Composting Tips and Tricks

This week I am going to talk about composting.  We will cover the benefits, the how, and the why.  Composting is a great way to recycle, create your own rich soil, and to amend your existing soil with.  Given air and water in sufficient quantities, a compost pile will create useable soil from waste materials in a very reasonable amount of time.

            There are several potential materials that can be composted:

1.     Leaves

2.     Grass Clippings

3.     Raw Kitchen Materials

4.     Coffee Grounds

5.     Vacuum Cleaner Fluff

6.     Sawdust

7.     Newspapers (must be soaked down, very well)

Woody materials, such as limbs and trimmings should be avoided, because it will slow down the decomposition of your compost pile.  Other materials that should not be included into your compost pile are: cooked food scraps (they will attract wild animals), diseased plants, roots of perennial weeds, and seed of perennial weeds.  Most of these materials will spread disease, or allow weeds to grow.

The compost pile should be constructed in a hidden part of your yard, or garden.  You can build an open, stacked compost pile, or construct a bin out of lumber and chicken wire.  Do not try to compost in a close bin or a trash can, because they do not allow proper air circulation bacteria need to digest materials.  To build an open compost pile you should start with a 1’ thick layer of grass clippings, leaves, or hay laid in a 5’x5’ square.  Pack this layer down and wet it well with a hose.  Once wet, sprinkle on ammonium sulfate (if your soil is basic) or sodium nitrate (if you soil is acidic).  Cover this preliminary layer with at least two inches of soil.  Continue this process gradually by adding material as it becomes available.  After each 12” layer of suitable material is completed, wet and cover with soil exactly like the first layer until the pile is about 5’ tall.  The top layer should be covered with 3”-4” of soil and be slightly concave to catch rain water.  Make sure to keep your compost pile slightly wet at all times to speed up decomposition.

      When the compost is ready it will be black or dark brown, crumbly, and sweet smelling.  This process can take about 3 months in the summer and slightly longer in the winter but, depends upon how much material you can contribute.  Now get out there and make some soil!  If you any questions don't hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net!

A simpler Time.....

Ever wish you could step back in time?  Find a place where all the hassles of the modern world melt away?  Well I have found that location.  Now I do not want to give the exact location where this magical retreat is but, I will tell you about it!

A shot of the stone chimney and naturalistic landscaping.

               My wife’s family has a lake house in Great North Woods of Wisconsin that her Great Grandfather built during The Great Depression.  He needed a way to keep his factory workers busy so he would not have to lay them off.  If you have ever seen “The Great Outdoors” with John Candy and Dan Akroyd then you have a great picture of the surrounding landscape.  Once a year Sarah and I like to escape for a week or two to decompress, mountain bike, water ski, and drink the amazing Wisconsin beer. 

View of the dock and "Echo Cove"

               The lake house and the crystal clear lake it is on serves as an inspiration to me every time I visit.  We have no television, internet (wireless included), and out cell phones barley receive service!  We really can relax, listen to the sounds of the lake, and have good conversations with our family.  I always come back ready to work and with plenty of photographic inspiration for my design work.  Since the family owns it, we have the responsibility of keeping it up.  I love working on the cabin, the boathouse and in the surrounding yard/woods.  To keep the upkeep to a minimum the landscaping is very naturalistic and composed of flora native to the North Woods.  Species include Black Pine, White Birch, and several varieties of native grasses.  The main focus is on removing small trees (when they grow in nuisance areas), ensuring that the crushed red stone walks are compacted, and the paths are swept clean.  Unfortunately, any chores must be completed before we can go skiing, kayaking, or for a bike ride!

View to the Boat House showing the natural landscaping and walkways.

 The idea of a wooded landscape composed of native flora and fauna really inspires me.  In spite of my chosen profession, I really do not enjoy yard work all that much!  With an eye for design and function I would love to see more landscaping like this in Pennsylvania.  How much lawn do you really need?  Enough to lounge, through the football, or run the dog; with careful planning all of these uses can be accommodated without requiring a Saturday spent on the mower.  Color within a naturalistic landscape can be provided with native azaleas, dogwoods, and other shade tolerant understory plants. 

