Doug Childers/Homes Correspondent
Editor’s note: This is an installment in the “Great Homes of Richmond” series.
Forty years ago, Barbie Such and her husband decided to sell their home in South Richmond’s Woodland Heights neighborhood and find something a little better suited for their young family.
“We had converted the full basem*nt of the Woodland Heights house into livable space, but we needed more space and a different configuration,” Such said.
They didn’t move far, though.
The family’s new home – a striking Craftsman-style property built in 1927 – was only a couple miles to the west, in the River Hill neighborhood. The graciously scaled rooms with their rich architectural detailing were the perfect settings for the family’s mix of Danish Modern furniture and family antiques.
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But the front and rear gardens needed work.
“It had the bare-minimum landscaping with a chain-link fence around the backyard,” Such said.
Among the few substantial plantings were two large trees that filled the center of the backyard.
With help from her brother, Georgia-based landscape architect John Phipps, Such produced a landscape plan that allowed her to undertake the massive makeover in stages.
“We planned the yard contours, the hardscape plans and the planting design,” Such said. “And we implemented the plans as we were able and as it was appropriate for the needs of our family.”
Over time, for instance, she replaced a small brick patio with a concrete aggregate one in the backyard, as well as replacing narrow sidewalks in the front yard and backyard with concrete aggregate ones.
“I wanted a patio that was large enough for children to ride their Big Wheels on and for two or three families to gather for a cookout,” Such said.
Other projects included constructing a stucco wall around the backyard with an iron gate leading to the alley and building a short brick wall with an iron gate between the front and rear yards.
Such also installed two large metal sculptures by local artist and family friend Dick Cossitt in the backyard. One piece – “Sails” – stands next to the iron gate that leads to the front yard. The other – “Medallion” – hangs on the wall of the property’s original, stucco-clad garage.
“The sculptures make the garden so much more interesting because they contrast with the plants and give the space texture and dimension,” Such said.
Some of the garden’s details have changed over the course of four decades, of course. A water feature replaced a built-in sandbox on the patio, and a fishpond replaced a swing set near the back of the property, for example.
The mix of plantings has shifted over time, as well.
“You and your yard have a relationship, and it’s fun to explore the various idiosyncrasies, just like any other relationship,” Such said.
She is now focusing on plantings that are pollinator-friendly and native to the area.
Overall, though, the landscaping is remarkably close to the plan Such and her brother drew up 40 years ago.
“Our original plan has not changed, and we continue to enjoy its versatility and the feeling of spaciousness it gives to a city yard that’s really not that large,” Such said. “Functionality and beauty have really been the focus of all the projects.”
On tour
Want to see Such’s gardens in person? You’re in luck. They will be featured on April 24 during Historic Garden Week in Virginia, along with the interiors and gardens of five other River Hill properties.
Joining Such’s gardens will be a Federal-style cottage and a Colonial Revival-style home, both built in 1927; a brick-and-slate Georgian built in 1935; a classic Cape Cod built in 1938; and a steel-and-glass Contemporary that underwent a striking transformation in the 1980s.
The Council of Historic Richmond, which partners with the Garden Club of Virginia and the four Richmond garden clubs for the event, organized the walking tour of River Hill.
For more information: Online tickets are available at www.vagardenweek.org. Proceeds will benefit ongoing restoration and preservation of Virginia’s most iconic public gardens and landscapes, as well as Historic Richmond’s mission-based activities, which include educational programs on rehabilitation and revitalization and preservation efforts in the city’s historic neighborhoods and districts.
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