One thing you learn from doing landscape renovation projects is what works and what doesn’t.  The test of time will often determine if something was built correctly or not.

And because our work is outside, never underestimate the affects of  mother nature on the materials you choose and how they are “put together”.  Sun exposure, shade, moisture, temperature, wind, soil type, drainage – these are just some of natures’ forces working against your creations.

Dave Kennedy of Lavelle Farms is handling all aspects of the exterior renovation of this home.  He has recommended to the homeowner a classic bluestone walkway.

This front walkway is one of several hardscape features the family want done as part of phase 1 in this renovation.

Base Prep – Step 1 To Building It Right

I’ll bet most people have heard the advice: “Build it on a good foundation”.  Truer words have never been spoken.

For a “dry-set” bluestone walkway, the base the bluestone sits on is essentially its foundation.

A dry-set bluestone walkway relies on a thick, compacted aggregate base that drains well.

What you’re walkway doesn’t want is:

• moisture building up underneath the stone.  Water can contribute to unstable conditions, and if it freezes can “heave” the surface stones out of position.
• loose or organic soil as part of the sub-base.  The earth that you ultimately build your walkway’s base on should be compacted sub-soil.  Top soils containing organics (such as leaf litter, roots, etc.) should never be used.  Soils like that should be removed.

After excavating for the bluestone walkway the sub-soil is compacted with a vibratory plate compactor.  Dave uses stringlines as a constant reference during construction.

All specifics such as walkway pitch and number of steps are worked out in the designing phase.

After sub-soil compaction Mirafi filter fabric is laid at the bottom and sides to keep the base material from mixing with the sub-soil.  In the picture above 3/4″ clean gravel is dumped onto the fabric to start the bluestone walkway base.

Do not add more than 6″ of base gravel at a time without compacting.

To set the actual bluestone a smaller diameter gravel is layered on top of the coarser gravel.  This smaller gravel also drains well and is easier to adjust when setting each stone.

The bluestone walkway is 5′ wide to comfortably handle two people walking side by side.  I would suggest not going under 4′ wide for a “primary” walkway.

The 2 steps are each solid bluestone with consistent 6″ risers.  Dave “hand-tooled” the sides to get the natural rock-faced look.

Natural Stone – A Good Choice

The final choice for the walkway’s surface should combine considerations for:

• Style and look.
• Function and durability.
• Cost to value.

This is a decision you’ll live with for some time.  Also, it could be a factor when and if you sell the house.  In terms of style, choose a material that’s classic and timeless.

Thinking again about the affects of nature over the long haul, is this material able to stand the test of time?  Will the color change or fade?  Will the actual material break down and fragment?  Is it slippery when wet?  Easy to shovel snow off?

In terms of cost to value it’s important to identify those features that are important to you and get proposals that will give those results.  You can then make the decision as to whether this cost is justified for your circumstance.

Natural stone always makes a good choice.  Certainly there are some bad choices among the natural stones too, but generally they offer timeless style, durability and good value.

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.

This could actually be a continuation of my last post on installing flagstone in grass.

While setting the new flagstone path we came across a soggy area of lawn at the bottom of a stone stairway.  The homeowner said this area was usually wet.

Looking the situation over with landscape contractor Dave Kennedy, we determined that the water was “weeping-out” from the gravel footing of the stone steps.

The gravel footing was doing its job of keeping moisture away from the stone stairway construction.  However, because of the grade of the lawn level at the top of the stairs, extra water from run-off was entering the stairway construction.

In effect, the gravel footing was acting like a drainage seepage-pit for this upper lawn water.  The volume of water was too much to naturally drain into the subsoil and was causing this soggy condition at the base of the stairs.

Planning A Solution

Water is an amazing force.  It is powerful and relentless.  With this in mind your solutions should be designed to work with waters’ natural tendencies.

The excess water was draining from the gravel footing successfully.  The solution to the soggy lawn and area was to “intercept” the water at the base of the gravel footing where it was exiting the stairs and divert it.

Excavation for "intercept" drain

The tactic to intercept water and divert it is the core of most drainage solutions.

In this situation 4″ perforated pipe will be used to “intercept” the water, and solid pipe will carry it to a safe, open area.

