Two of the functions of good planting design that work together to marry the house to the site are:

1. to complement the home
2. to have the home appear integrated (connected) to its surroundings

There are certainly other functions accomplished by good planting design, like creating spaces, directing views and traffic, screening, etc.   But this “complementing and integrating the house to the site” is major.

In the picture above, this house is desperate for both hardscape and landscape planting design.  The house dominates the relatively narrow property and to make matters worse, the grade drops off steadily on the right.

We know this house is “off-balance” and the right side is just dominating the view with its tall expanse of siding and windows.

You’re probably thinking what I first thought.  Why couldn’t there be a huge 80′ shade tree on the right side front?   Can you imagine how that would change the whole picture?

It was not to be.  The new homeowners had come from a previous property that had loads of large trees and they did not “want to go there…again”.

Think long-term, think work-in-progress.

I mentioned it before in previous posts – these landscapes are works-in-progress.  Provided you do a professional job from day one, odds are good you’ll be adding to and modifying this landscape in the future.  For example, I’m thinking that someday I’ll be helping this homeowner select a nice, big shade tree for the right side front.

But in the meantime…

Never underestimate the effectiveness of mid-size ornamental trees, especially in close proximity to the house.

The homeowner welcomed the idea of ornamental trees.  I suggested Purpleleaf Plum off the right front corner.  It’s planted approximately 15′ from the building giving it room to develop.

Now brace yourself because I recommended Japanese Red Maple for the side of the house.  I know what you’re thinking: “What are you crazy?  There isn’t much room for that tree to grow!”

Before you report me to the “Better Plant Use Bureau” let me explain.  Japanese Maple is one of those trees that by shape and form is very “malleable “.  What I mean is the growth habit and branch structure respond and react really well to pruning.

Oh, and one more point to make with regard to using the maple close to the house.  We searched for this plant looking for a particular shape and branch structure.  It stands about 18′ high.  Dave Kennedy, our contributing landscape contractor, used one of his mechanical tree spades to dig the plant and place it in a wire basket.  A skid steer was used to bring it to the planting spot.

The house has a home.

The two ornamental trees add much needed weight to the right side of the house.  Their height breaks up the broad expanse of  the windows and siding.  Notice how the tree canopies soften the transition from the flat plane of the property to the vertical lines of the building.

I should mention too the improved psychological feeling particularly when you drive or walk down the driveway.  Just having the tree branching reaching out overhead helps immensely to make you feel more comfortable.

The foliage colors, flowering and textures of the trees and the understory plantings complement the home.  Add 2 to 3 years of growth with proper care and this home will be even more integrated with its surroundings.

Disguising A Utility Pole

Although there are quite a few communities that do not have utility poles, I still think of them as a common issue (and challenge) in the landscape.  Utility companies are not being design conscious when they place them – they can’t be.  It’s a matter of support for their wires and they can’t be thinking about how their pole fits aesthetically  into the landscape.

Here’s one strategy I’ve used quite a few times.  Climbing Hydrangea, although deciduous, works wonders as a vigorous climbing plant that in a relatively short time will wrap around the pole with lush, glossy green foliage.  As a bonus it will also flower in early summer.

Here, to your left, is a recent project currently underway with the woody plant installations – additional perennials and groundcovers will follow. While trying to blend the landscaped property with the neighboring woodland, we have this utility pole smack dab in the mix.  It’s kind of a blatant statement of civilization.  So at the pole’s base we plant a young climbing plant (Hydrangea petiolaris) (5 gal. size).

I was anxious to show you what the effect will be and remembered this other design of mine.  This hydrangea has been planted by this pole for about 3 years now.  It is pruned every year just to keep it trained on the pole itself and not to grow much beyond the height you see.  I did mention the descriptive term vigorous, and I’m not kidding.  It would eventually grow right up the entire pole, but with a little attention you can keep it in check.  I think this climbing plant does a great job of camouflaging the pole without taking up too much space at its base.  This plant happens to be a favorite of mine and I’ll continue to show you why in future posts.

A Never Realized Feature

This homeowner asked me for a design to renovate the front landscape. The only specific request they had was to save a beautiful Laceleaf Maple that was planted up against the foundation of the house. Beyond that they were relying on me to give their home a new look. I’ve written before about the role design often plays in terms of function and this project offers an excellent example of that principle.

The home is located on a corner lot.  The driveway is on the right side, which leads to the garage beneath the first floor of the house.  From this driveway/garage level the property rises to the front door where it’s only 2 steps up to the first floor and main living area. Supporting the grade change by the driveway was an existing timber wall along with masses of old shrubbery.

Up above, the front door had its own walkway that meandered towards the opposite street from the driveway entrance (remember, this is a corner lot), where it served as the main walkway access to the home.  If you happened to pull in their driveway as a visitor, you would have to walk across their sloped lawn to get to the front door.

A Simple Stairway – Walkway Solution

The timber wall was aging which really incentivized me to replace the wall and at the same time provide steps and a secondary walkway from the driveway level to the front door. The idea and design was well received and the project went ahead.  After the new stone stairway and wall, the walkway continued as incremental stretches of walk and then 1 or 2 stone slab steps until it met up and merged with the existing front  walk. The jaunt up the new steps and walkway was a pleasant stroll as I integrated rock outcroppings and plant groupings to “naturally” retain some of the sloping grades. The homeowner said she actually looked forward to parking down by the garages and walking up to the front door.

The inside became a one room lounge area with tile floor, a counter/cabinet section with sink and fridge, and a cozy grouping of comfortable seating surrounding a low coffee table. To provide a changing area for guests, an outside enclosure was built off the back of the cabana. This private changing area includes a few separate stalls with built-in benches and hooks for clothes. There’s also a shower and all this is “open to the sky”, which is quite nice considering the season of use.

In the overall setting I like the scale of the cabana. It provides the practical amenities the family needs without overpowering.

It is very important that before you undertake a project like this you thoroughly plan out and consider every detail. Then, when it comes time to begin the work, there must be someone (general contractor, project manager, etc.) scheduling and overseeing each phase. Otherwise the project is destined to have mistakes and delays.

The jacuzzi / waterfall you see was built close to the wetlands line. Under no circumstance are you able to encroach on this line in any way. One of our challenges was to give this elevated feature a complementing setting that would help visually justify it being there. Within the limited space we worked with large boulders to echo the waterfall and to support additional earth that was brought in. Finally, with careful selection and placement of plant material, the jacuzzi / waterfall appears as though it belongs there.

Right away you can see a more inviting and useable space. The stone stoop and steps bring you directly down onto the patio. Where the raised wood deck once occupied space there’s now a “one level patio”. The stone, curvilinear steps leading down to the lawn convey a comfortable transition from one area to the next. One visitor commented the new work “just feels right”. Sometimes that’s the best way to make a design decision…when it just feels right.