A current client took advantage of our Matching Contribution Program, we donated a $500 matching contribution to the Mount Tamalpais School. The school, a non-profit independent school in Mill Valley, offers instruction for grades K-8.
All posts by Michael O'Connell
It’s a Bloom Year
There has been quite a show this spring as fruit trees and other blooming trees are really blooming this year. This may have something to do with a fairly mild winter and not a lot of late winter rain. On a trip up I-5 the almonds and other fruit trees where ablaze with blooms.
A Beautiful Saucer Magnolia in Bloom
Taken in Larkspur, which seems to have great magnolias
A spectacular tree just leafing out
The Transformational Power of Sod
We are finishing up on a project in Sonoma and putting in a large sod lawn. No matter how many projects we do, it is always amazing the impact of a sod lawn. Clients almost always react once the sod is installed- this turf is a dwarf tall fescue, bluegrass blend.
During Grading
After installation
After installation
Interesting Garden Sculptures- Bruce Gray
We are working on a current project where the client found an interesting magnetic metal sculpture to be integrated into the garden design. The
sculpture, done by Los Angeles sculptor Bruce
Gray, uses high powered magnets to suspend cables in a stainless steel hoop.
Gray’s work, featuring an assortment of metal creations is worth a look- it has
appeared in various television shows and movies.
Image of Suspended Metal Sculpture from Bruce Gray
Website
Current Project- Tiburon Clean up
Native Plants That Are Tough
Currently we are working on a personal project to upgrade vegetation for stream corridors and create hedgerows for wildlife on a site in the Sacramento Valley. The installation consisted of Cottonwood, Buckeye, and Black Walnut trees, with Toyon and Creeping Rye grass planted as well. Taking a look at the site again recently after the cold winter weather, most of the plants are doing quite well. Retention on plantings of this type is typically pretty poor- most of the plants are not irrigated, and they are being planted from liner containers (just sprouted from cuttings).
While it is nice to see that the plantings have done well, with a 80-90% retention rate, the real test will be when the summer comes and the plants are exposed to 100+ degree temperatures without water. Fortunately, the plants were all chosen because they are native to the area and have adapted to such extremes of heat and cold. All the deciduous trees fared better than the Toyon, which was quite small and in some cases was frozen back in areas where it had less protection.
A California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) just leafing out
A dead Buckeye with Brown stem
A live Buckeye with green layer under bark. The scratch test is a simple way to test the condition of most plants.
Keep Tabs on the Weather Anywhere
We have just updated from our old Blackberry phones to new Palm Treo phones in our office. Of course there is always the hours spent figuring out and troubleshooting new technology equipment, but the Treo has proven to be much more powerful than our old Blackberries.
An especially cool tool for the Treo, that is really handy for project management when we are out at the job site is Treo Alarm. It updates weather information from the National Weather Service and displays the information right through the program on the phone without having to go to another website within the Treo. The alarm can be set to update the weather so that the information is ready when starting the work day. This is a nice feature, especially this time of year, when weather and rain drive what can be accomplished on a landscape project for any given day. This application underscores a key advantage to the Palm, a wealth of available software and accessories.
Know Thy Project (Wants & Budget)
After participating in forum with local contractors and garden designers, the subject of client wants and budget planning was a key part of the discussion. As the client going into a new landscape project (and major investment of time and money), the more informed you are, the better off you are in terms of creating a successful project. A successful project is not only one where when people step into the back yard and there is a jaw drop and wow factor. A successful project is also one that is done on time and on budget, with a good contractor and/or designer, with high quality craftsmanship that delivers on your needs.
To achieve a successful landscape project there are a couple of key elements that require some thought(preferably prior to starting the process):
1- Wants: What do you want for your new landscape/garden? Do you want the English Country Garden that you have been brainstorming about with cutouts from Sunset Magazine? Do you want a utilitarian space that solves some of your yard’s problems and makes the space more usable- a place to play, to barbecue, to entertain, to store? At a minimum, develop a general overview of your wants and write them down- share them with your contractor and designer.
2- Budget: How much do you want to spend? This is a tough question, you may not know anything about the cost of landscape projects. Can I get my landscape project done for $10,000, for $50,000, more? Do research in magazines, with friends and neighbors, call local contractors, relate experience from past home improvement projects.
Once these first planning steps have been accomplished now its time to put together a great team to design and build the project. Key factors are finding professionals that are going to be easy to work with, provide good service, and deliver a quality project. Interview contractors and designers through consultations to find a good fit. Nothing can sidetrack your project faster than getting a contractor who doesn’t respond to phone calls, doesn’t follow-up on promises and doesn’t perform quality work.
