A beautiful Way to Solve Water Problems

Walls, Drainage Swells, & Drainage Areas Under the Correctly Sloped Patio

Rock lined swales direct water around the house.  A large gravel drainage field behind the back wall allows a lot of water to percolate back into the groundwater.  A drainage field under the stone patio on stone dust captures water from the correctly sloped patio.  The excess water from both drainage fields empty into the swales.  Both walls act to visually enlarge the space – creating a foreground, mid-ground, and background — making the yard feel much larger.  The front wall also acts as a sitting wall for entertaining larger groups.

 

The “Before” picture, below, shows the steep slope that brought water directly into the house — not slowed at all by the poorly sloped concrete pad.  I’ll provide a more extensive discussion after we finish the project.  

 

"Before" - Water flowed directy down the hill into the house

 

 

Curb Appeal, Comfort and Safety

My client, in Silver Spring, MD – a close-in, older neighborhood outside Washington, DC — had already done some modest interior renovations before I was referred to her by her neighbor.  About a year before I had done extensive interior, exterior and landscape renovations for her neighbor a few doors down the street (see that work:  interior renovations; exterior renovation front, exterior renovation back). 

My new client’s meticulous interior wasn’t matched by the exterior.  Erosion on a relatively steep hill just off the street was tamed with ivy and periwinkle.  But as you can see from the “Before” picture, below, that’s about the only benefit of the invasive ivy.  The stairs were narrow and uneven.  The straight brick walk got you to the porch but without much interest in the journey.
 

Before Work Started

The new landscape tames the hill with a curving brick retaining wall with blue stone cap.  The deep, wide curve of the wall allows plantings both below and above the wall – helping to soften the look and to invite visitors up the stairs and onto the porch.  Too often walls create boundaries that scream “keep out – you’re not invited”.  This one does the opposite.  The clear foreground, mid-ground and background help make the home feel more private and protected from the street even though no fence or privacy plantings were used. 

Property as Viewed from Left - See Before Picture at EndThe use of small boulders throughout the plantings help ground the landscape and make it feel natural. New trees include a young purple-leaf plum, a willow oak, and 3 river birch. Right now, the shrubs, perennials, and grasses have center stage. As the trees mature, the feel of the yard will change dramatically but the trees will complement -- not overwhelm the space. The other plantings were places such that most of them will either tolerate the new shade well or will continue to receive adequate sun. Eventually, the roses might have to be moved as well as some of the grasses -- but not for many years. And much sooner than that, the trees will offer welcome shade in Washington's brutal summers. Property Viewed from Right - See Before Picture at End

The curved walk slows the approach to the house and puts the plantings on center stage.  The walk is regular flagstone on concrete.  This stable surface provides easy walking even with heels.  It also provides a good base for shoveling snow.  However, it’s retains a natural look that will feel even more natural as the plantings fill-in.  This fall, the bare spot by the stairs to the porch will be filled with a Carol Mackey Daphne that provides both a delicious scent in the early spring and delicate variegated leaves throughout the summer months – sometimes, you have to wait to find the plant you want at your local nursery.

View Back to Street - The Curved Walk Helps Slow the Entrance

A focus on Foliage Yields Year-Round Interest:  The plantings were selected to present foliage, bark and flower interest year-round.  You can see some of mid-summer interest in the photos below: 

Foliage Detail Makes the Garden Pop All Season Long

Folliage Interest and Rocks Create An Inviting Tapestry

More Examples of the Tapestry Created by Striking Foliage

Computer Renderings At the Conceptual Design Phase:  To give you a sense of what the client saw during the conceptual design phase that allowed her to move forward with this extensive front landscape remodel, I’ve included 2 of the design renderings she viewed of this option.  This was one of 3 design options I presented.  Note that we changed many details of materials and plantings while still retaining the overall feel of the design.

