Tour a Romantic Farmhouse Garden and Bocce Court in Illinois
A landscape design gives new life to farm ruins while respecting the history of the site
A countryside escape, complete with a renovated farmhouse and surrounding property, is the stuff of daydreams for city dwellers longing for a quieter life. When Rick and Lisa Moser found a picturesque historic farm — which included a farmhouse built in 1856, various outbuildings and acres of rolling fields and woodland — they were ready to turn that dream into a reality.
Discover how they transformed the tumbled-down ruin of a dairy barn, one special area of the farm, into an inviting walled garden space with a bocce court and wisteria-covered seating area.
Discover how they transformed the tumbled-down ruin of a dairy barn, one special area of the farm, into an inviting walled garden space with a bocce court and wisteria-covered seating area.
Before. The site of the old dairy barn ruin, situated down a slope from the main house, was one area the Mosers saw as filled with design potential. The dairy had burned down in a fire decades ago and all that remained were three concrete walls from the barn, a run-down wooden shed and a towering concrete grain silo.
The inspiration for repurposing the ruin came from Moser’s brother-in-law, who was visiting shortly after the couple purchased the farm. “He looked down into this ruin from the edge of the hillside,” Moser says, “and observed, ‘You could put a bocce court down there!’ That idea stuck.”
After. The Mosers worked with the Greenhaven Landscapes team to redesign and rebuild the space, creating a garden within the remaining walls of the dairy. “We tried to work with and showcase what was left of the existing dairy barn structure as much as possible to honor the history of the farm,” says designer Jennifer Hoxsie.
The Greenhaven Landscapes team also added a bocce court and covered seating area, built trellises to support vines along the reinforced walls and rebuilt the falling-down wooden shed. The existing concrete grain silo still stands in the background.
The Greenhaven Landscapes team also added a bocce court and covered seating area, built trellises to support vines along the reinforced walls and rebuilt the falling-down wooden shed. The existing concrete grain silo still stands in the background.
“We kept the burnt wood around the existing doorway and windows intact,” Hoxsie says. “It was a balancing act of wanting to create an inviting, finished space while embracing the aged, imperfect character of the site.” The new wood of the cedar pergola and trellising was left unstained so that, as the wood weathers, the new structures would begin to blend in with the space’s rustic character.
Backyard lounge. Hoxsie and her team constructed a cedar pergola measuring about 20 feet wide and 7 feet deep to frame and shade the new seating area.
They planted vines of ‘Amethyst Falls’ American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, USDA zones 5 to 9; find your zone) to ramble up the front posts of the pergola and eventually shade the seating area. Edible ‘Concord’ grapes (Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’, zones 5 to 8) cover the cedar trellises on either side of the pergola.
The trellis panel behind the seating area (the one with no vines growing on it) can be removed to access the base of the silo, if necessary.
Chairs and sofa: Frontgate; wooden coffee table: Custom-made from a shed door by Lynch Construction
They planted vines of ‘Amethyst Falls’ American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, USDA zones 5 to 9; find your zone) to ramble up the front posts of the pergola and eventually shade the seating area. Edible ‘Concord’ grapes (Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’, zones 5 to 8) cover the cedar trellises on either side of the pergola.
The trellis panel behind the seating area (the one with no vines growing on it) can be removed to access the base of the silo, if necessary.
Chairs and sofa: Frontgate; wooden coffee table: Custom-made from a shed door by Lynch Construction
Bocce court. The bocce court, framed by in-ground landscape timbers, measures 40 feet long and 9 feet wide and is finished with crushed oyster shell. A custom-made cedar bench topping the newly added retaining wall provides additional seating for bocce ball observers. Pea gravel surrounds the court and covers pathways.
What to Know About Adding a Backyard Bocce Ball Court
What to Know About Adding a Backyard Bocce Ball Court
Plants. Hoxsie selected plants in order to have something in bloom from May to September, when the Mosers use the walled garden space. Her team planted layers of flowering trees, shrubs, perennials and vines, including:
- ‘Magnus’ purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’, zones 3 to 9)
- Climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris, zones 4 to 8)
- ‘Little Spire’ Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia ‘Little Spire’, zones 5 to 9)
- ‘Millenium’ ornamental onion (Allium ‘Millenium’, zones 5 to 8)
- ‘Walker’s Low’ catmint (Nepeta x faassenii ‘Walker’s Low’, zones 3 to 8)
There isn’t anything inside the concrete grain silo, but Moser says he and his wife occasionally talk about building a spiral stair inside of it leading up to an observation deck at the top. For now, it acts as a dramatic backdrop for the bocce court and a reminder of the property’s agrarian history.
The Mosers use the newly refurbished shed for storage but have considered converting it into a guest cottage or studio.
The Mosers use the newly refurbished shed for storage but have considered converting it into a guest cottage or studio.
In the evening, a combination of exterior lights softly illuminates the space and allows the stairs leading down to the walled garden to be safely navigated after dark. Lighting includes uplights, path lights and wall washes, sourced from Philips Hadco, and sconces and Edison lights, provided by the Mosers.
Subtle Lighting Creates a Glowing Landscape | See more outdoor lights
Subtle Lighting Creates a Glowing Landscape | See more outdoor lights
Given that the walled garden resides down a slope, out of view from the main house, there’s a surprise factor for first-time visitors to the space and a pleasant anticipation for the homeowners. The stone steps wind down through a dell leading to the entrance. “There’s a real secret garden feel to it,” Moser says, “a special kind of anticipation every time you go down there.”
Concrete retaining wall construction: A-1 Contractors
Pergola, trellises and bench design and construction: Craiger Custom Design
Irrigation: Naturescape Design
Electrical and lighting: Lightscape
Home builder and heavy landscape construction: Lynch Construction
More
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The Artful Garden: Secluded Seating
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Pergola, trellises and bench design and construction: Craiger Custom Design
Irrigation: Naturescape Design
Electrical and lighting: Lightscape
Home builder and heavy landscape construction: Lynch Construction
More
Peek Inside 12 Romantic Courtyards and Walled Gardens
The Artful Garden: Secluded Seating
Find a landscape design professional
Yard at a Glance
Who lives here: Rick and Lisa Moser, their two dogs, Millie and Annie, and about 20 chickens
Location: Old Mill Creek, Illinois (about 48 miles north of Chicago)
Size: About 1/10 acre (405 square meters)
Designer: David and Jennifer Hoxsie of Greenhaven Landscapes
Maintaining the integrity of the farm’s history was a goal from the start. “We bought the property because we loved it for what it was,” homeowner Rick Moser says. “We wanted to honor its history while bringing some things up to date and realizing some new potential for it as well.”
After spending a little over a year working on the house restoration, the Mosers turned their attention to the overgrown garden. They first hired Craig Bergmann Landscape Design to do a master plan of the property and initial plantings around the home. Then, Greenhaven Landscapes came on board to tackle other areas of the grounds, including the bocce court and seating area.