Christiane Holmquist Landscape Design

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A Matter Of Balance: Don’t Allow the Hardscape to Dominate the Planting

March 9, 2016 By Christiane Holmquist

Don’t allow the hardscape to dominate the planting

Part 2

In my last post I endeavored to put plants in the forefront of our gardens in order to make them softer and more welcoming: Under our southern sun pavements, structures and other built structures create glare and very deep shadows. How can we reduce the harshness of this bright white light in residential landscape design?

I think the primordial quality of a well-designed garden is its ability to let our eyes and minds rest. To that effect, I want to employ shade, light-absorbing textures, coolness, perhaps even the sound of water. I try to balance out the hard structures with drought resistant landscaping and let the plants play an equal if not greater role in the organization and feel of the design. Here are a few tricks how to employ plants to that effect:

hard surface balanced with softening plants

This entrance area can be extremely bright, but Redbuds and oaks add a “roof” to the approaching visitor and create shade.

Don’t let too much hardscape take the warmth out of your garden

No massive gate columns here: The framing of this garden entrance is done by the swollen trunks of Floss Silk Tree Ceiba insignia, which also provides shade; the young mimosa in the island has a very soft light-absorbing deep green foliage and will create a wonderful welcoming coolness.

Even in full non-day sun, someone sitting on that bench would be able to admire the cool blue of this beautiful Potato Bush.

Even in full none-day sun, someone sitting on that bench would be able to admire the cool blue of this beautiful Potato Bush.

Here, a low water and low maintenance clumping grass reflects light like an animal’s fur, and the shade of the shrubs beyond is in contrast to the bright patio on the right.

Here, a low water and low maintenance clumping grass reflects light like an animal’s fur, and the shade of the shrubs beyond is in contrast to the bright patio on the right.

grasses swaying in the wind

A boulder echoes the horizontal line of the eaves, while grasses repeat the vertical lines of the window frame.

Plants have many roles: They create the visual pleasure that changes through the seasons because of the seasonal bloom, and they offer a juxtaposition of delicate textures with the outlines of strict architecture or rugged boulders. Plants can repeat the dynamic contrast between horizontal and vertical lines already present in the architecture of a house. Leaning pine branches intersect with vertical grass blades, while vertical flower stems stand at a right angle to a boulder’s edge.

These dark bromeliads provide contrast to the lightness of the house’s walls, strappy irises play off of the low horizontal stone wall, and palms throw their interesting shadows on the walls.

These dark bromeliads provide contrast to the lightness of the house’s walls, strappy irises play off of the low horizontal stone wall, and palms throw their interesting shadows on the walls.

secret yet inviting garden

Although many “hardscape elements” are used here, plants scale down their proportions and make them soften until they almost disappear. Plants are employed to edge this stone path, and instead of an umbrella or arbor, the tree canopy on the left shelters a bench.

While the stone and wood create light and dark structure, plants soften the overall effect.  Even the light-colored pavers are more inviting when edged in grass.

While the stone and wood create light and dark structure, plants soften the overall effect.  Even the light-colored pavers are more inviting when edged in grass.

Here, the stone flower beds will start to look less heavy when the vines start to take over the arbor and the perennials and shrubs gain their mature height, cascading over the sides to soften them. While distinctly dividing the side of the house into different areas, each area becomes its own secret garden.

DSCN1697 (1)

Plants create suspense: Where is the path leading? Your eye bounces down the path from the Aloe to the pink flowering Rock Purslane to the yellow Mexican Marigold. They thus create the illusion of a larger yard.

A minimal structure for vines will soon create much-needed shade, while all around plants absorb some of the light. The purple-flowered tree is a Jacaranda; the white shrub on the left is Iceberg Rose.

A minimal structure for vines will soon create much-needed shade, while all around plants absorb some of the light. The purple-flowered tree is a Jacaranda; the white shrub on the left is Iceberg Rose.

Soon, the three Podocarpus trees along the back wall will be tall enough to screen out the neighbor’s house and all boundaries will be obscured, thus creating total privacy in a natural setting.

Plants help to separate this sitting area from the entrance and to make if feel more private.

Plants help to separate this sitting area from the entrance and to make if feel more private.

This design also creates the illusion of distance, giving the front yard a larger feel. The small deciduous shrub will provide more shade and privacy as it matures, and give an excellent opportunity to use creative landscape lighting to add drama at night by revealing its beautiful branch structure.

Instead of walls and doors, planter pockets serve to break up the pavement and to separate one usable area from another.

Instead of walls and doors, planter pockets serve to break up the pavement and to separate one usable area from another.

Getting away from hardscapes is a challenge; there are sexy materials that don’t need watering or maintenance, and will last close to forever.  Stone, wood, glass, metal, and even fiberglass or plastic are very versatile and lend themselves to a variety of different uses. Be it fencing or furniture, these materials can help us give places to ‘hang’ our plants, much like in a big wardrobe.

Many landscape architects and landscape designers in San Diego (and elsewhere) have been trained to use these materials as the back-bones and foundations to build around – and upon – with plants in secondary filler roles.  But plants can also serve this purpose; let yourself fall in love with the texture and structure of a plant, or your favorite tree, or a color, and design around that.

Tell your designer that this is the plant you want to showcase or use.  Say you want a great big hedge of something to serve as a fence.  Think about using our native Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia, or a Silverberry Eleagnus pungens.  Both are tough shrubs with attractive foliage, colorful berries (Toyon) and fragrant flowers (Silverberry) that are very undemanding in soil, water or light and that can be sheered, pruned or trained into small trees or an evergreen screen.   If you prefer beautiful craftsmanship, think about how a simple perfect circle carved from stone, laid in brick, or made of wood can’t help but stand out best when surrounded by the chaos and asymmetry of plants.

Right now is a great time to look for California natives, drought-tolerant succulents and waterwise perennials, shrubs and trees at your local nurseries!

 

I believe this is a topic that will interest many gardeners, and I’ll talk about it in greater detail and colorful examples in a presentation at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon on June 11, at 9:30 a.m., in a class entitled “Balancing hardscapes with plants”.  Look for a detailed description in the coming weeks at the Garden’s website.  I’d be happy to greet you there!

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape, Drought Resistant Plants, Gardening tips, Low Maintenance Plants, Low Water Landscape, Shade Structures, Special architectal landscape elements, Trees Tagged With: backyard landscape design, diy landscape design, drought resistant landscaping, landscape designer San Diego, low water landscaping, perennials

Endless Summer: Landscape Design With Water Conservation

July 31, 2015 By Christiane Holmquist

A journey to transform a garden and find beauty, serenity and sustainability.

