Plant Groupings Resemble Nature

If you think about it, most natural settings you see typically show groupings of similar plants. These plants are indigenous to the area (i.e. living and occurring naturally).  This natural phenomenon gives us an excellent example and point of reference for our designed landscapes.  If you’ve ever seen a mass of Native Rhododendron or Mountain Laurel growing in the woods, you know how beautiful “plant groupings” can be.

You’ve probably heard me say it before: “plantings should complement not distract”.  Of course there are exceptions to this point, but in general this should be your goal.

In this picture there are 3 Alberta Spruce grouped together to complement and soften a granite sign at a corporate center.  One spruce would not have been enough.  The 3 carry more weight to balance with the massive sign and the grouping looks more natural, especially with the woodland behind.

Less Is More

A plant grouping exemplifies simplicity and makes it easy on the eye and mind.  The result is a pleasant and comfortable setting where “it just feels right”.

By arranging your plant groupings you can “lead the eye” to focal points or destinations in your design – in effect you can influence how people move through the gardens.

Beyond the design merits of grouping like-plants together are the practical gains.  The intent is to have them ultimately touch one another.  To that degree you must still be aware of their size potential and growth habit and, like always, arrange and space accordingly.  (Have I ever said this before?) The point being you won’t feel compelled to keep each plant separate by aggressive pruning & trimming.

You may have noticed that in these examples all the groupings have been in 3’s.  Generally speaking odd numbers do make for nicer groupings, especially in the smaller (“countable”) ones.  Once your plant counts get bigger it becomes less of an issue.  Below is a massing of azalea along a border.  Whether there’s 7,8 or 9 azaleas is not an issue.  And remember too, ideally they’ll grow together and become one beautiful form.

Yes, this could be a “do-it-yourself” job, but somehow I don’t think so.  There is enough larger

Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer or a member of the trade, there is a fundamental principle of landscape design: complement, don’t compete. Frankly, this principle could be applied to most categories of design.

There is some subjectivity to this principle based for the most part on personal taste. As a designer I deal with this all the time.  The challenge is always to interject that “style” that reflects the homeowner’s taste and gives individuality to the design, but at the same time follows that basic principle: complement, don’t compete.

The two levels of “complementing considerations” in landscape design are:

1. How the overall design complements the home and the surroundings.
2. How the individual elements within the design complement and relate to one another

This planting is in a front yard.  The house is just to the right, and you can see the curb line in the foreground.  The background and setting is beautiful – look at the rolling hills and woodland.  Right away we have this great opportunity to echo these surroundings in our designed landscape and make the home appear nestled into the setting.

Good architecture strives to design homes that integrate with the land.  As landscape designers we should follow that goal and avoid creating settings that compete against the home for attention.

On the point of each element in the design complementing and relating to one another, look at the variation of the elements in the picture above.  It appears to be more of a collection rather than a composition.  As far as the artificial palm trees go, I’ll confidently let you come to your own thoughts on those.

Good News – Bad News

Since a majority of the work I do is renovation, the “good news – bad news” line often comes up. And, just as it would for the design above, the short of it is: “The good news is most of the plants you have here we can transplant and reuse.  The bad news is you’ll have to incur the cost of the labor, equipment and some new materials to get the proper look.”  Most homeowners have a positive outlook and write it off as a learning / home improvement experience.  The notion that a good design will not only improve the look & value of their home, but last for many years, helps to ease pain.

Speaking in general terms, a number of the plant types and elements in this design would be better suited to an “interest garden”.  An interest garden is one that is designed to deliberately draw attention.  This could be your goal by a patio.  Or perhaps you’d like to create a focal point out in the backyard.

In the situation of this front yard, (again speaking in general terms) I would select three or four natural plant types (i.e. not ornate & unusual) and create groupings that are unified and complement each other.  I would also specify some large growing shade trees to give scale to this wide open space.

In the last post for this project we saw the sonotube footings beneath the four corners of the concrete slab.  When the decorative stone & brickwork is complete, each footing will secure and support a pavilion column.

Within the 12″ wide bluestone border is a row of brick to visually tie-in the surrounding brick patio. The remaining area is finished with “pattern” bluestone.

The 2 X 4″ you see sticking up next to the the stairway marks where a 4″ PVC sleeve is located (see photo left). It should be routine that sleeves are installed whenever hardscape construction causes a barrier from getting future wires and utilities from one side to the next.  Make sure you indicate on the landscape plan where these sleeves are located.  I guarantee sometime in the future you’ll need to find them.  Another little trick is to grind a small mark in the stone where the sleeve is – a mark that will be there forever.

With the patio areas complete it was time for the pavilion construction to begin. Dalton Pavilions, located in PA, sent a crew along with the pavilion components.

Their first task was to locate and square the 4 corners of the pavilion. If the mason contractor did his job well, those 4 points should be directly over the sonotube footings.

To the right you’ll see the electrical conduit and wire to power the paddle fan and light for the pavilion.  This feature was planned from the beginning and was specified in the construction drawings.  The mason had to locate the conduit precisely in the footing to accomodate a predrilled hole in the flange of the steel column.

These 5 X 5″ square steel columns are the essence of the pergola’s strength.  They are responsible for supporting the balance of the structure above them, and to secure the entire structure to the ground.

For each steel column four holes were drilled through the patio and into the sonotube footings.  Threaded steel rods could then be anchored into the holes using Hilti Epoxy.  In a short time the epoxy is hardened enough that the steel columns are set and bolted down securely. With the decorative white columns slid over the steel the true strength of the pavilion is beautifully concealed.

In the next project post we’ll see the pavilion come together as a key focal point and shelter in this landscape.

Flagpoles Are A Classic Property Feature

Well the article title probably gives it away, but I happen to love the idea of integrating a flagpole into the landscape.  Come on, you have to agree!  How often do we hear and read about the importance of using “focal points” in our landscape designs?…Strategically and in good taste of course.  Well here you have it then.  They’re beautiful, classic, go with just about any style garden or home.  (Alright, a zen garden may be pushing it.)  And the patriotic sentiment is as beautiful as the flag.

Anyway, this is an all cedar wood flagpole made by Walplole Woodworkers in MA.  The homeowners had ordered it themselves so I don’t have all the details. I’d say it stands around 20′ tall, has a brass ball finial at the top and comes with all the hardware and rigging.  There are 2 support posts on either side of the flagpole that allow you to pivot and lower the pole by removing one the the support pins.  A standard feature on most flagpoles for maintenance purposes.

To insure this flagpole will forever stand straight and proud we have approximately 700 lbs. of concrete in the footing.  The boys couldn’t resist leaving their handprints for future explorers to find.  The 2 x3 studs work great for bracing while the concrete sets.

I wonder if either of these wiseguys have tried to climb to the top yet.