Computer Rendering of Concept During Conceptual Design

Additional Rendering of Design Concept

Additional “Before” Pictures:

"Before" - View from Right

"Before" - View from Left

The image, below, is courtesy of Google Neighborhood.  The homeowner used a mix of plantings in the front yard in lieu of grass.  As you pass the home, your eye stops first on the intermediate plantings making the home feel further away. 

Intermediate Landscaping Pushes the House Back Visually

A Typical Suburban Lawn Makes the House Appear Closer

The home was sold and the new homeowners replaced the plantings with a more typical lawn.  Admittedly, with the higher camera position from Google, more of the house is obscured by the street-side tree.  But even so, you can see how much closer to the sidewalk the house appears in the second photo.  Your eye moves directly to the house – foundation plantings “read” as part of the house.  The very small front yard feels very small when there’s no mid-ground to give a sense of distance and perspective. 

Here’s another house on the same block – an equally small front yard.  In this picture, again from Google where’s there’s nothing to distract the eye. 
 

A Typical Suburban Lawn Takes Your Eye Directly to the House

An intermediate fence & Plantings Pushing the House Back Visually

 
Here’s the home about one year later, also from Google.  The house takes up the same part of the frame in both pictures.  Notice how the fence – pushed 4-5’ back from the sidewalk – creates an interim threshold that “pushes” the house away from you.  It makes the small front yard feel much larger.

The typical suburban lawn wastes water, time and robs the neighborhood of habitat.  But it also, usually, robs the house of style.  I’m not opposed to grass.  Notice how in the back yard, below, the lawn contributes to the rhythm of the landscape and “reads” as a river within the larger plantings and hardscape.  And it’s more than enough for the family dog to hang out on. 

Lawn as Design Element - It's Part of the Rhythm of the Landscape

It’s admittedly not large enough for a game of touch football or other family game.  Then a large swath of grass is the best – but how few of us actually use our lawns.  In the front yard you can see from the first two homes, you can create greater interest, more privacy, a larger sense of space, and urban habitat with a thoughtful mix of plantings and hardscape instead of the ubiquitous lawn.

Gardeners call it the “hellstrip,” that skinny bit of often-neglected grass sandwiched between the street and the sidewalk. Now, some are sprucing it up, transforming it from perennial eye-sore to showpiece.
Homeowners in cities and towns across the country are seeing opportunity in these plots—also called “parkways” or “tree beds.” They occupy choice real estate in front of a home, potentially contributing to visitors’ first impressions, not to mention a resident’s own view beyond the edge of a well-tended lawn.
In Medfield, Mass., Betty and Neal Sanders have planted tough perennials such as Joe-pye weed and creeping junipers in the strip between the sidewalk and the street.
Even diehard gardeners find, though, the strips of land—surrounded by concrete and asphalt—are subject to challenges including road salt and snowplows, foot and bicycle traffic, sniffing dogs and wayward trash.

Betty Sander's Sidewalk Gardening

Betty Sanders has lush gardens on two acres in Medfield, Mass., but every time she pulled in or out of her driveway, the strip in front of her house gnawed at her. “It just looked ratty all the time,” she says.
So, she and her husband recently used compost and shredded leaves from their own property to plant flowers in similar shades of blues and yellows that echo the rest of her garden. Now, “it’s a garden that introduces the rest of my property,” she says.

Whether or not they are technically part of a homeowner’s property can vary from city to city, even neighborhood to neighborhood. Homeowners are typically responsible for basic maintenance, like mowing, whether or not they legally own the property. Regardless of ownership, the strips are typically in the “public right of way,” meaning that homeowners have little recourse against passersby who trample on the petunias, says Eduardo M. Peñalver, a Cornell University law professor who specializes in property and land use issues.

