Welcome to our June edition of Design Challenges, the second part of our “mountain theme” landscape. I did not mention the theme last month, but now you know. One of our client’s favorite destination places is Tahoe, so the goal was to bring her a little bit of Tahoe in her own back yard.
Last month we discussed the construction part of the landscape. The challenge there was to “break down” the slope in order to create reasonable access for our client, now in her seventies, and a tanning area for her sun-loving granddaughters. This month I want to focus on the hardscape selections, and a few of the plants that contributed to giving the theme it’s “presentation.”
The first hardscape material is indigenous, literally, and was not part of the original design. Every time we dug a hole to plant in, we got a shovel full or more of cobble. To dump cobble would cost a fortune, because dump fees are assessed according to weight. So we decided to incorporate the cobble into the design.
The other two hardscape materials were planned from the beginning. For the walking medium, we selected decomposed granite. Decomposed granite is great for this theme, but to be useful year-round it needs to be compacted—otherwise it will become messy in the winter. The slope, however, made the use of the heavy vibrator/compactor plate impossible. So borrowing a concept from the cement trade, we decided to mix mortar into the upper 2” of the walk, compact it with a hand compactor, and then water it in. The plan worked very well, and kept the walk looking natural. The challenge with the flagstone was to find one that would integrate well with the cobble and the decomposed granite. After some scouting around at different yards, I settled on this multi-colored stone which has all the earth tones I wanted.
With the hardscape complete, it was time for the plants—my favorite part of any landscape. I am, as you know, a plant fanatic. I so enjoy the beauty that God has put in His creation. When I am working with plants, I feel like a painter using plants to paint the canvas of the earth.
As I “paint” a specific theme, I always use plants that are expressive of the theme, while trying to capture some of the extraordinary diversity of nature. We incorporate at least fifty to a hundred different varieties per job, depending upon whether it is full sun or shade, or a mix of both. To see some of the key plants you will need to look at last month’s article and this month. In last month, you see close to the interestingly shaped boulder a Coleonema Sunset Gold, a Red Yucca and a grass called Little Bunny; each with distinct texture and color, yet very complimentary together. In this month’s pictures, a key plant is the pine tree toward the lower “back” of the picture that shows the tanning bench. This plant is Pinus Thundercloud. It is a dwarf pine with a very interesting growth habit, a very cool addition to the overall landscape.
The Tahoe/mountain theme is not for everyone. It is rugged-looking, especially when it is first planted. But as the garden matures (these pictures show three years of growth), even those who would not choose this theme for their own yard can appreciate its beauty. As you consider the theme that most pleases you, please plan ahead for your landscape needs. We are blessed to have so many good clients calling on us, keeping us extremely busy. Thank you for your patronage of Executive Care. I will leave you with this thought—A job done right brings years of enjoyment, in which the wait is not remembered.
