Drawing upon the clients’ interest in Japanese landscapes, the ancient Japanese technique of Shakkei (or “Borrowed Landscape”) was applied to this contemporary garden terrace. Located within the tree-filled Annex of Toronto, distant views of the surrounding area were incorporated into the garden to become part of its design. The perimeter of the garden is lined with a wide variety of trees, whose structured placement frames and intensifies views of the Annex while simultaneously blending in with the landscape beyond. The diagonal stainless steel planters around the garden divide the 1200 square foot terrace into its programmatic functions such as entertaining, leisure, and cooking. They are filled with LiteTop® Growing Media, a specially blended mix of organic and mineral materials which helps the shrubs and perennials thrive and serve as a pollinator garden within the urban city.
