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GreenBox no. 50: The Bird Basket


Project Name: The Bird Basket

Location: Midtown, ATL

Project Type: Residential

Season: Fall 2025


Nestled on a quiet boulevard in Midtown, this comfy cottage garden was designed using almost entirely reclaimed materials. From the cast iron heirloom repurposed as a planter to the old stump turned into mushroom-inspired outdoor shelving, this front yard garden gives a decidedly home-spun interpretation of rustic chic.


The goals

This project was a whole property redesign, with several distinct zones. In the backyard, the goals were to eliminate flooding and standing water issues, reset some of the patio stones, and reimagine the existing shade garden and bird feeder area. On the side of the house there was a corridor of small border beds leading from the back to the front yard, which needed to be replanted. And in the front yard, there were two patches of turf that the Member wanted repurposed as edible and pollinator garden.



The backyard

Site Conditions

  • Soil: compacted clay, minimal leaf litter

  • Light: dappled shade under mature canopy

  • Water: runoff concentrating along foundation and on the patio

  • Vegetation: Turf in decline and a mix of invasive species and native ferns


Challenges

  • Poor water infiltration

  • Low biodiversity

  • Low summer sunlight


Our Approach

  • Preserve what’s working

  • Remove what’s harmful

  • Install a rain garden to hold an infiltrate water

  • Use existing materials


Key Strategies

  • Selective invasive removal (not clear-cutting)

  • Heavy mulching

  • Develop a few key micro-environments


Character Touches

  • We built a three-level pond system out of pots and old faucets.

  • The path to the bird bath was built using reclaimed bricks and pavers onsite.

  • We integrated a fallen limb into the design so that birds would have a place to perch next to a feeder.

  • The retaining wall along the outside edge was built from existing blocks onsite.



The Front yard

Site Conditions

  • Soil: compacted clay

  • Light: Heavy shade on one end and lots of sunlight on the other

  • Water: Little infiltration

  • Vegetation: Turf in decline and a mix of invasive and non-native shrubs


Challenges

  • Poor water infiltration

  • Low biodiversity

  • Divergent sunlight mixture


Our Approach

  • Remove existing non-native shrubs

  • Use edible and native plants

  • Use existing and heirloom materials to define the space and add character


Key Strategies

  • Selective invasive removal (not clear-cutting)

  • Heavy mulching

  • Utilize sunlight variance to create several different zones


Character Touches

  • We used an old boiler from the 1960's to create a custom two-tiered planter.

  • All stones use din the hardscaping were repurposed from other parts of the yard.

  • The rustic fence was made from materials found at another GreenBox site, and the end posts are old tools found at the Member's family farm in south Georgia.

  • We left the stump of a non-native Chinese Holly we removed in order to create a mushroom inspired tired plant shelf.

  • The patio under the cafe chairs and table was built from reclaimed sidewalk pavers that were the original pavers laid down in this part of Atlanta in 1940's.







 
 
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