BLANKENSHIP

This architecturally stunning turn-of-the-century residence on Capital Hill was in need of a long over-due facelift.   The primary challenge in this project was to find brick for the wall that would match the brick on the house. The house incorporated Klinker brick in the Flemish bond.   Klinker bricks were throwaway bricks, bricks that had overheated and were gnarled and glazed. They became popular in the early 1900's and are now very hard to find.   We finally located them through a mason-friend-of-a-construction-friend-of-a-construction-friend. A mortar-set bluestone path leads to the front entrance of the house, and less formal flagstone paths lead from both sides. The wall meanders around the primary bed, which focuses on scent and texture plantings, and is capped with local, 3-1/2" Wilkenson sandstone to match the sills on the house. The plantings are Euro-Mediterranean inspired, and incorporate Japanese holly border hedge, Italian cypress, Heuchera, flax and Acanthus Mollis.

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