Next Steps: Read our past articles on budget and selecting a contractor-
“How Much Does it Cost- Budget and Landscape Projects”
Mizubachi Water Feature
Here are some installed photos of the black granite Mizubachi Water Feature
from Stone Forest that was just installed for a current project. The 30″ rock
weighed about a ton and had to be set in place with a telescoping forklift and
then leveled for even flow across the stone.
The hookup for this water feature was fairly straight forward- the
recirculating pump has a timer that controls on and off times, a filler valve
connected to the irrigation system to automatically refill the reservoir, and a
bypass valve connected to a drain inlet to empty the reservoir.
Current Project- Larkspur Seeded Aggregate
This project in Larkspur is having seeded aggregate walkways and patios
installed with bluestone accents. The Mexican pebble stone combined with the
bluestone makes a good complementary paving match.
Forming and Rebar for Front Walkways
Forming and Rebar for Rear Patio
Seeded Aggregate Mexican Pebble with Formed Strips for
Bluestone Inserts
Seeded Aggregate Mexican Pebble Patio
Current Project- Stonework
Current construction photos of Cold Water Canyon stone walls and concrete
pathways with bluestone accents being installed. The boxed wall will receive the
water feature detailed in this post.
Seating wall square around which Mizubachi black granite water
feature will be installed
America’s Favorite Buildings
An interesting poll from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the Harris Poll found a number of buildings that are the public’s favorites, contrary to the tastes of many architectural critics. The Empire State Building was the favorite building, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge was fifth, with many of Washington’s national monuments rounding out the top 10. The public had a less critical eye than many architects that pick their favorites, rating the Las Vegas Bellagio hotel in the top 25.
For More:
Story from Rueters
My Lights or Fountain Don’t Work
We had a couple of calls this week from clients that their fountains were not working. Nine times out of ten this is due to a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupt) plug, which is common in kitchens or bathrooms and can prevent against shocks. From time to time these may trip and need to be reset with the red button on the plug. If there ever is a problem with a lighting transformer, fountain pump or irrigation controller check the plug first to see if the GFI needs to be reset.
Colored Stamped Asphalt
There are a wide variety of options available for driveway paving. These can be a traditional plain concrete or asphalt, or a host of derivatives- decorative finished concrete, stamped concrete, pavers, and resin bound permeable earth pavements are popular alternatives. Colored stamped asphalt is another option when looking at paving options. Similar in appearance and pattern availability to stamped concrete, stamped asphalt is created with patterns that are pressed into the asphalt, and then coated with an acrylic color coat. The result is a fairly cost effective twist on regular asphalt. Patterns and colors are similar to concrete stamps, with brick, stone and paver style patterns available.
For More:
Street Print- for colors, patterns, examples and more information
Prefabricated vs. Custom Trellises and Arbors
The Garden Design Online blog had an interesting post on some different styles of prefabricated trellis and arbors. We have always had mixed feelings about these. While in many situations they make nice accents for plants to be trained upon, they don’t have the substance and construction to make a focal point in the same way a custom build arbor/pergola/trellis does. On the other hand they are a much more cost effective way to add a vertical element or accent to the garden.
The larger kits available for bigger structures have always been a bit subject as well. Frequently these are white vinyl and can’t match the detail or look of wood. A solution for something ready to assemble on-site maybe a custom woodwork shop like Charles Prowell Woodworks that ships nationwide.
Image from Charles Prowell Woodworks
Current Project- Heavy Timber Custom Arbor Structure
For More:
Matthews Four Seasons Wood Garden Accessories
Our Portfolio of Custom Woodwork
Losing Plants to the Cold
We are spoiled here in the Bay Area with a great climate that allows us to plant a wide range of plantings. These range from sub-tropicals, to more temperate plants and even bulbs. Occasionally however, temperatures will drop down below freezing, killing borderline plants. Frequent casualties are Bougainvillea, Lantana, Heathers and soft stem perennials. When it gets down into the low 20’s other plants such as Eucalyptus can also be in danger. This is just a part of dealing with climate changes from season to season. On plantings that grow quickly the best solution is just to replant after a freeze. For other specialized plants or plants that aren’t must haves, better to replant with something more hardy. Sunset garden book is the best resources for finding your plant zone in California. Keep in mind that micro-climates such as cold sinks and other phenomenon can make certain areas colder or warmer.
Versa-Lok Product Gallery
Versa-Lok, makers of stacking concrete retaining walls, have just launched a new section for homeowners and contractors with finished installation images for their various products. This is the type resource I wish more manufacturers would provide online. It makes it easier for our clients to see their products and easier to specify and include them into our designs.
