Voltaire had it right when he said, “We must cultivate our own garden.” The philosopher encouraged people to tend to their own business. Now, the catchphrase from “Candide” could refer to self-care. Increasingly, it has a literal meaning. A report by Bigger Garden found that gardening is one of America’s most popular hobbies, with 55% of households actively gardening—more than 185 million people.
Homeowners have discovered the pleasure of a beautiful setting, and color is trending. “A lot of people want true gardens rather than just foundation plantings—even in the front yard,” says Erica Boston, founder of Binkley Horticulture Services. “They also want seasonal interest, whether with perennials or annuals.”
These five Delaware households prove Boston’s point.
Homeowners have discovered the pleasure of a beautiful setting, and color is trending.
Seasonal splendor
When Mike and Mardee Cool moved into their stately stone home on Kentmere Parkway, the yard was overgrown with weeds. “I think the front yard was a vegetable garden at some point,” Mike says. At their previous home in West Chester, they embraced the four seasons—and decided to do the same in Wilmington.
In spring, tulips bob under a row of birdhouses, a signature feature of Binkley Horticulture Services. “We have a ton of birds on the property, so it made sense,” Mike says. However, the birds are more likely to sit on [the birdhouses] than live in them, he adds.
Summer plantings are more subdued, since the family spends a great deal of time traveling. But leafy, tropical-looking canna lilies are still striking, and their foliage remains in fall, when Binkley plants mums and stacks white and orange pumpkins in bamboo teepees. During the holidays, the Cools have 6-to-8-foot illuminated Christmas trees and additional green, white, and red lights. “Nothing too crazy,” Mike says. “We’re more classic.”
It’s not unusual for the couple to see their home on Facebook. “People stop all the time and take pictures,” Mike says. Some capture the landscaping, while others pose before a display. Many are strangers, and that’s fine by the Cools, whose yard is a visual gift to the community.
Infinite oasis
Trips to Cabo and Greece ignited Lori and Chris Schell’s imagination when it came to backyard design. In Cabo, they were fascinated by the infinity pool, and in Greece, they appreciated the contrast of vibrant flowers against the buildings’ white stucco backdrop.
The result is the pool area that Chris designed to showcase the water views at their Dewey Beach home.
“We call it The Lookout because you can see the entire bay,” Lori says.
Rehoboth Bay boaters are undoubtedly taken by the half-moon-shaped infinity pool that Chris designed. Water flows over the edge into a similarly shaped basin and recirculates to the pool. (A barely visible angled ledge keeps swimmers from falling over the side.)
A deck large enough to hold two lounge chairs juts over the water. “The kids do cannonballs from it,” Lori says. Behind the deck is an upper-level open bar that seats 16. Four hot-tub seats also access the bar. The outdoor kitchen has a grill, an icemaker, and two fridges—everything but the dishwasher.
The outdoor “living room” is a comfortable spot for family and friends. “We use the [yard] to socialize with friends and for our children to do the same,” Lori says. The entire outdoor area has easy access to the kitchen, where many windows frame the view.
Hot-pink trailing azaleas, reminiscent of Caribbean bougainvillea, tumble from the second floor down to the patio. Palms, which clatter in the breeze, underscore the tropical theme.
The Schell family uses the house during the summer. Once it gets cold, they return to their Lewes home for the rest of the year. The limited time, the view, and the relaxing pool ensure that they never take The Lookout for granted.
Three’s company
Sabina and Joshua Javits know that good things come in threes. Their downtown Lewes home, built in 1857, has a trio of outdoor areas, moving from a lawn and patio to a koi pond to a pool.
“It’s a typical Lewes home in the sense that you look at the front, and it seems like it’s just the house, but the backyard goes way back,” Sabina says. “We use all the areas for different purposes.”
When they purchased the home, the gardens were overgrown, and boxwoods crowded the lawn close to the house. Landscape architect Christine Besche helped tame the foliage, and the boxwoods were removed.
