Only two plants existed in the backyard when Bob and Katie Sanstead bought their Marietta cottage four years ago. The rest of the yard basically served as a dog pen.
The transplants from Tampa, Fla., have transformed the property, which only had a lacecap hydrangea and a variegated hosta, into a fairy-tale garden designed for themselves and their granddaughters, Lina, 5, and Madi, 4, to enjoy.
“I at first was a little intimidated in the fact that the yard only had two plants,” Katie said. “Then I thought, ‘Well, this is a good thing because I can design it and it could be what I’d like.’ I’m a retired interior decorator. To me, this is just exterior decorating.”
She completed one section at a time in the garden, which is on the Cobb County Master Gardeners 2013 "Through the Garden Gate Tour" on May 11. Tickets for the tour, which runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour (cobbmastergardeners.org).
Snapshot
Residents: Bob and Katie Sanstead
Location: Marietta
Size: Three bedrooms, two baths
Year built: 1940
Year bought: 2009
Architectural style: English cottage. After the couple retired in 2000, they traveled extensively in Europe, and this became one of their favorite styles. "We have a real love and appreciation of anything old," Katie said.
Favorite architectural features: The whitewashed brick on the exterior and the leaded glass window in the foyer. The floors are original to the home, and other special features include glass doorknobs.
Renovations: A chain-link fence was removed, and the Sansteads added a granite circular driveway lined in cobblestone and walkways bordered by annuals, flowering shrubs and trees. Inside, they gutted the kitchen and bathroom but tried to keep the home historically correct by using black-and-white tile and black cabinetry in the bathrooms. The kitchen has the original wood floor and white wood cabinets. All the floors downstairs are original to the home. They finished the attic as well. "My husband went to great pains to match all of the woodwork exactly to the downstairs," Katie said. "It looks identical to the downstairs."
Garden's theme: English-style garden with a fairy-tale theme. The garden also reflects Katie's Celtic heritage as well as gardens the couple viewed during travels to Ireland, England and Scotland.
Kid-friendly features: "I would like to teach my granddaughters about nature and about gardening; to be able to identify the plants and the trees. I wished they would have an appreciation of Mother Nature and the seasons and the cycles of life," Katie said. The girls often wander along stone pathways, with little baskets and lanterns in hand. The property also has a fire pit for roasting marshmallows and a potter's shed that also serves as a playhouse and studio for Katie, who creates nature and garden-inspired wreaths and floral arrangements.
Hands-on touches: Bob built the arbor, the stands for the birdhouses and the latticework for the clematis armandii growing on the side of the potter's shed.
Tip: If you're new to gardening or the area, Katie recommends walking through your neighborhood to see what plants work well in the setting. Katie, a master gardener, also recommends taking classes at facilities such as the Marietta Educational Garden Center and local nurseries.
