Courtyard Garden Update

Completing the planting at Church of the Ascension

May 21, 2025

New Stone Courtyard Garden at Church of the Ascension in Pittsburgh, PA

Three gardens: Before & After

I wrote in April about planning three new gardens in North Oakland on the property of Church of the Ascension. There are numerous before photos of these areas post-construction, as well as planting lists and other information about the planning process. Today, I finally have some after photos to share!

Here are some more details for each garden area:

Stone Courtyard

This is a social garden made for sharing a summer’s lunch, a fire pit during the church’s Christmas craft market, or a quiet moment together in the middle of a city walk. I took inspiration from the plantings along the building to create a design for the outside gardens that visually ties together the whole length.

There has been much excitement among the local homeowners, walkers, and apartment dwellers about this garden! It is my hope that whoever sits in the courtyard will enjoy a moment of peace. As I sat in the completed courtyard garden for the first time this past Sunday, I overheard a man walking through the garden comment to his wife, “This is where I want to be on Sunday morning. Most churches do not do this kind of thing.”

See the full garden plan and planting palette here.

Looking towards the nave door from sidewalk over green trees and grasses with mulch, and black metal benches on pea gravel. — Looking towards the nave door from sidewalk.

Looking towards the door to the old narthex at the back of the nave at Church of the Ascension. Birch ‘White Spire’, Pennisetum, Panicum, Mugo pine, Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ and Liriope fill the beds. — Looking towards the door to the old narthex at the back of the nave at Church of the Ascension. Birch ‘White Spire’, *Pennisetum*, *Panicum*, Mugo pine, *Hydrangea* ‘Little Lime’ and *Liriope* fill the beds.

The flowering chestnut tree was made part of the courtyard design since it was an existing tree. When you can incorporate exciting planting, it helps a new garden to look older than it is.

The Children’s Garden

This area, tucked into the strong stone walls of the nave, is a place for parents to take a rest while their toddlers navigate the low stepping stones through the smooth gravel. Ornamental grasses will enclose this space, lightly waving in the wind, while the newly re-grown lawn, where older children can run and play, is also in full view.

The stain glass windows are prominent features in this garden, and provide for focal points along the wall. Fountain grass (Pennisetum) and Liriope provide a calm green foreground, and move into taller grasses, Panicum and Calamagrotis, further back in the design. — The stain glass windows are prominent features in this garden, and provide for focal points along the wall. Fountain grass (*Pennisetum*) and *Liriope* provide a calm green foreground, and move into taller grasses, *Panicum* and *Calamagrotis*, further back in the design.

This sidewalk sees a lot of traffic every day by walkers who are looking for a short cut around the building. By planting on both sides we help them to have a moment of walking through with a garden on both sides.

Contemplation Garden

The contemplation garden is a peaceful and shady woodland garden at the heart of Ascension. Here prayers may be said and spirits renewed with the green goodness of creation.

Native fringe trees, Chionanthus virginicus, are in bloom as we work on finishing the planting this week in the shady Contemplation Garden. — Native fringe trees, *Chionanthus virginicus*, are in bloom as we work on finishing the planting this week in the shady Contemplation Garden.

Getting reading for planting with the garden plan and tools this past Sunday.

A new fringe tree, *Chionanthus virginicus*, was added to give a bit more symmetry to this long thing garden that is surrounded by windows on three sides.

🌿 A Collect for the Care of Creation

“O Lord, you made us to till and to keep the earth, grace us, we pray, to preserve its beauty and to protect it against harm as well as to delight in all of its variety and to steward all of its riches, so that we might care for it as you care for it, in wisdom and in love. We pray this for your sake, our neighbor’s as well, both near and far. We pray this in the name of the One who sustains all of creation, Jesus Christ himself. Amen.”1

The Stone Courtyard garden on the outside edge of the property at Church of the Ascension.

Q: Would your church or community enjoy having gardens like these outside? Love to hear!

Need help with your garden this year?

Fill out a Garden Owner’s Form on my design website, Julie Witmer.com, so that we can schedule a garden teleconference this spring! I work with clients all around the US and help them with everything from quick questions about planting, to large remodels, and total designs. I will be sharing a few more of my garden designs here on JWG this year, but you can find a larger portfolio here.