Landscape Design With Water ConservationProblem:

An East-Coast garden under a California sky; Soulless, uninviting, and thirsty.

Solution:

Start with a blank slate.

Welcome with a lively tapestry of fascinating, region-appropriate plants that put nature back into the garden and help rediscover its soul.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation
At some time after purchasing this Southern California home, it occurred to the homeowner how unwelcoming its existing landscape was:

The East-Coast landscape with lawn and roses didn’t work for this Ranch-style house, nor did it respond well to the need for water conservation.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

This home, whose architecture, materials, and siting have more of a Frank Lloyd Wright feel to them, invited a simpler and serene landscape that would thrive even with parsimonious amounts of water and would incorporate California landscape elements: Clear skies and brilliant light, rugged nature with canyons and arroyos, boulder-strewn mountains, deserts, and a host of interesting native plants that are known worldwide.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Designed by Ken Ronchetti, whose architecture has “a soft strength in its simplicity”, the homeowner was ready to explore how to make her garden more inviting and how to capture its soul: Could succulents, California natives and other water-wise plants, until then unknown to her, complement and hold up to this architecture?

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The first priority was to integrate the existing Live Oak and Paperbark Trees; both have reached a beautiful maturity. The stone cladding of walls and pilasters create a strong element, and we knew that incorporating boulders would play up their strength and be part of the landscape.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Knowing the client’s love for plants, I subdivided the area into separate spaces to be discovered on a path. This path is important to put the visitor into the landscape, not just view it from the edges.

She’d be able to wander through individual garden rooms and planting scenes or stop at the bench under the Oak tree, inviting rest and discovery of a tapestry of perennials, woody California native shrubs, and succulents that are endlessly entertaining and consume very little supplemental water.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The courtyard is walled in, resulting in the need for the landscape to be open and allow a feeling of depth. Therefore the plant compositions stay mainly low so that the can eye can wander across the tapestry of interesting plants.

Visible here are Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Agave ‘Blue Glow’, Blue Bedder (Beard Tongue) Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BoP’ , against the foliage of Velvet Elephant Ear Kalanchoe beharensis, and Golden Breath of Heaven Coleonema pulchellum ‘Sunset Gold’.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Many beautiful boulders now echo the rugged stone element used for walls, walkways, and pilasters. Among them a bubbling boulder is the focal point upon arrival. It is surrounded by plants that highlight its beauty and ruggedness.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

The heavy downpour during a recent thunderstorm tricked a Mountain Lilac here into re-bloom several months after its first bloom this spring. It makes a lovely companion to other drought tolerant plants: Agaves, Sundrops Calylophus drummondii, Crassula coccinea ‘Campfire’, Echeveria Ruffles, and Blue Oatgrass Helictotrichon sempervirens, Silver Spurge Echeveria rigida, Aloe Little Gem Aloe rudikoppe.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

It is a balancing act to create harmony and cohesion with a limited plant palette, but limiting it is important to avoid a hodgepodge and mere plant museum. Here, drought resistant ‘Pink Spice’ Geranium Pelargonium ionidiflorum mingle with Echeveria ‘Ruffles’, Verbena ‘Little One’ Verbena bonariensis ‘Little One’, and Sundrops Calylophus drummondii.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

Always conscious of sustainability, the existing picket fence was kept; Although more befitting the previous Victorian landscape style rather than the new one, it was found useful to accentuate the feeling of intimacy and keep rabbits and raccoons out as much as possible.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

This garden is very much an experimental site:  It is growing, evolving and confirms our trust in the future as the plants mature. Some of these plants, such as Blue Sedge Carex flacca have shown to be the wrong choice for this garden (they never stopped sprawling).

Finding the right amount of supplemental water is a bit of a challenge as with varying sun exposure, tree canopies and roof overhang there are more individual watering zones than one might expect.

Landscape Design With Water Conservation

I’m passionate about juxtaposing different textures and forms to create tension and interest, so placing a wispy grass or delicate perennial next to a heavy boulder is a knee-jerk gesture.

RSF 2015 (13)

Also appealing to me is placing a fleshy succulent next to the rugged mass of a boulder; I feel that both complement each other, and although the Sunset Jade Crassula argentea in this picture can’t hold up to the sturdiness of the rock, its equally robust and ‘weighty’, and both plants heighten up their individual qualities.

RSF 2015 (10)

Evoking the mountains and their delicate windswept plant companions, Agave ‘Blue Glow’ and Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ nestle between these boulders.

RSF 2015 (12)

Against the canopy of the Paperbark Tree Melaleuca quinquenervia the perennials,grasses and succulents, this feels like the relief of a sunny clearing in the forest.

RSF 2015 (7)

I am very happy that the owner has asked me to keep an eye on this garden and help it mature with monthly maintenance. Looking at these photos and considering the time that has elapsed since the garden was first planted, I’m struck again at how exciting it is to care for all these plants.

What will the garden mature into? Will the plants keep their promise?
I’m delighted by the garden’s serenity, and the homeowner’s words give me great joy: “You couldn’t have captured my vision any better.”

Photography courtesy of Emma Almendarez.

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape, Sustainable Landscape Design Tagged With: drought resistant landscaping, drought tolerant plants, landscape designer San Diego, low water landscape, Sustainable landscape design

Getting Back To Nature – Xeriscape Landscaping with California Natives

June 16, 2015 By Christiane Holmquist

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

A flowery meadow at Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

A recent visit to the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden brought me much delight and revived my old love for a landscape type that we rarely see here in Southern California: An urban haven entirely dedicated to the cultivation and exhibition of a California native-scape.

This is a jewel of a garden situated south of the San Gabriel foothills which offers a great example of xeriscape landscaping. The 86 acres are beautifully designed and entirely planted with cultivars and wild species of native plants, whose exploration leads you through various habitats and a mosaic of vegetation patterns, such as desert, chaparral, grasslands, forest, and riparian (areas on the banks of fresh water).

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

(Truly) Majestic Oak Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia

I had come to the Garden with several designer friends who, like me, were interested in refreshing our knowledge of California natives and finding inspiration for new landscape design ideas. And those we found!  Conifers and oaks, Manzanita and Buck eye… Sage and Monkey flower, Anemone and  Woolly Blue Curls, and on and on…

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

Smelling the flowers  under a Palo Verde Parkinsonia aculeata

After wandering through the gardens the entire day, I was convinced that here are the drought resistant plants that can thrive in all of our gardens, no matter how tricky the situation. With these I can create any type of home landscape design, whether formal Mediterranean or California “eclectic”, whether modern restrained or flowery-cottage-y or romantic country, and create a feeling in them of satisfaction and being ‘at home’.

