having to tall of a structure in the small back yard. The stone wall and pergola worked together to create balance and a nestle effect in the back corner opposite the main entry.

We were lucky enough to start with the great pink dogwood that we had to convince the clients to keep (all parties were very happy in the end). It provides a wonderful dropped canopy to the massive oak tree that sits in the next door. We wanted to match the 3rd floor deck design to the i-beam that holds the 2nd floor kitchen. We did this by mimicking the steel and rounding out the form of back of the house.

We have some wavy black mondo patches that move through the grass. We put a Pieris japonica and a cult leaf Japanese maple in those beds for some pop. Black bamboo is the back corner to offer height and then lots of other fun stuff in between.

You can visit Brook’s website here, and stand by for yet another gorgeous garden from his design practice next week.

To see even more beautiful gardens, visit our Real Gardens page.

12 Responses

  1. Gaz

    Wow, love it. Especially the Decked area.

    The sunken area with stone and the horizontal fencing really works well, gives a much more exotic feel especially with the planting.

    Reply
  2. Charlie b

    That Dogwood is stunning. Look forward to seeing the next garden. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  3. Leila

    Are those elephants ears in the dining area? they are stunning! Thinking of getting some for myself after seeing this…

    Reply
    • F&F

      Thanks Leila - yes they are Elephant’s ears, Colocasia esculenta. Very beautiful I agree.

      Reply
    • F&F

      Thanks Gaz - they are fab plants aren’t they? They tend to need a fair bit of water and feeding.

      Reply
  6. Pau Eke

    A bit too clinical for me.
    I would like to see more soft planting to give some warmth.

    Reply
  7. Danée

    I have adore your posts, and get giddy over the designs you post. I am currently morphing my tiny design firm in to a Restorative, Therapeutic and Healing garden design firm; hosting Horticulture Therapy workshops and private consulting on the side.
    Terms you are no doubt familiar with in the UK,but Western Canadian’s still give us an inquisitive stare followed by an eyebrow lift!
    I have been slowly ripping apart my website and writing my own blog based on my current recovery (bad ski accident). I can’t do much gardening so, I rely on your blogs to feed the longing. Your windowgrow blog has completely inspired me to get growing next to my recovery bed. And on the veranda my husband has set up for me. Thank you for taking the time to inspire.

    Reply
    • F&F

      Danée: thank you so much for your lovely comment. I get so much pleasure from running this blog and it really is a massive rush for me to hear someone else say they enjoy it too. Your garden design firm sounds very exciting: would love to hear more about it. And I really hope that your injury recovers very soon.

      Pau: Normally I’d agree with you as I love abundant planting too, but the way the dogwood dances across this space is just magic.

      Reply

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