Dry stacking retaining walls are a great cost effective way to create small retaining walls and terraces under 4′ in height for residential projects. As product offerings have advanced from Versa-Lok and other manufacturers, these walls look better and less industrial than when they first came on the market.
Versa-Lok Residential Idea Book
Bulk Materials Billed by the Pound
We got a flier in the mail from a local materials supplier, stating that they were changing billing methods for bulk materials (gravel, sand, soil, bark). Instead of charging by the traditional volume measure of cubic yard, they were switching to a Loadrite system, whereby as materials are loaded with a tractor they are weighed by the pound. On the face of it, this seems like a good thing, using the old system, depending on the tractor operator, you could receive a lot more or less than a cubic yard. The supplier touts improved satisfaction and quicker loading.
After thinking about it for a while, one critical problem seems to arise- what happens when the materials are wet and can weigh substantially more per cubic yard? I would guess that a cubic yard of sand that is wet could weigh at least 20-30% more than a dry yard of sand. Doesn’t that mean that materials will cost more in the rainy season and less during the dry months if they are uncovered?
Unless they have a way for compensating for this fact, this works out to be very convenient for the materials yard, while increasing the cost of materials.
Current Project Mill Valley
Another Resource for Custom Gates
We recently received a flier from Williams Gate Works out of Santa Cruz, a maker of wood garden and entry gates. They specialize in mortise and tenon construction and have some interesting style prototypes to choose from. A custom gate can give that unique touch that really sets off an entryway- definitely worth a look.
Image from Williams Gate Works Website
How We Track Local Weather
On a day where I am sitting in my office, warm and dry, while our crews are rained out, I have been tracking the rain progress online. We use a few different websites to track storms, and play amateur meteorologist. Here are some of our favorite sites-
Weather.com– Doppler/Satellite of West Coast to track storm fronts
Weather.com– 10 Day Forecast for North Bay
National Weather Service- North Bay Forecast
CBS5-Channel 5 local news- Weather site with News Videos
KGO7- Channel 7 Accuweather
NWS- Climate Prediction Center- Gives general information on likelihood of normal or above normal rainfall and weather. This is the type of information meteorologists use to make predictions (take with a grain of salt).
Dryday.com– Long term forecast that are supposedly 85% accurate using historical and climate modeling. In reality your odds are about as good in Vegas.
What our crews often quip: Weathermen and women are mentirologos (liarists), from the Spanish mentira (to lie) and meterologist.
Favorite Materials for 2007
Not all materials are created equal. Here are some of our favorite materials for inclusion in landscape designs.
Flagstone- Bluestone: Available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes (irregular, precut, custom slabs), Bluestone works well with most color schemes. It is available in blues and grays (select blue), or in a wider range of range of browns, purples, blues and greens (full range). Makes great stone for wall caps, patios, pool coping, BBQ counters, flagstone pathways or just about any other place stone can be used!
Wood- Ipe (aka. Brazilian Walnut, Pau Lope): Incredibly dense and durable wood is the new in vogue material for deck construction. For good reason- it’s several times harder than redwood (also referred to as Ironwood) and has a usable life span up to 40+ years. For those who want to stain (and maintain with recoats every 1-2 years) it has a finished look of mahogany.
Bluestone Patio Meeting Ipe Decking
Plants- Ornamental Grasses: This class of plants is also quite in vogue, allowing for creative massings and quick impact. Our favorite varieties- Purple Fountain Grass (Penesetum), Miscanthus, Deer Grass (Muhlenbergia), Fescues, and Sedge (Carex) varieties.
Bold Masses of Miscanthus
Hawk Hunting
From somewhere other than work… Happy holidays, merry Christmas, Hanukkah and a great 2007!
Current Project- Block Wall
Winter Time is Drainage Time
Driving from a hillside project this morning, I snapped the the photo below- water pouring over a wood retaining wall. This time of year, scenes like this underscore the importance of good drainage. The solution in this situation, a gravel drainage field and perforated pipe would absorb this surface water and solve the problem. It is possible that this is being caused by existing drainage lines, but it would be a better solution if they didn’t daylight over the wall.
From the Drawing Board: Water Feature
Here is a design detail for a water feature in an elevated walled bed. The water feature being used in this installation is a Mizubachi black granite piece from Stone Forest. The wall surrounding the stone will be faced with Sonoma Fieldstone Veneer and capped with a bluestone seating ledge.
