The Polena garden in Mt. Lebanon is a family project, 23 years in the making. Cory and John Polena and their three sons and daughter have all contributed to the formation of the garden, which wowed the judges and tied for first place in the medium garden category of the Great Gardens Contest.

And the lot they had to work with wasn't an easy one. Like many in this area, the 55-by-162-foot property slopes steeply toward the street. But with patience, ingenuity and lots of hard work, the family has managed to carve out a unique garden, both in design and plant choices.

When they moved in, they were faced with a pretty blank landscape, the ubiquitous yews were planted around the foundation, and a old black cherry grew in the middle of the backyard. They began renovations about a year after they moved in.

"We started in the back. The front yard was very intimidating [due to the steep slope]. We couldn't figure it out at all," says Mrs. Polena.

The black cherry came out first, and small beds were installed on the top of the retaining walls. Mr. Polena and the boys designed and built a tree fort and two small ponds.

"The boys decided they wanted a stream and a bigger pond," Mrs. Polena says.

So they got to work. The cascading stream the boys and their father constructed looks every bit as good as a professional installation.

Bit by bit, the garden started taking shape. No grand plan was ever devised; things just evolved.

"It's all us, no professionals," says Mrs. Polena. "Everybody has an interest in some part of it."

These days, the backyard serves as a calm place to relax.

"It's fun being able to look at the garden from different vantage points, so we have several seating areas [incorporated into the design]. The lounge chair above the ponds lets you sit and listen to the water and the birds splashing."

The front of the property was another story.

"We went through a whole different series of plantings out there. Around 10 years ago, we were looking at it and didn't like what we did," she says.

A patio was put in and a retaining wall that was higher than the original was constructed, which gave them two different levels to plant on.

"That's when the front really took off," she says

These days, the entire front hillside is a garden.

"We decided to take it and plant it," she says of the space. "It gives you privacy without shutting anything off."

Another benefit was the elimination of a very steep patch of grass that no longer had to be mowed.

Mr. and Mrs. Polena are both interested in plants, and it shows. Hostas, azaleas, rhododendrons, ferns, Japanese maples and many types of conifers populate the garden.

"We really do look for textures, color and seasonal interest," she says. Plants in the garden must give more than one season of interest.

"We loves rhodies," she says.

A unifying element is the placement of different varieties of hosta.

"The hosta we found are a great foil for a lot of the plants. Since we don't have many flowering plants, the hostas bring different shades of green into the garden. They can really enhance the different plantings," says Mrs. Polena.

Now, with their youngest off to college, the Polenas will be maintaining the garden on their own. Mrs. Polena isn't worried.

"You can give a garden as much time as you have available," she says.

Even without the kids' help, she doesn't rule out expansion.

"It's a work in progress, and every now and then we find a patch of grass that needs to leave."

Darrell Sapp/Post-Gazette photos

Cory and John Polena in their shady front yard.

Below: the backyard waterfall.

Daniel Marsula/Post-Gazette

A: Tree fort

B: Large water feature with waterfall

C: Small water feature

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