Here’s a selection of the Natives that I noted for their beauty, versatility and design interest:

California Buckeye Aesculus Californica

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

California Buckeye Aesculus californica

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

California Buckeye branch structure

Type: Deciduous tree. Mature trees can reach 15 to 45 ft with greater spread. Sun. Soil: Adaptable.

Water: Drought tolerant to regular.

Natural habitat: Woodland mostly away from the coast and below 4,000 ft.

This tree responds to heat or drought stress by dropping its leaves which reveals the pretty trunk structure and silvery smooth bark. In spring, branches clad with bright apple green foliage carry bottle-brush flower white (rarely pink) clusters, 4-12 inch long. The heavy round fruit ripens in late fall and splits to reveal shiny, 1-3 inch chestnut-brown seeds that gave the tree its name.

Design interest and uses: One of the showiest flowering trees: Grown as single or multi-trunked tree or large shrub with rounded crown which makes a complement or counterpoint to coast live oak, foothill pine and California Bay. It is an excellent choice to shade south or west side of a house.

Hummingbird Sage Salvia Spathacea

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

Hummingbird Sage Salvia spathacea

This herbaceous allergenic perennial is a pretty work-horse. It is chiefly noticed for its whorls of showy bracts and flowers with hairy, softly sticky pointed leaves that all exude a spicey and fruity fragrance.

Water: drought tolerant to occasional.

Goundcover: Only 10 to 30 inches tall, it spreads in a dense colony and is easily controlled by pulling up the new plants at the end of the rhizomes. In the warm season it flowers almost continuously with pagoda-like stalks bearing several dense whorls of dark maroon or ruby red bracts that offset the 1 to 1 ½ inch long magenta to salmon flowers. Deadheading the dried flower stalks keeps this plant tidy if desired (and the bloom coming).

Design interest/uses: Successful in the sun or shade, as groundcover or erosion control on banks or under the canopy of oaks and other trees where it contends with root competition and lack of direct sunlight. It draws bees, other insects and hummingbirds and works also as container plant. It mixes well with plants that won’t be smothered by its large leaves, such as bunch grasses, irises, manzanitas and coffeeberries.

Salvia Clevelandii ‘Bee’s Bliss’

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’

Type: Perennial

Water: Drought tolerant to occasional.

When in bloom with lovely periwinkle blue flowers on 1-foot-long stalks, Salvia ‘Bee’s Bliss’ (hybrid of Cleveland Sage and purple Sage) draws insects and birds. This cultivar (hybrid between Cleveland and purple sage) reaches 1 to 2 ft tall and spreads quickly to 8 feet wide. It is subject to powdery mildew during cool weather, but the mildew disappears as temps heat up.

There are a couple of hybrids available in nurseries. Other cultivars are ‘Allen Chickering’ ; ‘Pozo Blue’, ‘Aromas’, ‘Mrs. Beard’ has masses of plae blue flowers and a similar form, and more reliable than ‘Dara’s Choice’ which grows in partial shade.

Design interest: Low, sturdy and attractive groundcover for sunny slopes where it is used as erosion control; rarely browsed by deer.

Xeriscape Landscaping With California Natives

 A Coyote puppy soaking up the warm sunshine.

To plant or not to plant (now) – that’s the question

Working with California native plants, I’ve learned that in some ways they are not that different from non-native species. Find the right plants for the garden’s soil, sun, and water, and they are easy to grow and maintain. The further you stretch out of a plant’s comfort zone, the higher maintenance it will require.

Here’s what the experts at Las Pilitas Nursery say:

“In years like 2013, if you have the water, plant from about December to February in the hot interior, plant all year in the rest of the state, particularly if you’re replacing a lawn or something else that needs a lot of water. If you’re replacing the lawn you’re going to save a lot of water in just a few months so do not feel guilty about using that water for change. New plantings need to be watered once a week for the first season in a dry year like 2013. So as long as you can do that, you can replace that dead looking non-native landscape.”

We are lucky that several local nurseries not only grow California Natives, but that they offer help with diy landscape design offering expert instructions and workshops. At Tree of Life Nursery, you can find many clear and useful planting and maintenance guidelines. Moosa Creek Nursery also makes guidelines available. Recon Native Plants grow California native plants for the landscape and the habitat restoration industry.

Matilija Poppy

Powerfully fragrant : Matilija Poppy Rhomneya coulteri 

Back in the Garden, as I was soaking in the sunshine that was bathing a large stand of Matilija Poppy, my eyes were drawn to the brilliant color splashes of yellow Palo Verde bloom, deep pink of Desert Willow trumpets and vibrant-orange blossoms of Desert Cholla.  It struck me how harmonious the composition was, in color, texture and form, and I marveled at how appealing this scene was to me.

Palo Verde_Desert Willow_Cholla

A flowering Palo Verde dancing with Desert Willow; Desert Cholla trying to get a foot in

What is then the essence of this landscape that so draws me? Is it the idea that this landscape has thrived without our pruning, watering and fussing, for millions of years? Is it because of this California flora providing such a rich source of beautiful, diverse and durable garden plants? Or is it that it is the only sustainable landscape design that feels “right” in our bright light, growing out of our rustling leaf litter under oaks or Sycamore, or in the fragrant shade of pine trees, or the between the crunchy leaf litter of our chaparral? For me, it is the only landscape type that I feel nurtured with, and that gives me the strongest ‘sense of place’.

 

Photos courtesy Koby’s Garden Alchemy and Christiane Holmquist

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape, Drought Resistant Plants Tagged With: drought resistant landscaping, home landscape design, landscape designer San Diego, xeriscape landscaping

When in drought: Fall in love with water wise landscape

February 21, 2015 By Christiane Holmquist

quiet bark mulch

With the recent rains, it’d be easy to forget last year’s water worries – if it weren’t for the memory of our ever rising water bills! Winter isn’t over yet and more rain is in the forecast, but our overall water shortage and Southern California’s water dependence are a serious problem that is not likely to go away any time soon.

This challenge shouldn’t fill your hearts with dread however: In the following I’m going to show you how water conservation can be turned into a pleasurable task that makes you fall in love with your garden again.

