7 minute read
Design Stars
Both pages: Sedum grows well among the stonework at this Goodrich home on Shinanguag Lake, says landscape designer Ryan Youngblood.
Water and Wonderment
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Ryan Youngblood finds ways to blend optimal water views with creative landscaping
By Jeanine Matlow | Photography by Jeff Garland
G rowing up near Rochester, Ryan Youngblood, president of R. Youngblood & Co. in Rochester, a landscape architecture and design/build firm, wasted no time going after his passion; in fact, he started his company when he was a junior in high school.
“I always had a love for plants, (and) that grew into a love for well-designed outdoor spaces,” says Youngblood, who has a degree in landscape horticulture from Oakland Community College.
Although he began on the garden care side of the business, he eventually followed his desire to pursue design — like the upscale residential projects he specializes in today. “We create a landscape at a much higher level that’s customized to the client, and we’re extremely passionate about what we do,” he says.
His firm, which has been in business for 24 years, handles everything from smaller lots and midsize properties to large estates. “It’s not about the size of the property, but how the client wants to interact with it by having a properly designed space to enhance their lifestyle,” Youngblood says.
“We get to know the lifestyle of each individual and understand the site, (so we can get to) the perfect blend of personality, lifestyle, and architecture to incorporate a landscape that becomes a true inside/out piece,” he adds.
With waterfront homes, Youngblood says the view is already there. “You need to understand every view from the inside out. In Michigan, we’re inside (a lot), so you need to find (outdoor perspectives from indoors) that offer magic, and then leverage that. We like to call them sweet spots,” he explains.
Key plants in his designs include hydrangeas, perennials, and grasses in mass.
“You can easily overdesign a lakefront property,” he says. “You have to know how to (determine) the best use of space in the right spots, so you enjoy every second of being out there, letting the lake be about what it already is, and enhancing those views.”
MORE INFORMATION ryoungblood.com
DESIGN STAR’S SECRET
“We try to work with blues, white, and purples with our lakefront homes,” R. Youngblood & Co. owner Ryan Youngblood says. “These color tones are calm enough to not distract the eye too much from the grand view — the lake itself.”
— JM
LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN
Ryan Youngblood’s favorite body of water is the Au Sable River, where he carries out his passion for fly fishing. “I’ve experienced my most favorite moments in the quietness and stillness of what a river brings,” Youngblood says. “It brings me mental pause.”
He also loves the Manistee River, where his family has a cabin, but says, “My favorite lake is Lake Michigan, where my family and I find quiet little beaches and enjoy the ocean-like views and big-water swims. It’s such a large body of water. You just can’t find that beauty anywhere else. I love how Lake Michigan makes you feel so small; it humbles you.”
— JM
This page: Waterfront landscaping by R. Youngblood & Co. of Rochester makes the most of great views at a home on a pond in Metamora (top two photos) and in Goodrich.
Both pages, clockwise from
right: Verbena and zinnias, and limelight hydrangeas, all do well on Mackinac, says the gardens’ designer, Jack Barnwell.
Garden Guru
Jack Barnwell, a multifaceted, homegrown talent, elevates outdoor spaces nationwide
A ward-winning landscape architect and author Jack Barnwell could be considered a triple threat — he’s president of Barnwell Landscape & Garden Inc. on Mackinac Island, and also owns C3 Gardens in Naples, Fla., and Jack Barnwell Design, based in Traverse City.
He took a liking to the “green industry” while growing up in Harbor Springs, where he worked at a greenhouse. “In high school, I was always drawn to gardening and being outside,” Barnwell says. Later, as a college student, he studied horticulture and landscape design. He attended the University of Hawaii, where he worked on a variety of landscaping jobs before moving back to the lower 48 to finish college at the University of Montana (where he met his future wife).
Eventually, the couple returned to Michigan. “It was just me and my bicycle and a bunch of hand-me-down rusty tools, but I knew how to make a beautiful garden,” he says. He started his business by taking care of his family’s and friends’ gardens, and word spread. Today, his commercial and residential work shines on Mackinac Island, rooted in the classic Victorian look he understands well, thanks to spending summers there growing up and becoming passionate about the history of that design style. In addition to his work with landscapes and lighting, Barnwell created the patented AquaPots premium ceramic selfwatering planters. They’re absolutely a benefit for the island’s weekend residents, who can water their porch pot on Sunday before heading back to the mainland, and return to find a lush and healthy plant.
Living so close to the water, Barnwell says you have to pay tremendous respect to Mother Nature and the elements. He also recommends blending in with the natural environment as much as possible. In a dune-like setting, that could mean planting native grasses, with roses and hydrangea closer to the home for more color and detail. (The hydrangea photo at right is from Barnwell’s book, “The Gardens of Mackinac Island,” available at Main Street Art in Milford and on the island at The Island Bookstore and Grand Hotel.) “In an outdoor living area, it’s important to make it transition into the surrounding woodlands or beachfront,” he says. “You don’t want a stark line between the two.”
Outdoor living areas typically require more room than anticipated for patio furniture or a fire pit, adds Barnwell, who softens those spaces with planters. “Everybody wants an outdoor oasis for that staycation, so they can enjoy every minute of the beautiful summer weather right at home,” he says.
MORE INFORMATION jackbarnwelldesign.com
DESIGN STAR’S SECRET
Lilacs often appear in Barnwell’s northern Michigan landscapes. “They’re such an incredible celebration for the return of spring,” he says. “They’re hardy, no-fuss, and they can be pruned into beautifully arched, tree-like forms. When you frame a view in lilacs in a seating area, you can unwind with a cold beer or a glass of wine and have a wonderful celebration of the first great weekend of the year.”
— JM
LAKE LIFE LOWDOWN
Barnwell, who resides on Mackinac Island in the summer and heads to Naples, Fla., in the winter, says it’s hard to put into words the calming effect of looking out at a lake in the evening and listening to the sounds of birds, the breeze, and the lapping waves. “It’s different than looking out on the ocean or a river. I’ve always used it as a restart for myself at the end of a busy day planting and taking care of island gardens,” he says. “It’s a re-check to prepare for the next day.” His favorite way to spend time on the lake is with motor-free crafts like canoes, kayaks, or paddleboards. His garden features classic perennials: daisies, daylilies, coneflowers, poppies, hollyhocks, and irises. “They’re super tough and they were there long before we took stewardship of our 120-year-old log cabin,” Barnwell says of the low-maintenance varieties that he doesn’t have to fuss with when he gets home. “Living by the lakeshore, what I’ve come to enjoy is all the native wildflowers and plants that seem to surprise us in the most impossible places, like cracks and crevices, or a notch in a cedar tree. It’s the ones nature planted and I didn’t that I enjoy the most.”
