Remembering Some of Our Furry Friends
Each time I interview for a new project, I ask folks numerous questions about their current and desired indoor and outdoor lifestyles. Understanding our clients’ needs extends far beyond hearing whether they like brick versus bluestone, or how many vehicles they plan to park in their driveway. In order to design something thoughtful and relevant to the dynamic rhythms of everyday life, I ask questions like: “Do you have children?” “Do you ever work from home?” “Are you a cook, and do you like to grow your own herbs and vegetables?” “Will you maintain your own property, or do you have a maintenance company?” All of these questions are important, but one of the most important questions I’ve learned to ask over the years is: “Do you have pets?” The responses to this question almost always trigger a warm smile and a lengthy discussion about much more than how people intend to use their yards…
This summer, we said goodbye to two of our favorite furry faces that have had a very strong presence in our landscapes over the years. “Jules,” a spectacular Burmese kitty, was the king of our Hastings Lane garden until this past June. He was an avid hunter, and upon any visit, you could always count on a series of very vocal “meows” to greet you to the front door. Then there is “Sedona,” one of the smartest and friendliest dogs I’ve ever known, who made her home right in the heart of our Belmont Hill garden. She was a spirited pup with boundless energy, and she would race from one side of the yard to the other, up steep slopes, over walls, and down staircases; for her the garden was a wondrous obstacle course where she could show off her acrobatic talents.
As MCLD nears its ten-year anniversary in mid-August, I have been filled with a strong sense of nostalgia, and have reflected a lot about the people we have worked with, and the places we have created. It’s an amazing and fulfilling experience to watch our gardens evolve and for our visions to mature, but most importantly, it is even more incredible to see our clients and their families happily settle into the context of their new landscapes. Learning to design pet-friendly spaces has proven to be as fulfilling as creating safe play areas for our clients’ children. We fondly look back at our furry friends from the past, and eagerly look forward to creating a whole new round of landscapes for the next generation of MCLD pets!