PamandMartyWygod
Martin J. Wygod, a racehorse breeder, and his wife, Pam, in their Rancho Santa Fe garden. With more than 100 acres, they have replaced much of their landscaping with succulents, cutting their water consumption in half from what it was in 2004.
Credit Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times

The New York Times recently focused on Rancho Santa Fe in a report on efforts to reduce water use during the drought. The initiative taken by Martin and Pam Wygod is highlighted. I’ve worked with the Wygods since 2012 and accepted their challenge to redesign their landscaping to achieve a significant reduction in water use.

When I started the collaboration with Mrs. Wygod, she had selected the entrance courtyard because it seemed particularly well suited to her goals. With great determination she had already removed all previous plants so that the empty space would allow her to better visualize the alternative: A garden that would express her love for a more naturalistic and intimate space and her dream of repose and calm; one with a rich variety of textures and colors, of more wildlife and quiet stimulus for the senses, every time you walk through it.
Moreover, creating a symphony from the great variety of beautiful water-conserving plants that our climate allows us to grow would be so much more exciting than the traditional lawn-cum-roses that had been there before; and importantly, this garden would also satisfy her desire for greater water conservation.

wygod front garden

Above a ”teaser” concept sheet used to help the client visualize the general feel and theme of her garden

In the following weeks, I collaborated with my client on several drafts and concepts to help her capture her vision. Initially, inspired by the beautiful rock veneer on the house façade and perimeter wall, I drafted a naturalistic landscape with several low mounds, boulders and a rock fountain, and with stone-edged gravel paths winding through the garden, inviting discovery and contemplation.

Concept front yd middle

Above, one of the draft concepts showing gravel paths and gently mounding planter beds

This undulating landscape would be alive with exceptional drought tolerant plants from Mediterranean-type climate zones. The existing mature Live Oak would need to be preserved as well as the big Paper Bark Tree. For the latter finding companion plants would be a bit of a challenge because the root competition under its canopy is fierce. On the other side of the garden, under the Live Oak Quercus agrifolia, the plant selection would have to be extra careful: Already stressed from the lawn removal and the shut-off of the regular lawn water we needed to avoid disturbing the Oak’s roots even more and provide the irrigation solely timed to the needs of this California native.

Initially very fond of this first concept and after a few weeks of consideration, my client realized however that she preferred a quieter, more dreamy and calming landscape. I suggested to play the stone element down a bit by removing gravel and rock edging, thereby calming the scene. Also, we agreed that the mounds made the landscape design “too busy”, and that they took away from a generous sense of space.

We did retain the large boulders and winding path ways, while putting the paving selection for the pathways on hold; my client couldn’t “feel” yet what material she’d want to walk on in her garden.

Garden without edger

A walkway, still undefined, winds through this xeriscape design.

While I was working on the re-design, Mrs. Wygod found a beautiful bench; placed invitingly in the shade under the Oak, traveling the garden paths would be even more irresistible.

walkway

Above, the same garden scene, photographed a year later: The pathways havs become more defined by adding a narrow black edging and a soft, small-pellet fir bark.

Once we had communicated and understood the layout of the garden beds and determined most of the hardscape elements, creating the planting plan was exciting:  Putting together a plant list that attempts to incorporate the client’s very personal preferences for textures and colors, and that is suitable for the various micro-climates in this garden (shade under overhang and under trees; root competition, seasonal sun exposure in other places etc.) is a like a challenging piece of music, and you’re thrilled when you have done well.

Of course it helps when your client is as fond of plants, too, and open to a certain measure of experimentation where you hope that a certain plant will like the situation you place it in and then wait to see how it performs.

I couldn’t have been luckier than with this client:  Experienced and fond of her gardens she is aware that gardens need time to grow in and that each plant choice is an investment in the future that requires patience.

Entrance Garden

The garden in its third year; it’s coming together

Now in its third year, the garden is still evolving:  Plants are growing in and need to be pruned and gently directed; some haven’t liked the micro-climate and needed to be replaced (it’s too hot in this garden for Blue Oat Grass Helictotrichon sempervirens); Blue Sedge Carex flacca proved to be too much of a spreader and started to engulf the neighboring plants.  The perennial Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’ is a delicate plant that is not easy to find the right amount of irrigation for, so it often displays dried leaves around the base and is in my mind too ‘unkempt’ looking. Perhaps ‘Little One’ Verbena will be more satisfying?

And the long-considered fountain will be added next; it will be a stunning addition to this garden.

Penstemon 1
Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Margarita BOP’, a temperamental perennial

As the NYT article points out, the water savings achieved in this garden are considerable. Moreover, the homeowners’ pleasure that they derive from this garden is real:

“We are thrilled with the front garden. You were able to take my thoughts and transfer them to a stunning garden. A friend of mine from NJ who is head of the Garden Club was so impressed with the garden she took photos to share with her members.
The fountain will be a project for when I am here to look at the stone with you. Step by step we are building the garden."

Bench and boulder

The bench is still an important focal point of the garden, but not much longer: We are about to add the long-awaited boulder fountain. Soon!

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape Tagged With: drought resistant landscaping, drought tolerant plants, landscape designer San Diego

Help! My Gardener is Ruining My Garden! Part 2

August 25, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

In this post I continue to examine how to protect your garden’s beauty and value and how to avoid maintenance headaches.

maintenance service

Communication with the maintenance service

Things to review with the supervisor:

  • Let the supervisors know of your preferences (see above).
  • Can they explain the irrigation system to you so that you can run the timer yourself if you so choose? (In fact, it is absolutely essential that you understand your irrigation system and do periodic check-ups on timing. This way you remain aware of the seasonal changes in your landscape’s water demands or determine the irrigation cycles yourself in an emergency.)
  • Do they plan regular walk-throughs with you?
  • How easy is it to reach the supervisor, and how promptly do they respond to an emergency?
  • How often is the supervisor on the site? If not regularly, how trained are the maintenance workers?

Soil and Irrigation

Many of the gardens that I see suffer more from over-watering than from too little water (the symptoms = wilting and tip die back look pretty much alike initially). It seems particularly tricky to water “infrequently but deeply” and then letting the top 3-4 inches dry out between irrigation cycles…

Aeonium Cabernet

This Aeonium Cabernet is showing signs of summer dormancy with leaves dropping along the stems; if it gets overwatered now, the stems will get ‘mushy’ and wilt, and the plant will die from the center out.

I’d ask the maintenance professional about their familiarity with modern irrigation technology: Are they open to contemporary components such as a “smart” irrigation controller that helps you calculate water needs?
Also: Taking a soil tests with an auger or ‘soil tube’ should happen at regular intervals on a job site; it helps determine the moisture content of the soil as well as possible rot or pests.