The allée I created with Crepe Myrtle Tying My City Strip to the Rest of My Garden

In Takoma Park, Md., Jackie Braitman saw the weedy strip in front of her home as a chance to visually lengthen her small front yard and create “more of a sense of welcome,” she says. While the strip is technically owned by the city, she chose to do something fairly elaborate, planting two pink-flowering crape myrtle trees on the strip directly across from two crape myrtles on her own property. The effect is an “allée” for pedestrians, she says, as two sets of tree limbs reach towards one another, forming an arch over the sidewalk. Beneath the trees, Ms. Braitman, an architectural designer, chose plants that can withstand heat and other stresses, and that still have attractive foliage even when not in flower. Many of these plants are repeated in her own yard—such as coral bells (heuchera), Thunberg spiraea (Spirea thunbergii ‘Ogon’) and “Knock Out” roses. She spent about $500—most of which went towards the cost of a professional landscaper who put in the trees, which were about $100 each.

Susan Harris uses plant divisions or extras mostly from her own yard

Another gardener in Takoma Park, Susan Harris, uses plant divisions or extras mostly from her own yard, including a nice clump of Miscanthus grass, daylillies, cone flowers, and a sedum groundcover.

Ellie Dorritie's Hell strip in Buffalo, N.Y.,

Some gardeners see in these plots an opportunity to experiment with plants that they couldn’t otherwise get to grow in their own yards. Ellie Dorritie, a retired postal worker in Buffalo, N.Y., says the full sun exposure in her planting strip allows her to garden with different plants than what she can get away with in her much shadier yard.
Her garden scheme? “Cram it in,” she says. “I ask, ‘Does it bloom? Will it fight for space?’ If the answer is yes, it goes in.”

For the most part, she says, neighbors are respectful and appreciative. There was one tiff a few years ago with cable company workers who wanted to dig up the plot for an installation. After a few tense words, “they gave in,” she says. While the entire sidewalk was ploughed up in order to make room for fiber-optic cable, “they didn’t touch my strip,” Ms. Dorritie says.
In response to what some city officials see as growing enthusiasm for gardening in hellstrips, a number of municipalities are offering more latitude for planting in them, while still requiring that certain rules are met.
Seattle last year removed its permitting requirement for gardens in “planting strips.” Homeowners must adhere to certain plant height restrictions: Plants can’t exceed two feet near an intersection; areas within 10 feet of driveways must be clear of plantings that block the view for motorists and pedestrians, says Rick Sheridan, spokesman for the city’s Department of Transportation. While he isn’t aware of any specific accidents related to overzealous gardening in the strips, his office has received complaints about plants obstructing views at intersections, he says.
In California, Santa Monica says it supports “parkway” plantings, though the city technically owns the plots, as long as certain height requirements are met. Residents must get a permit before planting anything more extensive than a few annuals, says Russell Ackerman, a specialist in the city’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment. In the last two years, his office has offered grants of up to $5,000 for homeowner water-efficient landscaping projects and most of those applications include plans for parkway planting as part of the total makeover, while about a third are focused on just the parkway, he says.

Mr. Dawson's Strip Before

Mr. Dawson's Strip After 4 years

“Space for gardening can be limited because we’re a dense urban area,” says Mr. Ackerman. “Some people really latch on to that parkway and plant it up.”

Above is a view of Francis Dawsons’s hellstrip when he purchased his home in Santa Maria, California in 2004.  By 2008, the area in front of Mr. Dawson’s house had been transformed.  The bright orange blooms of California poppies are paired with the blue flower of spikes of salvia plants.  “Once you take out your lawn, magic things happen,” says Mr. Dawson.

Horticultural experts issue a few warnings to enthusiastic hellstrip gardeners. Jennifer Britton, assistant professor of landscape design at Montana State University, cautions against planting vegetables because of contaminants that can run off the nearby road.
Nina Bassuk, program leader of the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University, says gardeners should make sure that their hellstrip planting doesn’t interfere with established trees. Trees play an important role in urban areas, she says, for providing shade, mitigating stormwater runoff, and helping improve air quality. So be careful when shoveling near root systems.
Some gardeners say they like the social aspect of gardening next to the sidewalk. “I spend a lot of time out there futzing,” says retired anthropology professor Jane Adams, “and I got to know everyone. The kids would stop and tell me how much they enjoyed it.” Her space in Carbondale, Ill., is filled with wildflowers such as cone flowers and tickseed.
Text and images are taken directly from print and online slideshow articles from the Wall Street Journal.

