Choosing Hardscape Materials

Material choice is, perhaps, the most fun step in a landscape design.  Material can (and will!) determine the direction a project takes.  It can determine the paving pattern, whether the design in curvy or posses straight lines, and the formality of the space.  Do you want a modern feeling space?  Do you want to have a monolithic wall or have it broken up with smaller stone?  Would you like natural stone or an interlocking concrete paving system?  These are all choices you need to make when thinking about a hardscape.  

PA Irregular Flagstone with a reclaimed brick border.

Quarter Ton Brown Boulders are great features in planting beds or dry creek beds.

Materials also determine the character of the space.  Whether you are going for an extremely modern space or want your patio to look like it is a hundred years old, material choice is very important.  Colors, architectural elements, and paving materials all need to work together to create a cohesive space.  At LawnScapes, we like to take our clients to a supplier’s yard to show them the wide range of natural materials and the options to be had.  Nothing is more fun that a shopping trip!  I tend to advise clients to take the time to choose the boulders, colors, and materials in person so that they know exactly what the materials look like. 

The rustic character of this space is accentuated by the stacked stone wall, broken flagstone cap and the stepping stones.

This entry courtyard is meant to be very formal.  The Rectilinear design, double sailor course of brick, and the range pattern flagstone really adds to the gravitas of the space.

Visit Delaware Hardscape Supply’s Website, CST Pavers, and EP Henry to pick out some of your favorite materials.  As always, please do not hesitate to visit our website at www.lawn-scapes.net to give us feedback! 

-Matt Bradley

Water Features

Water is one of the most desirable elements in the garden and because of this it is the most important elements in the design.  When designing with water, it is important to think about its inherent characteristics: it runs downhill and collects in low spots.  Try to respect and design within these characteristics in mind.  For example, even the most well designed pool will look silly perched on the top of a hill in the middle of a garden.  It is also very important to consider the scale of the water feature in comparison to the scale of the space that it is placed in. 

               Water can be informal or informal.  This is decided upon based on the design of the garden.  A formal reflecting pool would not work in an informal landscape design for example.  When designing an informal pool look to nature and the surrounding local ponds.  Use the informality to inform your plant selection; use native water loving plants for the best results.  Formal pools have many more rules to follow because applying a strong rigid form to a loose, fluid element.  The formal pond should be set in a space that helps define it.  They tend to be free standing and set in the middle of a flat open space.  A formal pool can be many shapes including, rectangles, ellipses, as long as it’s a formal, well defined shape. 

               A pool tends to be the focus of the garden that it is a part of, because of this an important consideration is its appearance in the winter.  To look nice in all seasons a pool needs to have a refined proportions, clean lines, and well designed lines.  Plants can play into the winter landscape as well.  Ornamental grasses, and other plants should be chosen for their winter shape, form, and winter interest.  Making these important considerations will make your pool or water garden have plenty of year round interest.

               Streams and brooks bring movement, sound, and an opportunity to introduce naturalistic plantings to a landscape.  Streams also act as an axis in a garden, dividing spaces, and defining them.  A stream can cut a landscape in two or create and edge for the design.  A stream forces the garden design to form around it and with it.  Bringing informality or formality to the landscape can be accomplished by using a stream as well.  Fast moving water should be focused on, the banks should be treated simply.  Slower moving water can be treated with a seating area, and more elaborate planting areas. 

               Fountains are amazingly dynamic focal points.  Water in a fountain can be use as a gentle gurgle or in a huge, forceful jet.  The best fountains work within the context of the body of water that they are part of.  Elaborate displays of water work in simple spaces; where the plantings or the planning is complicated the water display should be simple and fade into the background.  When designing a fountain think about the visual effects:  How high should the jets rise?; How wide the should the basin be?; How many different levels should there be?; What angles should the jets be at?  These are always a good questions to consider.

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

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