Interfacing with Other Specialty Service Providers

Will the maintenance integrate their services with other specialty providers, such as arborists, irrigation specialists, or plant pathologists as the case may require? (Do they perhaps have their own certification in arboriculture?)

Outdoor Lighting

Can they also repair outdoor lighting? Perhaps even install it as a retro-fit?

Watersedge-Landscape-Night-1

(Photo courtesy Watersedge Landscape)

Mulch

Do they know the value of proper mulching, and will they vouch to keep it at the height specified in the design?

mulch

Here, two different mulches were used as organic groundcover between the plants and as pavement for the walkway, outlined with black aluminum.

Weeds and Invasives

Do they know their weeds? Will they pull a Mexican Feather Grass before it goes to seed?

mexican feather grass

Stipa tenuissima Mexican Feather Grass is a popular ornamental grass that has been recognized as very invasive.

Will they recognize an Oak seedling, or some other invasive plant species, such as Salt Cedar?

salt cedar

A Salt Cedar can be an attractive shrub that is highly invasive with many attributes that are harmful to our natural environment.

Plant Expertise, Training and Certification

Of the many local landscape maintenance service providers that I checked online some mention their training in pest control and fertilizer applications; few however list training in horticulture (which would include knowledge of new plant introductions for Southern California’s limited water resources), irrigation or arboriculture.

xeriscapes

Here, in its 2nd summer after installation, plants are beginning to fill in, and the textures and forms are taking shape.

As our understanding of xeriscapes deepens and our appetite for exciting low water-use plants from South Africa, South America, Australia or our own south-western states grows, more and more nurseries and growers offer these, and what was exotic five years ago is becoming common-place in our new gardens.

Here are some important questions for the maintenance candidates:

  • Is their knowledge of standard and new introductions of low-water use plants up to speed?
  • Are they aware of current trends and tools of the industry?
  • Do they have any training in ornamental horticulture principles and maintenance standards (“specialty” pruning of trees and shrubs included)?

This training is locally available, through many community colleges or organizations in the landscape industry: The California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) and the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET) are two of the leading professional associations that test and certify members of the green industry. Landscape Industry Certified Technicians have proven their know-how to do the job right. They have passed a series of written and hands-on tests covering safety and technical aspects of the job.

Seasonal Color

If you need seasonal or special occasion “color splashes” into your garden, ask the service provider if they could be counted on providing these services.

References & Licenses

Before you entrust this maintenance company with your property,

  • Ask for several reference addresses and visit these;
  • Ask whether they have a training program for their employees, and what it consists of;
  • Do they have any type of certification from an accredited learning institute in the horticultural industry?
  • Talk to at least two if not three of their clients to get a good sense of the responsiveness and quality of this candidate.
  • At a minimum, ask for letters of appreciation from their previous work.
  • Your maintenance company should be licensed and insured; without it, you might be liable for any damages or injuries that they sustain on your property (and your homeowner’s insurance won’t cover you here).
  • All these qualifiers exclude the “mow-and-blow” crews… It’s unfortunate that they haven’t done much to not deserve this name.

The Long Haul

A garden will never be ‘finished’, yet that it will grow and evolve. In order to protect the investment that you made into your landscape, much consideration goes into the selection of your maintenance service. Will they commit to helping reach a beautiful goal over time and to not let short-term interests ruin it? And will they continue to loyally support you with honest professionalism as your garden grows and matures?

These are surely questions worth asking. Read part 1 of Help! The Gardener is Ruining My Garden.

Filed Under: Landscape Design Tagged With: drought resistant landscaping, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant plants, landscape designer San Diego, low water landscape

Help! My Gardener is Ruining My Garden!

July 25, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

my gardener is ruining my garden

Ingredients for your own Eden: Take a bit of space, add an inviting piece of furniture, surround with a beautiful plant screen and groom well.

Just recently I got an SOS call from a client who is desperate to find help with a nightmare she is experiencing with her present maintenance company: Plants in various states of wilt or decay, with bare spots in the landscape; succulents drowned, groundcover smothering everything in its way, and most offensively, “alien” plants willy-nilly planted, presumably as substitutes, that have nothing to do with her landscape design and that she never approved.

dead groundcover

A sorry sight: There are bare spots on this slope where the groundcover died; the succulents are the wrong ones, and other plants are missing from the original design.

She is very upset that the trust that she placed in her grounds-person was wasted and is worried that the quality of her landscape is seriously endangered. As I’m working out a plan to help her, the horror litanies from other clients come to mind: “My landscaper has hedged this shrub into a blob although I told him to leave it alone”, or “My gardener doesn’t know how to prune these perennials”, and “My slope is all washed out and plants are dying on it; should I just pave it over?” and “I don’t know why he chopped my tree”.

Obviously, these home owners don’t have a maintenance company that is well trained; their crew’s work might actually harm the long-term health and beauty of the landscape, instead of safeguarding their investment.

spotty irrigation

Spotty irrigation has caused bare spots in the lawn; shrubs under the trees have been pruned into unnatural shapes.

For these homeowners it is frustrating to realize that, after several years of ‘care’ by their gardening service the actual state of their landscape is far removed from the one they once dreamed of. What happened to original design intent? How is it possible that these landscapes are ‘monotonous’, overgrown or disfigured? Obviously, the regular mowing, weeding, trimming and blowing weren’t what was needed. What went wrong?

Perhaps it helps to consider the type of gardens that we want today: In my view, the showcase gardens (most often lawn-centered) in which we display exceptional roses, exotic palms or other specimen plants are no longer relevant, at least here in Southern California. On their way out also are the gardens designed with stately foundation plants around a lawn that highlight our social status, or that are plain buffer-zones between us and our neighbors.

The gardens of today that many people dream of are extensions of our living spaces. Here we play and entertain, relax in privacy and seek a modicum of nature. For our landscapes to become true sanctuaries to recharge in, we need to create gardens that engage our senses. These are no longer areas to be tamed and trimmed but places to work in with nature, using light, rhythm, space and texture, and where we respect and enjoy the changes that come with time.

Watersedge-Landscape-Design3

A beautiful example of what excellence in maintenance can achieve. Photo courtesy Watersedge Landscape.

So how do we find this maintenance professional who understands this and who will respect the original intent of the design, and who will safeguard our investment? Who nurtures the landscape, rather than whipping and hedging it into shape? Who we can rely on to insure that the landscape matures and thrives as planned?