Mixture of native grasses and ferns.

   Once you move beyond the landscape surrounding the cabin and start exploring the wondrous natural expanse of the forest beyond it you find many interesting things.  One of my morning rituals is to take either the kayak or the canoe out and paddle around our cove.  There are two islands and several swampy areas to explore.  The first is named ‘Bud’s Island’ after the man who built the primitive cabin that is on it.  As you can see from the pictures nature is slowly reclaiming all of his hard work.

Cabin being slowly reclaimed by nature.

I really love the aesthetic created by the cabin, pine straw, and the birch trees; it is just so picture perfect.  While exploring we were extremely careful to not disturb ANYTHING!  We want to preserve this for future generations to explore and enjoy.

Close up of the cabin.

  Once done photographing the cabin and exploring the island, I moved on to exploring the swamps.  The flora is amazing, encompassing all manner of flowering water plants and lily pads.  Lily pads bloom in two colors on our lake, white and yellow.  The white blooms are becoming more and rarer as they are out competed by the yellow.  One sad sign of the times is the appearance of the Eurasian Milfoil  in the lake.  The Milfoil is an invasive exotic that is quickly out competing the native plant species in the lake.  It is quite the nuisance and pretty disgusting when it attaches itself to your leg when swimming.  The local forestry office has come up with a pretty interesting way to control this pest.  Their method consists of a pontoon boat, two divers, and what is basically a vacuum.  One diver goes down and uses the suction hose to harvest patches of Milfoil while the other stays up top.  This seems to be working quite well, though every time a boat drives through a patch the prop cuts any Milfoil present to pieces and disperses little pieces to reproduce asexually.  We do our part by taking out the kayaks and raking the dock and beach areas clear of floating pieces

Lily pads in the swamp.

Rare white blooming lily pad.

These plants bloom a beautiful purple spike.

Mini Trees!

Greetings from a simpler time!

Interesting facets of daily life in Wisconsin’s North Woods are the so called ‘Supper Clubs.’  These are mostly family run restaurants that are run out of lodges or old homes.  Our personal favorite is Norwood Pines.  The lodge it is run out of is absolutely beautiful and the ice-cream drinks are to die for; by far the best food in the area.

Norwood Pines Supper Club

  Many of the homes in the area are marked with amazing stone work, be it chimneys or walls, our cabin included.  The craftsmanship inherent to this kind of work is on display every place you visit. 

Fireplace in the boathouse.

Stone retaining wall.

I love our cabin for its obvious age and the antiques that still work perfectly (or not so perfectly).  These antiques lend a feel of a time gone by to the cabin and I would never update any of these items for the sake of modernism.

I love the illustration but I don't know if I would trust this in a fire.

Vintage door closer.

View of the boathouse and our dog, Sam.

I hope all you readers are enjoying these blogs about what inspires me and you have thought of a place that inspires you as well.  Writing these help me recapture some of the thoughts and ideas that I had when I was experiencing them and by writing are refreshing them in my memory! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net.


-Matt Bradley

Design Blog #1-The Entry Courtyard

In this series I will be discussing the thought process, materials, and hard work that went into our more recent projects.  I hope that this series will not only serve as an example of the quality of work and design, but how we work with the client to arrive at the final design.  This process, though stressful at times, is extremely rewarding for us (the designer/contractor) and the client/homeowner.  I hope you guys enjoy and we would love to hear your thoughts and commentary!

The Entry Courtyard

 I had the pleasure of designing a classic entry courtyard for a home in Chadd’s Ford.  The home is set back quite far off the road providing a large open green space for the front yard.  The current landscaping did not fit the grandeur and architecture of the home.  The home owner was looking for something a little more grand, gave room to lounge, and allowed for the use of the front yard as an area to throw the football or kick a soccer ball.

The obligatory 'before picture'

To accomplish this, I put together a design with the help and input of the clients, incorporating all of their needs, while reacting to the genus loci of the area and the architecture of the home. 

