The view from the window of graphic designer Nancy Schoon’s second story office keeps getting better and better. Even though she had no previous gardening or landscaping experience, she’s making that happen, all by herself.

It’s year two of Nancy’s three-year landscaping project. She knew she wanted a new back yard, and she also knew she worked better under pressure, so she volunteered to be the “Before and After” Garden on the Miller Garden Club’s annual garden walk. Then, she started working, taking her inspiration from the stone fences in Ireland and England and English cottage gardens.

When she started, the view from that window featured a wonderful natural setting—four huge oak trees, abundant greenery, private open space—but also one railroad tie retaining wall, chunks of broken concrete and evidence that something must have been done with flagstone since there was so much of it.

So far, she’s built three levels of stone walls, two to three layers high. She’s laid two patios and a walkway, digging it all by hand. To do all of this, she moved flagstones, concrete pieces and pavers; sledgehammered concrete (great therapy, according to Nancy); and, hauled bags and bags of pea gravel and mulch. Over Memorial Day weekend alone, she moved some 200 pieces of stone/concrete, according to her calculations.

On the upper level of the gently sloping hill in her backyard, Nancy has created two areas: one for a table and chairs and another for a seating area—or maybe a fire pit. And, because the landscape has to be interesting from above (remember the second story window), there are mosaic stepping stones created from tile pieces and flagstone.

Because Nancy’s gardening space is more shade than sun, the color contributed by perennials is limited, so she uses paint—on flower pots, furniture and adjoining walls—and annuals to add the pop of color. Her color palette of periwinkle blue, moss green, burgundy and bright golden yellow livens up the space.

The use of a color palette is one of the techniques of the graphic designer that Nancy applied to this project. Another is the use of research. Recognizing that “so many people have done cool things,” she consults books, magazines and other gardeners, finding what she likes and figuring out how to adapt it for her situation. Another part of her process has been sitting at the Marquette Perk and talking things through with friends.

In the first two years of the project, Nancy’s focus has been on the hardscape. Although she’s added plants, experimenting with what would grow in her space and noticing what worked for others in the area, she wishes she’d been able to put more thought into plant choice and placement. But, after next year, she expects to be able to plant and enjoy.

And, don’t think that the only changes at Nancy’s property on Vanderburg have been in the back yard. Even before the Garden Club project, she added gray window boxes and shutters, a dark pink front door and a new bed to the front of the house. And, her plans for next year include a mosaic sidewalk, new front steps and a driveway.

Nancy’s story is one of artistry, hard work and creative re-use of materials. Her tiered backyard landscape is evidence that creating a usable space that’s both colorful and serene doesn’t take a big budget…although it might take a big sledgehammer and a lot of time.