Communicate with your designer

shrubs

The shrub by this front door is just too big, and its maintenance will eventually result in suppressing its growth leading decline and eventual death. This obviously was not the best design choice.

When you create your landscape plan (whether with the help of a professional designer, or with your own energy and creativity), you will have the opportunity to consider many elements that will inform the design and that ultimately will determine the amount of maintenance:

  • How controlled do you like the plantings to be? More formal, or more naturalistic?
  • What feel? Urban, woodsy, tropical, southwestern, California relaxed, formal Mediterranean, etc…
  • How densely do you like it planted? With a dense plant cover, or more with recognizable “individualistic” plant quilt?
  • Are you comfortable with the old standards, or do you prefer new exotics?
  • Do you like the natural, relaxed shape of shrubs that sometimes can be picturesque with unusually angled branches, or do you prefer it tight and controlled?
  • Would you be a friend of seedheads, or do they look too weedy to you? (Many perennials require regular deadheading to look good and keep blooming.) Can you stomach wispy grasses, or do you want them at all times neat and clean looking?
  • What type of growth on your trees can you expect (this will tell you how soon you need to consult an arborist)?
  • How will the garden look right after installation; what look can I expect at maturity and how long might it take to see a definite change towards fullness of growth?
  • Which plant is supposed to be a single-stem plant; which one will need to be trained into multi-trunk specimen?
  • Who is going to do the maintenance? You yourself, or a maintenance service? Are you interested in protecting your garden, or would you think that the type of work needed in your garden requires specialized training and education?

Your responses to these questions help determine the selection of plants and the amount of maintenance. It will then be important to communicate this design intent to the maintenance service.

These questions will also influence your selection of the right maintenance company that has a track record of doing quality work.

barren slope

A barren slope despite of regular irrigation… Most likely the irrigation water was applied so fast that it ran off before it had time to sink into the earth… which left plants on this slope to die from thirst.

In my next post I’ll write about the other pieces of the maintenance puzzle.

Filed Under: Gardening tips, Landscape Design Tagged With: drought resistant landscaping, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant plants, landscape design, landscape designer San Diego

Beautiful drought tolerant garden in San Marcos

June 30, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

drought-tolerant garden in San Marcos

This landscape was transformed from lawn-centric static space into a living garden designed for outdoor living.  It is colorful and entertaining year round, and invites to enjoy and relax, play and garden.

Shade trees and pergola

 We transformed the yard into a drought resistant landscape with room for many activities: A patio roof and shade trees make outdoor living comfortable; with play lawn and plenty of garden beds (both homeowners are avid gardeners) there’s room to play outdoors year round.

A colorful waterwise landscape is more to the homeowner's liking

PROJECT SUMMARY: After sitting down with the homeowners, we opted for lawn-removal in front and kept only a minimum of lawn in the backyard for the children to play on. With this landscape re-do, the homeowners have reclaimed their front yard and created a private “buffer zone” at their front door. The homeowners are passionate gardeners, so we significantly increased their garden space and filled it with exceptional drought resistant plants.

  

We replaced the paving material of the existing terrace with a tumbled paver placed on sand and added a shade structure.  Although the terrace was reduced in size, it is comfortable for the many uses of this family, and the large shade cover creates lovely dappled shade in this space. A wrap-around seat wall invites garden visitors to observe the plants and the fish in the small pond placed at the edge of the terrace for close-up viewing.

A low water landscape after the renovation

As the trees grow, they will not only cool the entrance and protect shade loving plants, they will also complement the horizontal lines of the architecture, anchor the house to its site and “shrink” the home to a more human scale.

Tricycle path in the backgarden

To allow more water to penetrate into the subsoil, compacted pervious DG (decomposed granite, a local material) was used to create paths through the garden.  These paths lead to benches and arbors and provide a clean, fast-drying surface to walk on or ride a tricycle.

  Raised beds and DG path

Partners:

Nature Designs Landscaping, Vista, CA

  000000000000000000000000000000

Filed Under: Landscape Design Projects, Low Water Landscape, Sustainable Landscape Design, Xeriscape designs Tagged With: drought resistant landscape, drought tolerant gardening, drought tolerant plants, landscape design, landscape designer San Diego

Better Beds with Shrubs Part 1

May 21, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

Shrubs placed to hide the boundaries

Shrubs hide the boundaries of this garden

 

For me as a landscape designer placing shrubs in a design is as natural as adding sweetener to my desserts; I’m so sure of their benefits (shrubs, that is) that I never think much about them. However, they have, perhaps the most important place in a home landscape design, and a recent visit at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon where many spectacular specimens were in bloom, made me realize how effective shrubs are in any landscape, and so I thought I’d investigate their role.

example of foundation plantings

Foundation plantings can easily take on a very static look

Foundation Plantings

We all know the old standards in our traditional gardens, the Indian Hawthorns or Mock Oranges placed along the base of houses and therefore called “foundation” shrubs. Those gardeners practicing a more low-water and water-wise landscape style might think of Bird of Paradise, or New Zealand Tea Trees (a bush despite of its name) or perhaps Butterfly Bush; other people who have not yet gotten used to our dry climate prize their favorite (when it’s in bloom), the Lilac or the Hydrangea.

These are mostly large bushes with showy flowers, oftentimes pruned to fit the space… As their place was poorly chosen at planting the homeowner ends up fighting the eternal fight and pruning it into unnatural shapes and blobs. Bothered by these maintenance chores, one might not consider the benefits that these very special plants bring to our gardens nor the amazing multitude of size, texture and form we enjoy here in southern California.

The architectural role of shrubs

The most important aspect perhaps is going to be visible in our ‘slow’ months of July and August: It’s so hot and the sunshine so intense that many plants go into summer rest (“estivation” which is the equivalent of winter dormancy. Our California natives are particularly adept at it). Now even drought resistant plants used to our “Mediterranean” climate because of similar origin (such as Daylilies, Lavender Cotton, Iris and Beard’s Tongue or Pelargonium… ) are done with their first cycle of bloom and go into a waiting period until the night temperatures drop and the days get shorter, in mid September or thereabouts.

Coral tree knits perennials below it together 2

A limbed-up Coral tree “knits” the perennials below it together

 

Accent and cohesion

Now imagine a planter bed filled with these small and mid-sized perennials, even succulents and grasses, and notice how “flat” it looks during these months and how little interest there is in such a planting; all is more or less of the same height and “weight” and nothing provides a resting place for the eyes.