Today, the brick patio adjacent to the screened porch gives guests a sweeping view of a verdant lawn framed by hydrangea. “If we have friends over for cocktails, we love to sit near the grass, and it’s a nice walk to the pond area,” Sabina says. Ferns, hosta, hellebores, hydrangea, euphorbia (spurge), and coral bells create a cottage ambience, while a lacy Japanese maple and small pagodas lend an Asian influence.
The pond and waterfall are a delightful interlude between the lawn and pool, which is accessed by a path with a grape-leaf canopy. Jets spout water from a stone wall into the free-form pool—the blue hue is a contrast to the heavy-headed Annabelle hydrangeas. “Even though I don’t swim a tremendous amount, the pool area is relaxing because of the sound of water,” Sabina says.
A red bench, plants, and the home’s trim colors combine to create the red, white, and blue color scheme. It’s a lot of upkeep, she acknowledges. “Chris has done a tremendous amount, and I’m trying to learn from her.” Both are on a mission to maintain the garden’s tradition.
Small yard, big impact
Mike Migliore grew up in Hockessin, but when he and his wife, Mercedes, decided to put down roots, they chose the Highlands neighborhood in Wilmington. “We wanted the walkability and everything this side of town has to offer,” Mike Migliore says. After marrying, the couple moved to Trolley Square but relocated to their current twin after deciding to start a family. The brick façade and inviting front porch were too hard to resist, they remember.
Over the next two decades, the Migliores raised three children and renovated the home, including building an addition. Although small, the yard needed attention. The plantings around the Trolley Square Brew HaHa! inspired Migliore. “They were amazing,” he exclaims. “Who did these?” One day, he spotted the Binkley Horticulture Services truck and devised a plan.
Binkley swapped out seasonal displays anchored by boxwoods in a courtyard-like area leading to the porch steps. Another fixture is a large urn arising from a froth of lime-green foliage.
In spring, the sidewalk beds burst with lavender and pale-pink tulips and purple and yellow pansies. While the tulips could remain, they often get smaller each year, Boston notes. So her team replaces spent bulbs with fresh ones.
The couple and passersby enjoy the profusion of color from the family’s front porch. “I wish I could take the credit, but Erica is the one doing all the work,” Migliore notes.
At one point, the couple considered moving. Their children—all still at home at that time—quickly nixed the idea. “That was the end of that conversation,” Migliore says. And thanks to the seasonal splendor in their front and backyards, the idea is not likely to come up again.
Blurred lines
There’s little doubt that nature influenced Dave and Amy Geiger’s home off Route 52 in Wilmington, which was built by Joseph Marra of Marra Homes. Consider the façade, made of mica schist and Wilmington blue granite, as well as the brick accents and striking wood beams. The property would be just as fitting among evergreens in Colorado.
Landscape architect Dave Mull of DiSabatino Landscaping was tasked with maintaining that sensibility in the outdoor living areas. Fortunately, the house was under construction, so Mull could study the home plans to ensure a seamless transition. “I knew the kitchen, office, and primary bedroom all looked out onto this backyard, and I sought to design the spaces and the landscaping around them to draw the residents outside,” he explains.
The project, which took six months to complete, included creating an outdoor family room with a fireplace; an outdoor kitchen and serving bar; and a firepit patio with a spa, water garden, and fishpond.
“It’s comfortable to hang out there and watch TV,” Dave Geiger says. “It’s pretty much three seasons.” Ceiling fans hanging from the cedar-stained wood move air throughout the outdoor living area, which also has ceiling-mounted heaters. The gas firepit is a “cozy conversation nook on chilly evenings,” Mull says.
Regardless of the location, guests and residents can hear the gurgling waterfall, made from small boulders for a mountain-stream effect. Plantings include black-eyed Susan, joe-pye weed, royal standard hosta, a dwarf butterfly bush, catmint, feather reed grass, and crape myrtle.
If butterflies and bees could put the word out, they’d whisper that this Greenville home is the place to be—and most any human would agree.