Photo from Stone Forest
Common Landscape Mistakes: Fences
A continuing entry in our Common Landscape Mistakes series:
Fences are a fairly basic element in landscape construction, but one where we see common mistakes in design and construction. Here is a guide to fence types and ways to avoid common mistakes.
Proper construction of fencing really depends on the type of fence being installed.
The basic fence types are as follows:
1 -Perimeter Fence- metal, wood or wood and wire. Typically constructed for privacy on back or side yards. Heights typically 4-6’
8′ Fence with Lattice
Examples of Standard 6′ Fence and Alternating Board “Good Neighbor Fence”
2 -Front Fence- Typically a picket style, or semi-transparent design, heights typically to 3-4’
Mock-up of vertical picket fence on top of wall
3-Deer Fence- to restrict deer access, typically wood and wire, or wire and Metal T-post construction, heights typically 4-6’
Wood and Wire Deer Fence on Sloped Terrain
4-Railing: Typically wood, tensioned cable, or prefabricated metal. Heights typically to 3’
Wood Railing on Top of Retaining Wall
Cable Railing with Wood Frame
Construction: Fences are composed of a few key elements-
-Posts: typically set in concrete
-Stringers: Horizontal boards connecting posts
-Fill: Fence Boards, wire mesh, tensioned wire, etc.
-Decorative elements: Wood lattice, extended trellises, kicker boards, decorative detailing
Biggest Mistakes:
Here a few of the most common fence construction mistakes we see:
1-Horizontal Stringers: 2×4 boards are the most common stringers used in fencing. These boards typically span posts, spaced 8’ on center. Because wood at this span will have a tendency to sag, it is important that the strongest orientation of the board is used- in this case the 4” side, not the 2” side. Horizontally oriented 2×4 stringers spaced at 8’ spacing will show a noticeable bow over time.
-Insufficient stringers- we prefer 3 stringers for some styles of fence, especially over 6’. There are some fence designs where 2 stringers are insufficient.
2- Poor Posts:If the style will allow, pressure treated posts can be used to help resist weathering. In cases of finished fencing, a decay resistant wood such as redwood or cedar should be used. Untreated wood used outside will weather and decay rapidly. Post should be set in concrete, typically 9-12” in diameter and at a typical minimum of 18” in depth, with gravel installed at the base of the base pier to allow water to escape. Posts poorly set, will result in a structurally unstable fence, that will likely lean, or blow over in a storm.
3- Ugly Styling: Some fences are just downright ugly. Take a look in your neighborhood to find fences that have a good style of construction and a good aesthetic.
4- Poor fastening: screws or nails can be used for fastening the fence depending on application. Nails and screws should be galvanized at a minimum to prevent excessive rust and weathering; on high quality fencing stainless steel screws or nails should be used.
5-Too tall: Fences over 6’ need special construction considerations- 4×4 posts are typically not strong enough, 4×6 or 6×6 posts should be used. Sufficient stringers should be used on tall fences, 1” thick fence boards should not exceed a 5-6’ span vertically between stringers, if they do, they are likely to warp. Check also with your local building department, frequently fences over 6’ require permitting (sometimes 2’ of wood trellis is allowed, totaling 8’)
Current Project- Arbor
Here is an image of a completed arbor for a current project. This secondary
area was designed as a separate destination away from the house. The painted
heavy timber arbor is tied into stone pillars, surfaced with Sonoma Fieldstone
veneer and capped with bluestone. The back edged of the arbor are enclosed with
seat walls with similar treatment.
Our 2007 Calendar
Our 2007 Calendars, Everything in Black & White, will be mailing out soon. This year’s calendar features, well, black and white photography. If you would like a free copy of the calendar please send us an email with your name and address.
Enjoy a great holiday season!
This Year’s Cover
Some of the monthly images
Common Mistakes: Don’t Paint that Concrete!
A continuing entry in our Common Landscape Mistakes series:
It might seem like a good idea, but painting concrete rarely turns out well. From time to time I see concrete walkways or driveways that have been painted over. Painting can make an old outdoor concrete surface look new for a while, but the drawbacks are numerous. Painted concrete chips and fades considerably, almost guaranteeing that in a couple of years that nice consistent looking surface is going to be faded, stained, and flaking. Painting concrete also usually reduces the roughness of the surface, making it more likely someone will slip on the smooth surface when wet. In addition to these draw backs, because it’s not done very often, painted concrete often looks strange in the landscape. Unless an earth-tone is selected, the color often stands looking strange in the context of the neighborhood.
Alternatives to painting are replacing the existing concrete with new colored concrete. Or, if the concrete is in good shape, there are specialized concrete stains available that can add color while not flaking or reducing traction on the material.