Write to Anne Marie Chaker at anne-marie.chaker@wsj.com

A back porch Welcomes Clients and the Neighborhood

I live down the street from a 4-Square built around 1915.  It’s at a prominent intersection and is zoned commercial.  A string of non-descript businesses have leased space there.  The house wasn’t a blight on the neighborhood but it didn’t add anything either.  Then “The Still Point”  a well-respected holistic spa took up residence.  First they built-out their interior; then they moved on the exterior.  In the course of approximately 2-weeks the outside of the building when from non-descript to warm and welcoming.  Thoughtful paint, lighting, furniture and decoration turned a cold, inward-looking structure into a nicely scaled building that beckons the neighborhood into its doors.

AFTER - Main Neighborhood View

BEFORE - Main Neighborhood View - Courtesy of Google Earth

The, above,  After and Before pictures are the view from the main intersection.  A new, wide stairway from the back porch welcomes visitors.  As seen in the introductory image, outdoor drapes help create an intimate space while ceiling fans, furniture and potted palms help make the space intimate.  

A Closer View of the Back Stairs

AFTER - View of the Front of the House

BEFORE - Front of House

The front porch (see After and Before, above) received a slightly more formal but equally inviting make-over.  The line of semi-flush light fixtures – while providing more light than is strictly necessary – creates an extremely attractive rhythm.  The door, made prominent with black contrasting paint, is no longer over-emphasized. 

Notice that they also cleaned up the various phone and cable lines coming into the house so that they no longer distract from the front porch. 

Carpeted Front Steps

Porch steps were carpeted in a deep forest outdoor carpeting to avoid the slipperiness of painted wood.  A water feature near the front door, providing a welcoming auditory break from the street.
 

Welcoming Front Porch

The mocha and crème color scheme brings out the subtle colors of the roof and highlights the architecture much better than did the former white, dark grey and red scheme.  The more subtle palette also contrasts nicely with the black powder-coated furniture and lighting fixtures.  Our eye likes contrast and texture and the new palette caters to these preferences.

Other than the back steps to the porch, there were no structural changes, but now the building is a part of and beckons to the neighborhood rather than standing apart.

This "Devil Man" has guarded my gardens for the past 12 years as it did my Mother's for almost 30 years

1.  Think Style & Maintenance before Digging or Buying Plants
Sun versus Shade; Formal versus Casual; Modern vs. Traditional; Symmetrical vs. Balanced, Summer vs. Spring, Alfresco Dining vs. View From the Window,
High Maintenance or Self-Caring, Dogs & Children vs. Delicate Plantings, Food Production vs. Views. 

These are not all mutually exclusive but just like any home remodeling project –  you need to start with your goals, lifestyle, and aesthetics.  Your answers will dramatically change what you plant and where you plant.   For example, the classic boxwood will rarely look as comfortable in a casual garden than a formal one.  And self-seeding annuals and perennials will make a cottage garden dramatically easier but will be the bane of a gardener who wants order.  Pressure-treated lumber works well in a casual garden as does irregular flagstone but concrete, painted wood and regular flagstone are more suited to a very modern garden. 

The Decking, Fence, Walls & Stone River were installed Before Plantings

2.  Think Structure before Plants
Structure refers walks, decks, patios, pergolas and other built items often referred to as “hardscape”.  It also refers to plants and the planting structure.  

Three examples:  First, think about planting on a hill.  Somewhat counter intuitively, your yard will feel more balanced if the plants get taller as they move up the hill.  Recognizing this requires you to select the plants you’re going to use before buying or planting any of them.  