In the picture to the left Dave’s crew has already trenched from where the water will exit and are now nearing the steps.  As the trench reaches the steps it begins to fill with water.

Water will seek the path of least resistance and the open trench is now that. The piping, when installed, will provide a permanent avenue and relief for the water.

How This Drain Is Put Together

The perforated pipe (with holes) and the solid pipe (w/o holes) are the same size and made of the same material.  In order to use the perforated and solid pipe together we’ll connect the two with a “coupling”.

Perforated drain pipe in gravel & filter fabric

It’s important to note that the bottom of the entire trench has pitch of at least 1/8″ per foot away from the stairs.

Filter fabric is used to line the bottom and sides of the trench in front of the stairs.  A section of perforated drain pipe is laid into the trench and surrounded with 3/8″ gravel.  The fabric insures no silt or soil will enter into this gravel/pipe zone.

Just past the stairs we convert to solid pipe using the coupling.

In the picture to the right you see the filter fabric which has been folded over the gravel.  Just past the stairs the fabric ends – this is where the perforated pipe converts to solid.

The trench with the solid drain pipe is backfilled carefully with earth.  It’s important while backfilling to check that the pipe sits solidly on the bottom of the trench and has pitch.

The solid pipe exits to an open space where the water can drain naturally.  We’re using smaller fieldstones (4 – 6″ dia.) to build around this pipe end.  This rockwork will help secure and protect the end of the pipe.

"Intercept" drain ready for flagstone

The Drains’ Finishing Details

If you’ll remember, before we got involved with this drainage issue Dave’s crew was installing a flagstone path in the lawn.  Well, nothing has changed.

The filter fabric was kept 4″ below finished grade so 2″ of gravel could be added to set the flagstone.

With the flagstone set over the drainage work, the rest of the path went in by the normal process.

All the disturbed areas were finish-graded, sod was placed back including between the flagstone pieces, and you would never know the drainage solution had ever happened.

Every water problem has its own unique characteristics and circumstances.  The solutions will be equally unique, however the concept remains the same.  You’re not stopping the water, you’re “managing” it.

Why Use Bamboo?

You’ve probably heard me say it before, “Use the right plant in the right place”.  You want to make choices that ensure long-term success both in beauty and function.

There are numerous considerations when selecting plants, including cost.  This was a key factor in selecting Yellow Groove Bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata).

We wanted screening that would reach 15 – 20′ to give much needed privacy for the new outdoor living space.  The backyard border was 270′ long.  There were some existing large, deciduous trees that were to remain – this meant light shade and root competition.

This bamboo would give us the height relatively quickly, thrive in the varying light conditions, deal with root competition and do this at a reasonable cost.

To deal with the “invasive” character of this bamboo, a barrier would be installed on all sides of the planting area.  I’ll cover that in my next post on this project.

Methods To Prevent Madness

Systems and methods are key to tackling any landscape project, even when doing a basic border planting using one variety of plant.  A disorganized, non-methodical approach adds additional time to the job, and the final outcome usually suffers too.

Dave Kennedy, one of our contributors on LA.com, is installing this bamboo screen.  Dave’s first phase is site prep.  This includes removing all the undesirable plant growth, digging-out the few good plants for transplant,  and rough grading the area.

Dave has a schedule for the “phases” of this job.  He also knows the materials, equipment and labor requirements for each phase.

The first picture shows the compact excavator ripping out the old vegetation.  One approach would be to first cut the tops of the plants and then remove the stumps afterwards.  Dave decides to remove the entire plant in one shot because of the recycling systems he has in place.  Your approach may differ depending on your circumstance and recycling method.

Tactics Depend On Capability

How you approach a job depends a great deal on your capability, certainly in terms of knowledge, but here I’m talking about available resources such as equipment, manpower (and their skill level) and then network connections for materials & services.  The resources available to you should determine the tactics you use to do the job.

Mechanical tree spades make transplanting very efficient.  Without this equipment you might decide that the time and manpower to move these trees is just not worth it.  Capability = Tactic.

This particular tree spade digs a 42″ diameter ball.  For these two evergreens that’s large enough to ensure transplanting success.

