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Garden Project: Ballard Park Gardens - Ridgefield, CT
These public gardens are located in Ballard Park, a beloved green space in Ridgefield’s bucolic village center. The site has a rich and storied history dating back to the 1700s and is now managed by the Town of Ridgefield in collaboration with two local garden clubs. In addition to the formal parterre and memorial gardens, the Park features a historic Lord and Burnham greenhouse, a wrought iron pergola designed by Fletcher Steele, a beautiful lawn spotted with specimen trees and shrubs, and a playground.
In 2018, we were approached by the Ridgefield Garden Club for help in rejuvenating the gardens. We were tasked with honoring the original historic design while bringing it into a new era of environmental sustainability. We retained the existing footprint of the gardens while introducing a much broader range of plant species, including pollinator-friendly and native plants. Great care was taken to enhance rhythm, balance, and four-season interest. Visitors to the garden will find nearly 150 different species of plants, showcasing a graceful transition of cool blues and whites at the south end of the garden to warmer hues at the north.
Landscape Design Company
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We loved working with Svendsen & Keller. They are professionally trained landscape designers and are very knowledgeable about a wide range of plants. I asked for a native, low maintenance planting that would be attractive to pollinators and birds—and they delivered. Monarch butterflies have stopped to feed and birds dive down from the trees. It is just beautiful to watch.
Svendsen & Keller are fantastic. They listened to what my vision and with their expertise they made it come to life. They created a gorgeous garden that fit the landscape to perfection. The gardens are constantly changing their pallet! The company was professional and always quickly responded to my questions and needs. The photos do not do the garden justice. I look forward to working on more gardens with them.
We have been so fortunate to engage Ilsa and Joe for their knowledge and expertise. I actually can’t remember when we first started this journey, but they have been endlessly patient with our musings, and ultimately executed a plan that is realistic, practical and within our budget. Over the years we have witnessed the transformation of our property to a beautiful palette populated with native low maintenance trees and plantings that we enjoy throughout the seasons. And complete with a delightful woodland path that meanders through a peaceful shaded garden. Our garden is filled with honey bees, butterflies and birds, and even a family of rabbits!