Final Rendering

As you can see from the plan, we worked with a rectilinear design language creating a walled courtyard that still allows for entry to and from the yard.  I chose the classic ‘range pattern’ flagstone to reinforce the rectilinear design and chose to match the face stone of the seat walls to the existing stone on the home.  The walk is edged with a classic double sailor course of 4”x8” bricks.   

Picture of the walkway illustrating the range pattern flagstone and double sailor course border

Picture illustrating the Avondale Brownstone walls of the home and the newly constructed seat walls

These design elements reflect the genus loci of the site by replicating the design language and the materials use the southeastern part of Pennsylvania, and the many stone farmhouses of the area.  All of the materials use were locally sourced and are the classic materials of the region.  In fact, our office is just minutes away from the only quarry that produces the Avondale Brownstone used on the walls!  The pattern on the walls and the home is called ‘rubble’ and requires fitting the stones together like a puzzle, piece by piece.  This is an immensely time consuming endeavor but creates a stunning look that breaks up the wall and creates immense interest.  To cap the walls we used ‘thermalled’ and ‘gauged’ Pennsylvania Bluestone.  ‘Thermalling’ is a technique in which the stone is heated up then sprayed with water to split the stone and create a rough texture.  ‘Gauged’ means that all the stone is split at a specified thickness be it 1, 2, or 3 inches thick.  In the case of our caps they are gauged at 2”.  To finish the seat walls and columns we installed brass lighting fixtures with a louvered finishing plate to light the walls and the walkways. 

Seen here is the focal point of the entry courtyard; this paving detail is to set off the future fountain installation.

The focal point of the courtyard is to be a fountain and the paving detail is meant to set it off.  Planted around the fountain are dwarf boxwoods and red barberry.  The red stone chips were an idea that I took from Longwood Gardens and will help set off the grey colored fountain.

24"x24" Bluestone Steppers set into the lawn

Setting 24” x 24” flagstone stepping stones into sod creates a transition between the hardscape and the grass by breaking up the monolithic feel and injecting a different texture between the stepping stones.  This is meant to draw the eye and make the visitor comfortable leaving the ‘structured’ space.

The evergreen plantings were chosen for ease of maintenance, to add another structural element to the landscape, and because they are a classic landscape element.  Perennials and bulbs will be installed when the weather warms back up in the spring.  The perennials and bulb planting will be a mixture of classic bulbs such as Allium and loose, grassy perennial textural plants such as Coreopsis.

View across the courtyard

Front of the home

As you can see from these pictures we created a dynamic, comfortable space, and that matches the scale of the home.

View into the yard

We used hardscape material from: Delaware Hardscape Supply and CST Pavers.  Our plant material came from Water Crest Farms and Valley View Perennials.  If you have any questions don't hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net.

-Matt Bradley

10 Reasons You NEED to Hire a Landscape Designer

1.      Planning is the most important part of any project. 

a.      A good landscape design will bring beauty and style to any home.  It also can raise your property value 10%-15%.  A plan also directs the project, without it a project can quickly become out of hand or go over budget.

2.      Our designer knows what you are thinking even if you don’t.

a.      Matt, our Designer can take what your needs and wants are and reconcile them with the realities of the site. 

3.      Saves you money in the end.

a.      We can work within budgets, plants, and materials to realize your vision.

b.   We guarantee and stand by our work.

4.      Our Designer works closely with the Installation Crew.

a.      This ensures the vision on the paper is realized.

b.   We dimension every plan using Auto Cad to ensure the greatest amount of accuracy.

5.      Materials and Plants Selection

a.      Selections of materials can be very challenging.  We can filter through colors, styles, and specific applications to get the best results and a cohesive design.

6.      A Landscaping project can be overwhelming.

a.      We can ground your project and fix your problem with a designed solution that is beautiful as well as practical.

7.      Improves the final product.

a.      Landscape designers are masters of the design process.  They close the gap between what the client wants and reality by reconciling existing conditions, views, and elements, with a great design.

8.      Professionally Drawn and Scaled Plan.

a.      We will produce a scaled plan using a AutoCad.

b.      Because not everyone can 'see' a landscape when it is presented in 2D LawnScapes also offers 3D Fly throughs of the proposed landscape, to help with visualization. 