The wire baskets are sized to match the particular tree spade’s root ball.  Once the root ball is set into the burlap lined basket, Dave’s guys shave the excess soil off the top with a spade.

The final step before moving the plants into their new locations is to fold the burlap over and “star-tie” the wire baskets closed.

Here’s the previous post for this project. And here’s the next.

Dug In Minutes

Although mechanical tree spades have been around for some time now, they’re not too common a piece of equipment for most contractors. Why? Because tree spades are specialized equipment that cost alot of money, and for most contractors it’s not something they would use often enough to justify the expense.  Landscape contractor Dave Kennedy has been transplanting trees for most of his years in the industry and has equipped himself with machines in the mid-size range. In the first picture the spade is positioned to dig a Norway Spruce.   It opens like a clam shell and closes once around the tree; all with the power of hydraulics driven by the skid steer.

The 4 metal blades are independently controlled (again by hydraulics) and are water lubricated to help them penetrate the ground.  When the blades are beneath the earth and around the root system, the tree can be safely raised.  A wire tree basket lined with burlap awaits the freshly dug tree.

To dig this tree the conventional way, i.e. “balled & burlaped” by hand, it would take two men at least 2 hours. One of my upcoming posts will show a hand-dug transplant so you can see and compare the process.

Tree Spade Territory

The biggest use of these machines is in the growing nurseries where thousands of plants are grown and dug for market.  Their ability to do volume work in a short time makes them the industry standard. As you would expect, mechanical tree spades need room to work.  Just the large blades themselves require a certain amount of clearance to operate.  On some project sites there is simply not enough room, or the land is too sloped, or there are underground utilities “too close for comfort”.  These are just some of the conditions where “hand-digging” would be the method of choice.

In less than an hour Dave’s mechanical tree spade had these 2 existing trees out of the ground and into wire tree baskets with burlap. The crewmen shave the excess soil off the tops of the balls, fold over the burlap and tie the upper loops of the basket in a “criss-cross” fashion to make a tight package. These trees are ready to be repositioned and replanted.

Time For The Fence

Generally, you would build and install all the hardscaping features first, but you must think through the logistics of your entire project because there are exceptions to this rule.

Accessibility was a primary concern on this site because of its relatively narrow width and long depth. The extreme slope (approx. 15%) added to the challenge.

For the most part the cabana was complete (short a few interior details), the patio was done and most of the the softscape was in place. However, there were still finishing details within the pool area that installing the fence would make difficult to do.

The fence was scheduled in sync with the plastering and filling of the pool. Once the pool is filled with water it must be fenced – this is code.

To give his crew accessibility for these last few details around the pool, landscape contractor Dave Kennedy asked the fence installers to leave one specific “in-line” fence post set, but without concrete. This enabled Dave and his crew to remove the one post and the 2 respective fence panels giving them a 12′ wide passage way.

Once their remaining tasks were complete, they re-set the 2 fence sections and post in concrete. What this simple tactic saved in terms of time (which = $) is immeasurable.

Aluminum Fence Is Nice To Look At And Affordable

If you’ve been reading LandscapeAdvisor for awhile you may have noticed my liking for metalwork in the landscape.  Although I’ve had some metal features custom fabricated, this type of work can get costly.

A number of manufacturers produce decorative aluminum fence in different styles with “powder-coat” paint finishes that give an authentic look at a reasonable price. The fence above is produced by Jerith, but there are others you could consider. Some of these manufacturers also offer heavier gauge versions for more demanding applications.

Here’s the previous post on this project. And here’s the next.

Repeat Landscape Elements To Unify The Design

Now that the mason has completed the stone steps adjacent to the pool, landscape contractor Dave Kennedy could begin setting the balance of landscape boulders.  Dave is conscious of the aesthetics and strives to integrate his boulder work with what the pool contractor has done.

The additional boulder work should complement the waterfall construction by providing “weight & scale”.  This will insure that the waterfall is balanced within the composition and not obtrusive or disproportionate in scale. This is such an important point.  How often do you see a cluster of rocks as a waterfall or water-feature and no other rock work in the landscape? You must repeat elements in your design to convey the feeling that they naturally occurred and belong there.