Second, also counter intuitively, breaking up a small (or large) garden into separate (but visually integrated) areas will make it feel larger.  In all gardens, the area will feel larger and more balanced if you think structurally about foreground, mid-ground and background.  Start with this structure before you start planting.  For example, I installed a low (36”) fence inset from the sidewalk on my very small front yard in order to make it feel larger.  If I had decided to do this after I planted, I would need to remove and reinstall plants. 

Third, installing patios and other “hardscape” disturbs roots.  Ideally, you want to plan and build all your structures before starting you planting – or leave at least 8-10 feet so that you won’t need to disturb your roots while building. 

And of course, plants grow.  You need to think about the mature size of plants when planting shrubs and trees.  While they’re growing you can fill in with annuals or self-seeding or spreading perennials.  For example, in the border garden depicted in the images 2-4 below, I purposefully planted several rapidly spreading perennials (a mum, a euphorbia, and a Caryopteris) to help take over the large swaths of former lawn while the shrubs and other perennials could establish themselves.  I’m now starting to pull out (and either move or give away) the excess as other plants come in.  With this strategy, the area looks good and I have less weeding to do in the garden’s early years.  

Plants Grow over and around Fencing & Walkways; Notice Also Different Leaf Types

3.  Think Foliage before Flowers
Flowers on trees, shrubs and perennials last only weeks while foliage is visible and prominent all year – or for 7-9 months depending on your zone.   Between foliage color, texture and form, you can create dramatic vignettes without any flowers at all.  When you think foliage, you can also more easily create a year-round garden rather than one that looks terrific only 1- 3 months of the year.  Also consider what works in your climate and sun exposure.  There are lots of plants that wilt or mildew in Washington DC’s hot humid summers.  Similarly, there are plants that do well in Washington’s shade but will burn-up or become diseasedin the sun.  For example, Euonymous is a wonderful plant for the Shade but will become overrun by scale in the sun.  On the other hand, many plants will look scraggly or fail to bloom without enough sun.  Unless you want a lot of work, think about what works in your climate and sun exposure.  

Variations in Foliage Form and Color Can Substitute for Flowers

Notice How the Rocks and Fence Also Add to the Drama of the Vignette

Foliage Variation is Just as Important and Dramatic in the Sun

 
4.  Now Decorate Your Garden!
A decorated garden can fit within any style.  Rocks, Found-Objects, and Sculpture are wonderful foils for plants.  And they make your garden truly one-of-a-kind.  And you can re-decorate your garden just as you do your home.  Enjoy! 

Rejects From My Glass Studio Help Decorate the Garden As Faux Fungus Forms

Bath Tub Ducks Migrated to the Rocks Around the Pond

Stained Glass in the Garden

Abstract Art - Notice the Layers of Foliage Interest

Photo Taken by chris5aw — see her photo stream on Flickr 

Color, Structure, Foliage and Art is Equally Vital in the Modern Garden

Photo Taken by Aimee Quiggle, See Her Photo Stream on Flickr

Garden Room with Tree Canopy Ceiling & Landscaped Walls

1.  Walls & Ceiling:   

  If you only remember one thing, remember that outdoor rooms need walls and ceilings just like indoor rooms.  We crave a sense of intimacy and protection when we sit and relax or when we dine.  The walls and ceiling don’t have to feel constraining – sometimes we only need a hint – like the combination pergola/bench in the image, below, combined with a privacy fence and plants or plants alone.  [Read more about this outdoor room by Braitman Design]   

A ceiling can be as simple as an umbrella (image below) or the canopy of a tree and the suggestion of a ceiling from a pergola (like the image above). [Read more about this outdoor room by Braitman Design]   

Garden Rooms Needs Walls & Ceilings

Garden Rooms Need Privacy

 
2.  Privacy:  Garden Rooms feel best when they feel private.  Privacy can be fairly complete like the garden below where stucco and concrete wall fully block views by neighbors.  Or they can be slightly more porous, like the garden room above and to the left, where shrubbery largely blocks views and the open fence defines the border. 
    

