“There’s so much love, work, forethought and planning that goes into John’s garden,” Ace said. The couple has lived in the Framingham area for decades. “But you really don’t get the full effect unless you’re in the right spot, which would happen to be right there.” He pointed to the back of their shingle style home. “That’s why we decided to have a back deck put on.”
Decks are popular with gardeners for several reasons. First and foremost, built in planters and flower boxes provide avid gardeners with more space to plant things – whether it’s favorite flowers, heirloom tomatoes, or fresh herbs for the kitchen.
Second, as Ace said, a well-designed deck can serve as a way to derive greater enjoyment from the family garden. By providing space for seating and dining, the deck also serves as a viewing platform: your family and guests can truly appreciate the beauty of the garden while they enjoy dinner and drinks with you.
The deck can also visually anchor and complement the garden. John and Ace chose a very dark charcoal gray composite decking, which is echoed in some of the garden furniture and an ornamental fence they have along their property line. This ties the garden design together beautifully, while serving as a neutral background for the vibrant, colorful flowerbeds John carefully nurtures.
“We also wanted some kind of storage solution built into our deck,” Ace explained. Because the couple’s lot slopes, there was a useful storage area available beneath the deck – now that it’s fitted out, they store the lawn mower, weed whacker, and other lawn tools there. Additional storage was provided in the built-in seating – the seats lift up to access the storage boxes below – as well as in the form of hose and tool hooks strategically positioned on corner posts.