Position Landscape Boulders With A Purpose

Aesthetics are not the only consideration here.  The pool by design is positioned 6′ below the next proposed level area in the yard.  The waterfalls, raised jacuzzi, stone slab-steps and additional boulder work are all integral to supporting the earth for this next level.  Each boulder must be set strategically to hold the earth at various points along this 6′ grade change.

Since the mason followed the plan and built his top step precisely at 5’6″, Dave will arrange his boulder work to meet this top step.  This is deliberate so that the final grade above the pool can pitch away from the back of the pool.  If possible, it’s always preferable to pitch and direct water runoff away from the pool.

Observe and Adjust

The final grade above the pool worked out well and all runoff was redirected away from the pool. Some of that runoff ended up near the mason’s stairway and we discovered that the water was migrating down to the gravel base of the steps. This caused the area by the lowest step to be wet and soggy particularly after heavy rains. We solved this problem with a drainage solution.

You learn from every experience, but of course each project has its unique circumstances and occurrences. Try to anticipate, but always observe and be ready to adjust.

Here’s the previous post on this project. And here’s the next.

Organized Chaos

To some it may look like chaos – two excavators working close to one another.  But if you stand there for a while and watch, it begins to almost look choreographed.  These machine operators know exactly what each other is doing because they’re experienced and have planned their strategy in advance.  The steel rods with plastic caps on them were deliberately positioned as reference points.  The rods are also marked with elevation points and serve as grade stakes to show where important heights should be.

Right Machine For The Job

This project required major earth moving and boulder placement work, along with smaller, more detailed excavation tasks.  To the right you see the mini excavator, operated by landscape contractor Dave Kennedy, installing and backfilling PVC conduit.  The larger excavator would have been too much for this task.  Meanwhile, Dave had the big machine dump clean fill next to his trench for backfilling.

Level 3 And Onward

To divide this sloped property into usable spaces there are 4 distinct levels: entrance/reception area, lawn/play area, pool/cabana area, and at the lowest level the sportcourt.  At left is the larger excavator working under the direction of Dave Kennedy to set the boulder outcroppings to retain the last major elevation change.  Some of these boulders are 5′ to 6′ in diameter, but quite manageable for this machine. In fact, Dave sees to the precise placement of each boulder by guiding the excavator to make fractional adjustments.  The challenge is to combine the engineered retainment function of the boulders with aesthetics.  If you’re successful at both, the result is a beautiful slope of rockery and plants that retains the earth and lasts forever.

Here’s the previous post for this project. And here’s the next.

Do you remember the old concrete driveway that had two bands of concrete and a strip of grass in between? They’re not the most practical, but have a certain charm and nostalgia about them.

This would be the style our homeowner would like for a newly constructed garage for vintage cars. This new driveway would be the second on the property. The main driveway for the house is asphalt and leads to a garage on the left hand side.

The final line design was established by creating a center line that the cars would follow to the garage.  By calculating the average tire span on the cars we could determine the appropriate spacing and width for the two concrete bands.

With the line design for the new drive mapped out in chalk (it’s actually granulated lime), the areas were excavated for the gravel base. All the site-work and concrete driveway preparation was done by Dave Kennedy, one of the contributors here on LA.com.

The height and grade of the two concrete bands were critical and were preset with grade stakes and string lines. PVC sleeves for irrigation and lighting were installed beneath the base work.

At this point in the project all heavy work involving machinery was complete and all that remained was hand work. It was time for the masons to do their thing.

Using our grade stakes, string lines and markings, the masons built wood forms.  Steel reinforcement rod was then cut and installed over the gravel base.  Six inches of concrete followed.

We anticipated the new concrete would visually stand out in the beginning, but were confident that over time it would weather and have an older look.

The homeowner likes the fact that the concrete driveway with its grass strip in between helps distinguish it from the main driveway. It does look less prominent than the main asphalt drive so people are less likely to mistake it as the primary one.

Although the concrete bands were designed with plenty of room to drive on, it does take a little getting used to. Already the homeowner drives up and down like it’s been there for ages – just as they did years ago when these driveways were common.