Forty years ago, Ellen Goldfarb’s New Jersey front yard was a flat stretch of lawn framed by a few foundation shrubs. Today, it features a terraced garden of Japanese maples, hydrangeas, and boxwoods designed to handle both the slope and local wildlife.
From lawn to layered garden
The property spans 56 feet wide by 35 feet deep. A curving, one-foot-tall stone wall now divides the space into three terraces, managing the grade. Goldfarb removed the original yews, rhododendrons, and Japanese pieris, swapping them for flowering shrubs and perennials that also showcase her garden-design business, What’s Blooming?.
The design appears as organized chaos. Evergreens like Korean boxwood and deodar cedar provide structure, while chartreuse-foliaged plants such as hakonechloa serve as accents. Goldfarb notes that the bright hue makes surrounding plants stand out.
Pruned standards and varied textures ensure the stone wall remains visible even when plants are in full bloom. The layout avoids overwhelming any single element.
Deer-resistant plants take center stage
Goldfarb’s early plant selections didn’t consider deer. Over time, she identified species that could endure browsing. Boxwood, juniper, and cherry laurel held up reliably. Bigleaf hydrangeas and roses like those in the Drift series also performed well.
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Some years bring worse damage. Last year, a doe and her fawns ate plants they usually ignored, including black-eyed Susans and heleniums.
Goldfarb’s preferred deer-resistant flowers include:
- Helenium: Long-blooming perennials with daisy-like flowers in yellow, orange, or red. They tolerate heavy soil and thrive in USDA zones 3–9.
- Calamint: The ‘Montrose White’ variety stays low and blooms from late spring through frost, hardy in zones 5–9.
- Allium ‘Millenium’: Purple globe-shaped flowers appear, followed by dried seedheads. It reaches 12–18 inches tall in zones 4–8.
- Angelonia: Spiky, everblooming flowers come in white, purple, pink, or raspberry. Typically grown as an annual, it’s hardy in zones 9–11.
- Salvia: Tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and come in blue, purple, white, red, or pink. Best in zones 7–11.
- Lantana: Nonstop blooms in white, yellow, pink, purple, red, or orange. Hardy in zones 9–11.
The garden now functions as both a private retreat and a demonstration of her work. The terraces, originally a practical fix for the slope, have become a stage where plants thrive while deterring deer.
Goldfarb’s approach highlights how bright foliage can enhance a setting without sacrificing resilience.
