Mercer Island Secret Garden

The Mercer Island Garden transforms a client’s underutilized lawn space into an urban farm and a native habitat garden per their goals of creating both a productive and ecological space. To unite these two distinct schemes, consistent materials and edible perennials plantings are used throughout the garden. The southern edible garden is defined by a basalt retaining wall which creates a large, level production space divided by pathways into four beds. Edible and beneficial perennials are placed at the outer edges of the raised garden, allowing regular crop rotation of edible annuals within the 4’ x 12’ beds. Functionally, this design enables peak productivity for the edible garden by maximizing the square footage of garden beds within the area of prime sun exposure. Aesthetically, the layout uses large gestures to create a consistent flow through the garden, linking it to the Northwest native plantings above. The northern perennial garden showcases native plants with a variety of fruits, flowers, textures, and colors to create a dynamic environment year round. The outer loop of the garden incorporates beneficial flowers near fruiting shrubs, and small pockets provide this homeowner with the opportunity for a floral cutting garden. Hilary Dahl