However, add a few bushes in the right places, and all of a sudden the scene comes to life: These taller plants provide an anchor and accent, an organizing feature, one that holds the scene together. And while all other smaller plants can put on a great show and are continuously changing, a well placed shrub can give great strength and permanence to this scene.

Sunset Gold Coleonema contrasts w perennial grasses

‘Gold Sunset’ Pink Breath of Heaven with its spreading, reaching form contrasts with the perennial grasses behind

Organization & structure

Place a well-chosen shrub in the background, perhaps spreading like a sheltering umbrella over your soft perennials, and your planter bed will instantly gain organization and structure. Now add to this colorful berries that persist on the shrub, such as Cotoneaster or Toyon, and the visual interest of this planter bed will last perhaps even into the next spring.

Parney Cotoneaster

Parney Cotoneaster provides shelter, food for birds, small mammals and insects

 

Some shrubs serve as providers of food and cover, for birds and insects, and enrich our gardens that way. Shown here is the evergreen, water-wise Parney Cotoneaster.

Please see the upcoming Part 2 of this article in which I explore how to design with shrubs, and give a list of choice shrubs to work with.

Filed Under: Drought Resistant Landscape Tagged With: backyard landscape design, drought resistant landscaping, drought tolerant plants, landscape designer San Diego, low water landscape

DIY Landscape Design: Breathe New Life into Your Garden, Part 2

January 31, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

Boundaries – Defining your space

boundries

A fence encloses, shelters and says “Here I’m safe”

As mentioned in the last post, the word ‘garden’ means enclosure. You are perhaps among those that enjoy a front lawn that is shared with their neighbors…

Other people need more of it, telling the world “This is my space” and “This is where I create my personal world.” To them boundaries imply that this space could be defended; they feel their personal space is intimate only when it is enclosed and when the fences or hedges restrict the access to their home. For them, even the front garden needs to be delineated, marked and enclosed, even if it is only with the hint of an enclosure, such as low fence or a row of shrubs.

If you feel more comfortable with an enclosure, consider that its type depends on your need for privacy or protection, as well as the style of your home. It should complement the house and garden that it protects, in design, scale, level of formality, materials or overall character.

This could also be the opportunity to show off your creativity or personality with some whimsical or artful accents.

Your outside living rooms

outdoor living room

Isn’t a pond so much more interesting than a lawn?

Rather than seeing your garden as a static picture from inside your breakfast nook or from your patio, it might be time to view your landscape as an opportunity to create “rooms” for different purposes:

Perhaps you could have a private reading nook? A hammock under a tree might be all that’s needed… Or you have dreamed of a yoga/meditation nook? A small deck or paved area hidden away behind some large bushes might work for that. Or you have fantasies of loosing the old lawn and creating garden scenes that you can discover on an meandering pathway? If there’s too little room for separate spaces, perhaps it’s time to create your dreamy and forever soothing and entertaining pond, right next to your patio?

Now add personality and character (Accents & plants)

accent plants

A bench placed under a tree and surrounded by foliage and flowers promises relaxation and comfort.

In shaping your garden, your fantasies and desires should be your guides: Now is the time to dream and then figure out how to bring your vision to reality.

You might have already assembled many cut-sheets, photos and magazine articles on landscape scenes that have appealed to you, and it will help to examine them for a common theme. I’d note why these images speak to you: Is it the intimacy of a space? The romantic feeling of a nook? The privacy of a green arbor? The intriguing textures of a plant scene? The playfulness of a whimsical fountain and a bench nearby inviting you to sit down with a magazine?

garden statues

What object can give a garden a greater personal touch than your own fountain design?

By looking at these images, you can better evaluate your own garden and improve it by giving the whole your personal stamp and style.

For example, a stone ball could be an energetic and self-contained sculpture that’s a whimsical and a forever appealing counter point in the midst of your flowers. A glass ball could add a gleam of light among them, too.

Strolling past a whirligig, or a found object, or … (you fill in the blank) would be fun. This special thing will make you happy and will reveal just a little about your personality to the visitor.

water-wise perennials

Here, succulents and water-wise perennials surround the play lawn.

Ideas for colorful plantings abound online or in print in plant books and beautiful gardening magazines, or you can find them in botanical displays (such as the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon , or the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas), so I’d like to add mainly these ideas:

Shrubs make good “bones”: they are part of the backbone of a garden, can provide privacy and screening; they add the permanence to the otherwise ephemeral plant material; Smaller shrubs and perennials then provide the décor, color, more temporary interest; they remind us of the passing of time and the never-ending cycle of natural processes.

All of these plants are vital to our gardens; but none should overpower them.

Time to plant a tree? (Or: Anchor your home to the environment; it might “fly off” otherwise…)

trees for san diego county

A tree can balance the proportions of a house, and “anchor” it to its environment

One of the most overlooked features often missing in gardens, especially in front yards, is a tree that embellishes the home. I don’t mean a tree that’s growing into the power lines or breaks up your driveway… nor a Eucalyptus long forgotten in the back yard, or a Pine tree that’s shedding needles onto your porch or roof either. I don’t mean a monster that has been topped and that can’t throw any shade on your home, in summer.

san diego trees

Trees organize, give structure and reinforce the character of a garden

Trees provide structure and organization to the garden, they add “weight” and character. They give shelter and shade to people, animals and plants; they screen out unwanted views or frame desirable ones.

Here’s what I would look for: A tree, in proportion to your home (for a one story home that means a tree that doesn’t get bigger than 25-30 ft), placed where it cools your home in summer. I would choose a deciduous tree: In winter then the sun will warm your house.

Don’t forget that the height of a tree, say 25 ft, usually means that the roots will spread AT LEAST as wide, but most trees’s root systems spread 1-2 times that far… It’s therefore very important that you plant the tree at a distance of at least half of its height from any trees for san diegostructure (foundation walls, patios, walkways, driveways) that could restrict its growth, or where the roots could do damage later down the road.

A tree like that can ‘anchor’ your home to the surroundings and firmly ‘plant’ it in its environment. The tree’s canopy will be a shelter for anybody walking under it; which is why I would try to plant it close to porches or terraces.

Now you’re (almost) there: You can already look for the new hammock to hang in that tree…

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diy landscape design, landscape design help, landscape designer San Diego, Sustainable landscape design

DIY Landscape Design: Breathe New Life into Your Garden

January 28, 2014 By Christiane Holmquist

January is a perfect time for winter clean up  and fresh home landscape design ideas.  This post shows you how to breathe new life into your garden.

