Custom Garden Design: Stunning Corten Garden

Client Projects

Apr 19

Written By

Stunning Corten Garden

If "Corten garden" is a new term for you, I'm so excited to introduce this beautiful option for raised-bed gardening. The Montes family chose a Corten garden not only because the steel has a gorgeous patina, but also because it's built to last a lifetime.

When we met the Montes family, Alex was working with a raised-bed border garden that just wasn’t suiting her. The garden was 4’ deep and against a fence, making upkeep and harvest difficult. So this installation process really started with a removal.

Tip: A good rule of thumb is to keep border gardens no larger than 2’-3’ deep so that you can easily reach every plant in your garden!

We removed the existing border garden structure and installed a beautiful, easily accessed, abundant kitchen garden to fulfill this family’s needs.

Client: Mark, Alex, & Elaina in Highland Park, Illinois

Custom Garden Design:

Two L-shaped Corten steel beds
A custom-made arch designed to match the architecture of the home
Blue Shadow stone filled walkways to match the home's existing landscaping tiles

Tip: The Corten garden beds will patina in the weather and turn a beautiful rusty color. Blue Shadow stone in the walkways will beautifully offset the rusted color of the Corten garden beds.

Garden Installation Process:

We decided to put in an all-new set up for this family garden to keep it in style with their home. Moving away from the fence, we decided the most convenient placement was right off the patio and grill area, making it super easy to grab fresh produce to prepare meals. Also, it adds a visually appealing detail to the backyard landscaping.

Corten Garden Highlights:

Mark loves kale in everything, and we created a space specifically for a smoothie garden to provide fresh produce for his morning smoothies. And we left the option open to add a matching garden on the other side of the patio!