Triangle Business Journal Article 2013
| It wasn’t until I had bought the property and the woods were cut down that I fully understood the awkwardness of my acre. What I’d pictured as almost flat terrain in fact consisted of a plunging declivity giving way to a slightly gentler declivity. The house went up on a shelf between the two slopes. It was surrounded by red mud.That’s when Peter arrived on the scene. All I knew was that I wanted a stream, bordered by birches; he took off from there. When he brought back his plans, I was amazed. The landscape I had dreamt of but not been able to articulate, he had somehow divined. The stream would skirt my screen porch, gather in a pool, and cascade down the lower slope. He would civilize the steeper bank by marching two rows of beeches up it, on a diagonal. A little parking lot that threatened to spoil the view would be curtained off with a shrubby berm…Then came the transformation. Trucks of topsoil pulled up, trees were craned in. Peter disappeared into the mountains and returned with a flatbed of lichened boulders so full of character, they seemed to bring an alpine meadow with them.Now, a few years later, it looks as if it’s always been here – a garden that nature itself created. Redbuds pop, azaleas flower. The berm surges with wigelia and Scotch broom. The stream splashes among the rocks, lined with ferns that thrive in the shade of the leafy birches, and abelia froths around the pond at the bottom. All this vegetation seems the real inhabitant; I feel like its guest.Every morning I go outside, inhale the scents of my land, and marvel at the little universe that Peter made.Timothy, Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| From a pond and waterfall professional who found us on the Internet:
I wanted to express my feelings regarding your beautiful work. I started building ponds and waterfalls for friends and ex-professors around 18 years ago. That worked rather well. I then started a sole-proprietorship and began designing and building on a larger scale. I began building ponds before it was “cool”. I want to tell you that your designs, your bold and innovative approach, use of elements such as magnificent boulders and stone placement – the balancing, assymetical and otherwise, has a quality of beauty and “otherness” that, well is just awe inspiring. Eamonn Hughes is the only other designer, a hero of mine, who comes close to what the two of you have achieved within the essence of your designs. Hughes was and is a master. I remember seeing pictures of this little man in the middle of orchestrating a huge crew using cranes for ten ton boulder placement. He was directing as a pond-building Toscanini and it was the second movement of a Beethoven Symphony – magisterial and intense with an otherworldly focus. Your work inspires me. Viewing it – even within the confines of two dimensional reality, is a gift. You achieve what I aspire to. A true Gardener can tell when viewing the work of another Gardener when Love is the underlying force within. Peter and Gay, thank you. Sincerely, |
| Hey Peter, I just wanted to let you know that our yard is stunning! The red bud has just started to bloom. You are more than welcome to stop by and take a look and, if you would like, take some photographs. We actually sat out well into the night yesterday evening and the yard’s beauty and quiet is exactly what we had hoped for.Thank you.Naina, Chapel Hill, NC |
| When I attended a Chapel Hill garden tour, one of the beautiful water gardens had Peter Bochenek’s business cards on the picnic table.I work in a busy and stressful hospital, all concrete and steel and glass. The beautiful space created in my back yard helps to relieve my stress. My garden is an emotionally tranquil place in which the interplay of a wild look and the symmetry of a formal garden have replaced my lawn. This has created a green space that small animals (birds, squirrels, rabbits) are frequenting.The money spent converting my backyard to a beautiful garden was worth every penny. My entire family enjoys the space created by Bochenek and Associates on a daily basis.Frank, Chapel Hill, North Carolina |
| Dear Peter,
Since I am in the real estate business and often have to make “miracles” occur, I am not easily impressed by them. However, after having spent the weekend in my freshly landscaped home in Southampton, I do feel compelled to tell you – I am impressed. I know the immense effort, enthusiasm, and energy that were needed, All the above were accomplished. In addition to this, your on-site supervision and guidance regarding the outdoor lighting scheme as well as the landscaping work added the finishing touches that were needed and could easily have detracted from the aesthetic beauty you had provided if not executed properly. In summary, this was money well spent on my part and a job really well done on your part. Thank you. Sincerely, |
| Peter–
Your work at my home gets better and better each year. Hope all is well– Nick, Southampton, New York |
| Dear Peter,
Thank you for your guidance and imagination. Grace, Raleigh, North Carolina |