Erythrina bidwillii Coral Tree 3Coral Tree (Erythrina bidwillii) A Coral Tree in full bloom is a gorgeous sight, and seeing it you might have felt a stir of desire for such a punch of color in your garden? And did you realize that you haven’t enjoyed it much lately, that it is stale, and that much about it bothers you? But how do you breathe life into it?

 

January, for us Southern Californios, is a perfect time for winter clean up and fresh landscape design ideas: Although this winter  is warmer than usual, it is still a better season to plant than summer. So should you start your refresher with plants?

The Power of Structure

garden structure

A beautiful plant scene is seductive, but without a structure is does not become a garden.

It’s easy to be seduced by the gorgeous plants at a specialty nursery or in a magazine, and many gardeners have the impression that introducing new exotics or the latest hybrid would be the solution to a satisfying outdoor living space. However, in my consultations at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon I meet many homeowners who, much more urgently than with plants, accents or atmosphere, need help with the basic “bones”. That is, with the structures that give shape and form to a garden:  As the original meaning of the word ‘garden’ implies,  it’s the ‘enclosure’ , the pathways and edgers, gates and transitions, pergolas and fences, patios and shelters that create the garden.  Only when they can fulfill their functions of giving definition, protection and organization to the garden would I be ready to flesh it out with plants, accents, personal style.

low hand built retaining wallThus, starting with the structure(s) can remedy the underlying defects or shortcomings of any landscape. But should you begin in the front yard, or rather the backyard?

In practical life, it’s only you who can answer this questions:  If your front yard is not inviting any longer and you get upset every time you come home, it’s time to invest here.

However, if you can accept the idea that the front yard isn’t perfect but it’s really your backyard that bothers you most because you don’t find the peace and comfort here that you dream of, it’s wiser and more satisfying to create that sanctuary first.  From the enjoyment of that space it will be the easier to tolerate the imperfect front yard!

Elements to consider

beautiful garden path to front doorIf it’s the front yard that needs refreshing, ask yourself:  What’s there to invite a visitor to walk up to my front door?  Could the trash cans be hidden behind their own enclosure? Are the irrigation valves out of sight? Is it safe for walking; are the steps even, the lighting sufficient, the path wide enough?

Is there a genuine walkway, or do your visitors walk up to your front door on your driveway?  If so, now is the time to give your walkway the “weight” it deserves:  To approach a front door on a driveway that’s just wide enough for the owner’s cars feels to me as though visitors aren’t really expected.  Creating a walkway allows you to show off your landscape and to create a ‘discovery’ path makes the journey more memorable:  Let the visitor get a feel for your personal touch and appreciate your love for details, by planting attractive plants, setting out yard art perhaps, or displaying an attractive container.

The garden underfoot

flagstone stairs

Here, a beautiful flagstone on concrete walkway is leads safely to the front door.

Don’t forget also to look at your pavement: Is it comfortable, safe and in harmony with the style of your house?

The options for the pavement materials are numerous: Prefabricated concrete pavers; porcelain or stone tile; brick or flagstones on concrete or placed directly on sand; DG or concrete…Even decking material (as in wood/timber or synthetic  lumber) can work and give a beautifully warm and naturalistic touch to the landscape.

 

Flagstones “sand-set” with inter-planting lend naturalism to a landscape

flagstone with inter-plantingAs a response perhaps to the stress of urban life and our isolation from nature, I get a lot of requests for flagstone and DG as pavement material because they are perceived as more naturalistic, and flagstone is very “in” these days.  A flagstone path with green plants between the flat stones can look very attractive. The reality, unfortunately, is that these “inter-plantings” are rarely successful: As these plants need to be watered, this kind of pavement doesn’t contribute exactly to water savings, and it’s advisable to apply the irrigation at times when any puddles on the irregular surfaces of the stones can evaporate before the morning use.

Fait back garden path and bench crop

DG used in a naturalistic garden path fits well into a relaxed landscape

More of a nuisance are the weeds that invade these inter-spaces often and that are difficult to eliminate; most often they need to be pulled by hand. Leaving sand, DG (decomposed granite), or coarser gravel between the stones would be the easiest solutions.

flagstone pavers

Flagstone as garden path is attractive material, with or without inter-planting

DG is made from weathered granite. In the landscape industry it is most often used in pavement as a naturalistic material that, if not “stabilized” by additives, is permeable.  It is mixed with color and sold in several earth tones,and when compacted it is a material widely used in landscaping.  Unfortunately, despite of the compaction and binding agents used in it, the surface grains sit loosely on top and therefore the DG should only be used on a flat area; in my opinion it’s not suitable for any ramped area as one could easily slip and fall.

As material used for a path leading  to a front door I myself don’t use it much; I find it too ‘loose’ and relaxed for most front yards, and hesitate to recommend it when it is likely that feet and shoes carry the coarse sandy grains into the house.

Flagstone, firmly set in concrete in a walkway, is costly in comparison to interlocking pavers, or colored concrete, or laid “on grade” (on sand/without concrete base). With inter-spaces, and sand between the flags, it is not as foot-friendly and trip-safe as I would want it to be, in a space that’s accessible to the public.

Concrete pavers (“interlocking”) are a very popular paving material

concrete interlocking paversInterlocking (or segmental) pavers are much in demand these days because versatile and attractive. (Actually, pavers made from stone, concrete or brick have been in use for thousands of years.) The varying degrees of tumbling of the paving stones that define the texture, and the pattern and size define the character of the paved areas, and you can achieve effects from an elegant smooth pavement to a historic-looking ancient cobble stone effect.

concrete paversThe pavers are easy to remove if necessary (for instance when you want to add a footing for a shade structure or other features later); cracking can never occur (as would be possible with concrete pavement).

Colored concrete is also used; I find the sandy “sand finish” or “acid wash” on colored concrete very attractive and fitting into a contemporary as well as a classic look.

Whether colored acid-wash concrete, concrete pavers or cut stone pavers laid directly “on grade” (directly on native soil or sand), you’d benefit from the help from an experienced craftsman/mason.

Click here to read more about DIY Landscape Design …

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: diy landscape design, home landscape design, landscape design help, landscape designer San Diego, landscape ideas

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Christiane, your design is beautiful. Viewers love the design and color. Thank you so much for all your support while the project was being developed. It would have been more stressful for me had you not held my hand regularly.

Rachel Michel

CHRISTIANE HOLMQUIST LANDSCAPE DESIGN


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