Creative Landscape Planning - Landscape Installation

Creative Landscape Planning and Installation

When reviewing a nice landscape design-build portfolio, one may not realize the innate complexity of which it entails. The basic elements that are mandatory for a landscape are the three items most often overlooked:

DRAINAGE

     Without good positive drainage, plant roots rot,   house foundations suffer, mold and moss grow instead of the desired plantings and the garden may become a muddy mess to walk through. There are two types of drainage systems: surface and subterranean. We have had some sites where we have had to install large underground French drains that pick up waters moving horizontally through the soils much like an underground river. Most of the time in San Diego, surface drains are enough, but if there are the telltale signs of subterranean water, then we can surely help solve these challenges as well.

SOIL PREPARATION

     A garden with good soil preparation is like a home built on a good strong foundation. If the soil preparation is done thoroughly and properly, a new garden will mature quickly and stay healthy for years to come with a lot less work on your part.
     Most of San Diego soils are ancient ocean floor strata that haven't seen the light of day for millions of years until some builder comes along with a bulldozer. What this means is that there is usually a high salt content and a definitive lack of organic materials. We perform an onsite soil analysis which checks the texture and Ph of the soil.  After this is done, we proceed in tilling the proper amendments into the soil. This usually involves digging up 6"-12" of the existing soil with shovels, electric jackhammers, and small bobcats with teeth. Some of the amendments that we use are: organic natural compost, peat moss, bone and blood meal, time released fertilizers, organic fertilizers and gypsum for clay soils.

CONTROL OF THE WATER

    Applying the right amount of water to the plant material at the right time is at the heart of our arid climate challenge. With little rain and using drought tolerant plants that will rot easily if over-watered, we have a delicate situation before us. Each part of your garden has a small but important microclimate. A shady northern side of a home is cooler than the south or west side. What we do is divide the garden according to its microclimates and water each area with a separate circuit of irrigation. For example: we might water that shady north side every 4th day in the summer and water the southern side every other day. We also divide the circuits or valves in the irrigation by the types of plants. A citrus orchard will need to be watered weekly where as a shade garden of azaleas or camellias might need water every other day in the summer.

LET THE FUN BEGIN...

     With the foundation of the garden now in place with the above three fundamentals, we can now tackle the fun stuff. Usually the owner of a property for a new project gives us some rough ideas of their landscape interests and requirements. ("I would like a bigger patio area, a BBQ, a spa and more shade by the pool.") Before picking up any of our design tools, we listen carefully to you, approaching the design process with a humility as if your landscape were being developed for ourselves. We realize that you are now going to be living with this garden. It has to work for you within your style of living. We also want to take into consideration your home's style of architecture and its interior design. We can create an outdoor space that flows out from your interior design. We take all of this information and combine it with our many years of experience and passion for the artistic aspects of gardening to produce a preliminary AutoCAD landscape design plan for you. Unlike a 'design-only' company, we are in-tune with what landscape items really cost. We usually give our clients some preliminary numbers before we begin the design process. Once the plan is created, we offer detailed and itemized prices.
     Having a master-plan created by a professional will not only save you money in the long run, but will offer you a garden space that you'll enjoy for years to come.

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