Race Street Pier

View of the upper level of the pier and the Ben Franklin Bridge.

               A couple of months ago the Race Street Pier in Philadelphia opened to the public.  Since this was a brand new work of landscape architecture right in my backyard I figured I should take a trip into the city to see it.  I hopped a SEPTA Train at the Malvern Station with my trusty road bike, camera, and my head full of great expectations. 

               The Race Street Pier was formerly known as ‘Pier 11’ and was a rundown unused urban space.  Located right next to the Ben Franklin Bridge and offering dramatic views of the Delaware River, this Pier was ripe for redevelopment.  This is one of the first of many public parks built by the Delaware Waterfront Corporation.  Three designs were presented and ‘The Slice’ won.  I must say as a designer this design is spectacularly dynamic.  Check out all of the designs HERE

The lighting at the end of the pier is quite unique.  Place randomly into the pavers, it really creates a show when viewed from the bridge above or even on ground level.

One of the most striking details is the use of ‘Cor-Ten’ steel for the raised planters.  Cor-Ten steel is meant to rust, protecting it from the any further degradation from climatic forces.  Once it takes on the dramatic brownish, red color the protective barrier has formed.  This material really harkens back to the Piers more humble, industrial beginnings.    

The winning design is dominated by a large, sloping ramp that rises along the north side of the pier.  Constructed of ‘Trex’ wood it should last a very long time.  

Dramatic view of the Ben Franklin Bridge

View from the end of the Pier toward the city.  Notice Comcast Center peaking it's head out of the mist.

Native plantings with Cor-Ten steel planters

If you have any question don't hesitate to visit our web page at www.lawn-scapes.net!

Whats All This Rain Good For?

With the record setting amounts of rain we’ve had in the past few weeks keeping lawns cut has been challenging.  But with all this rain there are many benefits, soft soil being one.  September and October are the prime months to core aerate and overseed your lawn.  Core aeration and overseeding provide visable benefits to your lawn above ground and stimulate root growth below the soil.  By aerating the lawn, you are breaking up compaction in the soil which allows water and air to move about, stimulating lawn roots.  Aeration also breaks up any thatch that has accumulated throughout the growing season.  After aeration, it is best to overseed with a Tall fescue mixture.  Be sure to check where your seed comes from, the germination rate and the Weed Seed Percentage.  Seed should be spread at approximately 5 pounds per 1000 square feet, 7-8 pounds per 1000 in bare areas.  Grass seed will need 1.5- 2 inches of watering per week and you should see germination (growth) in 2 weeks time. 

-Mike Pickel

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. 

Container Gardening

Don’t have much space to garden but love growing plants?  Well don’t fret you can always grow flowers, vegetables, and flowering shrubs in pots and containers! Not all shrubs respond well to being planted in pots and containers.  In general you want to avoid ones that have large, fleshy roots.  Almost anything that will hold dirt can be used as a planting container but, be sure to drill a drain hole in the bottom.  Some ideas for containers are wine or whiskey barrels, and metal pails.  Of course, you can purchase all manner of clay, glazed clay, and Styrofoam pots from you local garden center.  When choosing a container for your shrub, consider the mature size of the shrub.  A plant that grows 4’-5’ Tall and 3’-4’ Wide will require a pot at least 2.5’ Wide and 1.5’ Deep.

            In preparation for planting a shrub in a container, make sure that there is a drain hole in the bottom (some pots do not come with them).  If it does not be sure to purchase the correct bit for the material and drill one.  The next thing to do is pour an inch to inch and a half of drainage material into the bottom of the pot.  Drainage material can range from crushed aluminum cans (my Grandma swore by these!), broken clay pots, or course gravel.  This layer give the water an out at the bottom of the pot so the roots do not sit in water for an extended period of time.

            Use a good, name brand potting soil such as Fafard or Miracle Grow.  I personally like to use soil with no added fertilizer or “water retainers”.  This is because I like to add my own; typically, I really like Osmocote’s Time Released Pellets.  The soils with “water retainers” can keep the roots of the plant too wet and cause root rot.  Place enough soil in the bottom of the pot so the base of the plant’s stem is level with the top of the container.  Place the plant in the pot and fill and tamp the soil around the root ball. 

            Water thoroughly anytime the soil dries out.  Check this by sticking your finger into the soil.  If it is dry water the soil in the pot thoroughly and deeply.  You want water to drip out the drain hole in the bottom of the pot.  Watering like this pulls fresh air into the porous spaces in the soil.  A little know fact is that a plant’s roots need oxygen to function correctly.

            It is a good idea to pull the shrub out of the pot once a year to replace the soil, trim the roots (in order to prevent the plant from becoming root bound), and clean the pot.  This will help keep soil born diseases from killing the plant.  This is also a good time to determine if the shrub should be moved into a larger container.  Thanks for reading!!!

-Matt