Private Patio Photographed by Erica Marshall

3.  Extension of the House:  Have you ever noticed how often exposed decks off the 2nd floor are largely unused.  It’s often because they feel separated from the house and they usually violate rules 1 and 2, above.  Through use of more refined materials and by creating walls, ceilings and privacy a deck or patio should feel like an extension of the home – a garden room beyond the living room or family room.   

Stone Terrace acts as Extension of House

The metal balusters in the railing above, feel much more transparent than wood.  The porcelain flooring feels more like indoors.  Shrubs (not visible in this picture) will mature within abut 3 years to provide greater sense of privacy.  In the short-term, annuals hanging from baskets in the summer will help solidify the walls during the months when the owners want to be outdoors.    

Glass doors should invite you out to the garden room beyond.  The two images below show how glass doors off two different rooms beckon the family onto a private patio at the front of the house.    

Glass Doors Beckon You to Garden Room Beyond

Doors Off Adjacent Sun Room Also Open Onto Patio

4.  Outdoor Kitchen:  An outdoor kitchen can be as simple as a conveniently located grill or can be extensive with built-in sinks and refrigerators and grilling centers (like the patio, below.    

Outdoor Kitchen by Artistry in Concrete

5.  Shady Spots and Sunny Spots:   

 
If your deck or patio faces south or west, remember to include ways to shade a sitting or eating area.  In the image, above, an arbor shades the dining area from harsh western afternoon sun
   

6.  Add a Water Feature or Fire Pit:  

Water — especially running water — can transport you away from your urban or suburban spot to someplace far away.  It can drown out the noise of cars and neighbors.  Similarly, the crackle of a fire can also bring your heart to distant vacations.   

Fire Pit Beside PatioA Patio Retreat with Pond

http://www.flickr.com/photos/montanaraven/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

In the backyard retreat, above, notice how planted a berm behind the pool provides privacy from the neighbors while also providing the height needed for a small water fall.  The table placed close to the pond provides a sense of separation.

7.  Lighting.  Be creative about lighting your backyard getaway.  Lighting could be as simple as porch lights (below).  

Porch Lights Are Inviting

Or you could use elaborate and creative fixtures to create a festive, inviting nighttime tableau (below).   

Inventive Patio Lighting

http://www.flickr.com/photos/secret_canadian/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

For More Ideas:
http://www.remodelingcenter.com/decks/platform-deck-design-ideas/
http://www.remodelingcenter.com/decks/deck-solutions/create-a-backyard-getaway/

Three Ceiling Fans Help Deter Mosquitoes

The pergola, above, was built by Artisan Specialties in Columbia, South Carolina, but it’s quite similar to ones I’ve designed for a clients.  The powerful ceiling fans, close together, will provide good coverage to provide cooling breezes and to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects at bay. 

What conditions do you need for a fan to work?  You need a very strong stream of air — if you don’t like air blowing on you, this solution isn’t for you.  I like the design, above, because you’re getting wind from all sides of the table.  The fans need to have strong motors and large blades.  You also need fairly open conditions.  Ceiling fans won’t work as well on a front porch that’s surrounded by shrubbery or covered by vines.  The plants provide a place for the insects to hide and protect themselves from the breeze and have only a short flight to get to your skin — especially your feet and legs.  In this setting, an oscillating fan or box fan blowing across the sitting area — at about 30-36″ off the floor — will provide better protection.

I was intrigued to also see the stand-mounted “ceiling” fan that fits in most umbrella holes by Backyard America. 

Stand-Mounted Fan

I can also recommend the OFF!® PowerPad® Lamp and Lantern.  I’ve found the product effective when I use 2 to 4 lamps — that fully bracket a sitting area on a porch, deck or patio.  I was convinced the first time when 3 of us were enjoying my patio without getting bitten.  One minute all was calm, then the repellant had burned off and all 3 of us started getting bitten.  As soon as the candles and pads were replaced, calm returned. 

Mosquitos love me and I get huge welts with every bite and I live just outside buggy Washington, DC.  So I’ll keep looking for ideas that work.  If you have any to share, please contact me.