Executive Care Inc.

Welcome to our May edition.

I hope this finds everyone well and that the warmer weather is inviting you to spend more time in your gardens.

Last month we introduced the Mediterranean theme. In comparison to Asian, the Mediterranean theme is more relaxed and therefore lower maintenance. With respect to maintenance, it is the “middle ground” between Asian and the designed overgrowth of a tropical landscape. It continues to be a favored theme around pools, and hence many landscape companies have done their own rendition of it. The challenge for me is to keep it fresh and unique, even from our own designs. This therefore requires a little more thought in plant selection so as to make our Mediterranean landscapes stand out among the others, and unique to that homeowner.

Looking at the “before” pictures, you can see that this was a very challenging job. We completed it last summer. It is located in Elk Grove, therefore the logistics of getting all the materials to the job site took careful planning. Going all the way back to Roseville for a needed item was not an option. Another aspect that made this job challenging was the scope of work on the project. You will notice that there are two “before” pictures. One picture alone did not tell the full story; with both pictures you can see the length and steepness of the slope, as well as the preexisting landscape. The employee in the picture was the foreman for that job, who is a bit of a ham.

Now for the task at hand: our goal/design for this landscape was to create a beautiful, inviting setting that was low maintenance (all landscapes have this goal) and provided access to the plants. The prior landscape, aside from its unattractiveness, was very difficult for the homeowner to care for. It seems that each August we take on these jobs where the hardness of the ground and the high temperatures make for a great workout plan!

So let’s consider our first challenge, ease of access to the plantings on the slope. To achieve this, I decided to divide the slope into tiers, like a wedding cake, and to build steps to the second tier on either side of the pool. The first tier (main landscape portion) could be accessed from behind the pool, leaving a foot path for travel. This would allow me to create a pathway that ran the length of the slope at the midpoint, granting unhindered access to the whole slope. The concept, while sound, raised many questions. How would such a steep slope divide? How wide should the path be? And what material should we use to create the walls? However, even before this, was the question of how to build the steps. In weighing all the options, I felt the most secure steps would be a stone tread that needed to be special ordered several weeks in advance. Each tread is heavy enough that it would not move if it was placed on a properly prepared base. The solution was attractive and fit nicely into the colors of the theme. (Remember that last month I suggested staying in the tan family for Mediterranean hardscapes.) Once these stair treads were placed on both sides of the pool, we could then begin carving out our walk. Between jack hammers, picks and shovels, progress was made and the walk began to take form.

Next was the question of the retaining wall, which would affect the overall width of the walk. If we used block, which was my initial thought, it would make the walk very narrow because the blocks are wide. To make them work we would have needed to carve more walk out from the slope, leaving less for the landscape. Instead of showing off a nice landscape, we would be showing off a block wall. Both the homeowner and I wanted the plants to be the “stars of the show” and the walk to play a supporting role by providing attractive, safe access. So we selected pressure treated wood, and put the galvanized posts (painted dark brown) on 4’centers with very stout brackets, and 2’ cement bases. Once completed, we were very satisfied with the engineering. Both the walk and the wall would be secure for years to come.

With the retaining wall completed, we could now focus on grading the walk way and filling it with ornate gravel. We stapled weedbloc down and put about 2” of gravel over it. We have found that gravel deeper than 2” is like walking on the beach; you sink more than you travel.

The completion of the stairs, retaining wall and walkway was a major milestone in the progress of the project. Though we had more to do, the heaviest part of the work was done. Next month we will continue and see what other challenges we faced.

As always, thank you for your faithful readership, which is a great encouragement to me. It has been a pleasure to meet many of you personally this year. As the landscaping season kicks into high gear, I encourage anyone who is planning a landscape renovation to initiate the project sooner than later. Similarly, if you are going to start a vegetable garden, time is of the essence. Until next month, Good Gardening.

Plant Talk

One of the most interesting plants in this month’s featured landscape is the one pictured here, Dasylirion Wheeleri, commonly called Desert Spoon. It is native to Mexico and the high desert areas of our Southwest. Truly a drought tolerate native, it enjoys full sun and can handle cold nights. As a plant in the landscape, it provides a unique accent with its narrow bluish fronds. I like the fact that as the fronds come out they are straight, as opposed to bent or curved like the palms. This makes a visually pleasing contrast to palms, which are often used in a Mediterranean landscape. The Desert Spoon commands some respect as well because it has small thorns along the leaf edge. These thorns can pierce the skin, so gloves and long sleeves should be worn when working with it.

For Mediterranean landscapes, the Desert Spoon is an unusual addition and a great alternative to the more commonly used Sagos (Cyca Revoluta). It could also easily work in an Asian theme, as well as the obvious, an inland desert theme. Not common among nurseries, you would need to place a special request for them. I have seen them in 1 and 5 gal containers though at some of the local nurseries. Blessings.