Weigelia Rd: A Modern Transformation through Horticultural Resilience
The Weigelia Rd project, led by designer Humberto Dutra at Designed Landscapes by HP Dutra, was a comprehensive outdoor transformation intended to bridge the gap between a home's recent modern renovation and its exterior environment. The homeowners sought two distinct improvements: a clean, minimalist sanctuary surrounding their pool and a front yard update that would dramatically enhance curb appeal. To achieve this, the team used a language of "sculptural texture" in the front yard, creating raised mounds of slate chips and accent boulders, while integrating a dry creek bed as a key visual feature to manage drainage.
Bringing this vision to life required navigating significant setbacks, most notably a severe boxwood blight that decimated the initial plantings just two months after installation. Honoring their quality guarantee, Dutra's company replaced the material with disease-resistant 'Hetz Midget' Arborvitae, a choice that has since become a staple of their design philosophy for its superior resilience and clean aesthetic. Furthermore, when budget constraints made a full brick retaining wall for the play area impossible, the team engineered a clever hybrid solution: they utilized premium Bluestone for the primary stoop to match the pool deck and transitioned to Belgard block for the remainder of the wall, strategically placing the material switch outside the main line of sight.
The final result is a balanced, contemporary landscape defined by architectural plant structure. A living privacy screen of native Swamp Bay Magnolias and 'Screen Play' Hollies borders the property, while high-impact focal points like 'Bihou' and 'Seryu' Japanese Maples add seasonal brilliance to the pool area. By turning technical hurdles—from blight management to value engineering—into opportunities for design innovation, the team delivered a resilient and sophisticated urban retreat.
Judges' comments about this project
- We like how the turf intermixed with the hardscape by the pool, is it synthetic?
- Stong bold bedline on turf in back. Like the concept and execution of the blocks of hardscape around pool.
- Appreciate the use of arborvitae rather than boxwood - good choice.
Our journey began organically. As a plant biology college professor, I cultivated my own dream garden when I purchased my first home. Little did I know, my neighbors started admiring my garden and sought my help with their own yards. Word spread, and soon I found myself assisting more and more friends and acquaintances. It finally clicked that I had a natural talent for landscape design.
In 2015, I took my passion to the next level by obtaining a landscape design certificate from esteemed Emory University. As part of our coursework, we completed four impressive capstone projects.
This prompted me to establish Designed Landscapes that same year, and we’ve been flourishing ever since. Our secret to success is simple yet effective – we create custom gardens that prioritize personalization.
Fast forward to 2023 Emory invites me to teach Landscape Design. Moving forward, we are committed to delivering excellence in every project we undertake.
