Compact Details, Big Impact

There may not be an outdoor kitchen and an in-ground swimming pool in Jen Witt’s Ted Lare-designed backyard. But the area is every bit as showy and wonderfully imaginative.

“I chose to go with the company because of their reputation, not having any idea if they even worked on smaller projects. I told them I was pretty small potatoes on even asking,” says Jen, an oncology nurse navigator at John Stoddard Cancer Center. She found out the answer: Yes, of course!

Jen and her son, Abram, age 14, live in a Beaverdale brick home. Her husband, Colin Witt, a juvenile court judge, passed away in February 2020. He is still very much a part of the remodeling she has done with their home to turn it into a healing and quiet space.

FRONT YARD

She worked with Dustin Goering and his team from Ted Lare Design + Build. The firm first revamped the front yard, making it cottage-y and softer looking. Goering created a natural flow with old-fashioned flowers. He used lilies, coneflowers, roses, and peonies, all among Jen’s favorites. Jen added colorful wooden peace and friendship poles to add personality.

To help pay for the new look, Jen applied for an Invest DSM grant, a neighborhood enhancement for homeowners to use for upgrading their space. Homeowners have used their grants for projects such as siding, windows, refinishing floors, and landscaping projects.

Goering says the backyard space measures about 60 by 30 feet. The Witts had added a small deck off the dining room, and a friend created a small pergola. To add flair and interest, Goering took a curvilinear approach. Small yards are often square in nature, so incorporating curves and perfect circles with the sidewalk and bed lines really strengthens the overall layout, he says.

Goering removed an old mulberry tree and added an upright serviceberry, which also acts as a screen and helps with scale between the house and garage. A Japanese maple is an accent planting between the house and a hydrangea planting. Old neighborhoods have old trees to deal with. Some years back a huge maple tree, a showpiece in the front yard, was toppled in the derecho. That opened up the space for an all-sunny front yard.

ADDED DETAILS

“I love the attention to detail,” Jen points out. “I let the designers do their own thing because I respect what they do. It’s magic.”

The small space offers plenty of room for seating, which includes four chairs at the deck table and four Adirondack chairs at the fire pit.

The variety of plants is just enough to have an impact—double knockout roses, daisies, coreopsis, and boxwoods. Big, showy hosta fill in for drama. Vibrant colors in the backyard garden such as deep pink and purple really pop when planted with foliage plants like boxwoods.

“Just because a possible garden space is small does not mean it can’t be as exciting as larger gardens,” Goering says. Typically, smaller garden areas require more creativity. They must include many of the same things as a large garden but in a much smaller footprint. Packing in elements such as blooming plants with their foliage, colors, and textures; circulation routes and spaces for activities; and privacy concerns can be challenging but very rewarding when done successfully.

The first step as with any remodeling project is to connect and speak to one of the designers. “Then we discuss your vision for the space and collect the vital information from you and the site. Our goal is to expand your ideas and really push the boundaries so we can create a plan that not only checks the boxes we want to fill but makes you the envy of the neighborhood,” Goering says.

“Jen spends time in her garden. She really takes full ownership of her landscape, which is refreshing to see,” says Goering. He says the garden is her sanctuary. “She does a great job.”

PERFECT FOR BEAVERDALE

“All this is perfect for a small Beaverdale garden,” Jen explains. She is one of the area’s cheerleaders when it comes to her community within a community. She relishes telling of her neighbors who have become family. She loves collecting old pieces to furnish the home. And she loves the homes that predominate in the area—the brick homes with galley kitchens and often two fireplaces. Starting in 1938 local contractor E.T. McMurray built many of the homes.

Beaverdale is one of the largest neighborhoods in Des Moines. According to Wikipedia, the Fort Dodge Stage Road was renamed Beaver Avenue in 1903. The entire northwest area was known as Urbandale before 1917, when the adjacent land was legally annexed by the adjacent village. Not long after that, Beaverdale residents officially took the name as their own. Then more of the cozy homes were built.

“I love driving through our area. And my son says he loves growing up here,” his proud mom says.

“Overall,” says Goering, “this was one of my favorite projects of last year. It is a unique space, and it all came together beautifully.” •