9.      Designing and installing a landscape plan takes a lot longer than you think.

a.      You don’t have time to purchase plants, materials, and install a plan.  The average landscape plan takes about a 40 hour week to install.  Why spend your precious weekends doing in your free time what we can do while you are at work?

10.   A Landscape Designer provides clear direction.

a.      By choosing plants that survive in your location and the best material for the application our Landscape Designer will guide through the confusing process. 

Designing with Children in Mind

When commissioning a landscape design, it is very important to consider how children view and interact with the world around them.  Children tend to view the landscape through a microscope, tending to focus on details rather than the big picture.  A child’s garden should appeal to all five of their senses (Moore, 1997).  It is important to instill in children a love of nature that will grow into stewardship and environmental sensitivity.  It is important to remember that children are individuals that can add a lot of insight into the design process. 

            A child needs are best met through nine basic elements provided in a design: discovery, water, loose elements, plant life, wildlife, heights, enclosure, movement, and make believe (Dannenmaier, 1998).  Discovery is very important to a child’s development.  Creative, constructive activity occurs through a child’s opportunity to define the parameters of their play.  One of the most desirable elements in any garden but is one of the least provided because of cost and liability issues.  A child’s need for loose elements can be provided by a sand box, or even natural elements such as dirt, twigs, and pine cones.  Playing with loose elements help children develop skills in construction and creation.  Heights provide a sense of escape to children by providing an exciting perspective.  If your site has great differences in elevation you can provide this very easily though if it doesn’t height can be provided by a well designed tree house.  Movement is the most important element to provide for kids.  Movement is satisfied through physical activity.  Provide children with a play-scape, a lawn area, but most of all make it this area very safe.  Allowing children room to be creative within the landscape is very important.  Providing a space for make-believe is very easy.  This space should have elements that children can adapt to their play.  Kids like to play in enclosed spaces.  Growing up we all had that special place in the woods where we built a “fort” or “cottage (girls).”  These special spaces made us feel safe, and allowed us to play privately.  Providing parents with a good sightline to these spaces is an important consideration when designing these spaces.  When choosing plants for use around children they should not have thorns, or be poisonous.  Common plants to avoid are anemone, caladium, foxglove, hydrangeas, lantanas, mistletoe, and philodendron.  The next question to ask is “should we educate our children about the dangers or eliminate these plants totally?”  Choose plants that have bright colors, unusual features, and interesting flowers.  Consider growing vegetables, and involving children in your gardening activities.  Use plants to attract wildlife into your garden or use a bird feeder.  Providing children with the opportunity to observe animals helps to develop a sense of wonder for natural processes.  

            Providing these nine elements within a well designed landscape is a difficult process.  Juxtaposing children’s areas against more landscape elements requires careful design consideration.  Keeping retaining walls shorter, designing stairs with a shorter rise and longer treads, and thinking about safer paving materials.  When designing for children it is important to stay away from abrasive paving materials such as, tumble bricks.  Use smoother materials such as range pattern flagstone.  Provide boundaries for children by using hedges or privacy fencing.  Providing ample area to circulate around pools, grills, and ensuring that a patio is well lit at night are important considerations.  Avoiding pressure treated lumber and wood chips in your landscape.  Using natural materials around your children is the best policy.  When placing sandboxes, playscapes, or tree houses consider sight lines from your house.  Most children are injured when they are out of sight.  Under playground equipment use certified playground mulch, poured rubber, or rubber mulch.  Install this material at least six inches thick to protect the kids from a hard fall.  Poured rubber is installed six inches thick on a concrete pad and come in a multitude of colors.  When doing the original design considering the children will outgrow any play ground equipment is very important.  Designing play spaces with a future use in mind.  An area that once held a sandbox or swing set can be re-adapted to a planting be, or a private, secret garden with a bench and fountain.  If you would like a pond, think about installing a grid a couple of inches under the surface of the water to prevent a child from drowning. 

            If you have children or are thinking about having a child please consider this in your design.  A child’s input is also an invaluable resource for a designer, so consider involving them in the design process.  With a little careful consideration and good design a landscape can be beautiful and safe as well.      

-Matt Bradley, Designer, BLA