Designed With The Future In Mind: Project Maintenance And The Aesthetic Impacts Of Aging

We love posting photos of our newest designs. Nothing is quite as satisfying as a job well done, and many online viewers appreciate having inspo references that they can use for their own future projects.

One issue this can cause, however, is the impression that these landscapes will always look as photographed in its prime, when in fact it will grow and evolve over time. Or the impression that “low maintenance” landscapes mean “no maintenance”, when every landscape requires some level of maintenance. Additionally, while our newly planted landscape may look “sparse”, this is logically done with purpose and growth in mind.

Landscapes are never one-and-done projects, as the nature of our craft requires careful management of the health and growth of its primary medium: perennials, shrubs, and trees. Taking this design we constructed in a Sunset Cliffs residence that rested on a steep hillside facing the ocean as an example, recent pictures show exactly how those “sparse” plantings fill in over time.

Hardscape goes through its own evolution as materials like wood, concrete, and stone are exposed to the relentless forces of the elements. The forces of time and age require that a complete landscape must be consciously designed to impress as much five years down the line as it does the day after completion.

 

Leaving Room To Grow

The Sunset Cliffs project initially contained minimal plant coverage for the plants to fill in and not be overcrowded. The mid century modern spa area was bordered by a Riverstone-lined planter with a few small crawling ground covers and diminutive aloe. Matching the relative “emptiness” of the newly installed cliffside running downslope of the property accented with grasses and agaves. The simplistic pots contained juvenile citrus trees, many of which only grew a few scant inches above the container walls initially.

While minimalism pairs well with a modern design theory, this effect was meant to be temporary. The plant spacing was determined at the time of planting based on its mature size, leaving space for the plants to grow and fill in without getting overcrowded. Given the appropriate amount of sunlight, water, and soil quality, plants grow and flourish, and too much in one bed or pot will do nothing but stunt the growth of the total population. Overcrowding plants can cause plant stress due to lack of sun, water, and nutrients as the plants compete for resources and space. It may look minimal initially, but it is a better investment than over planting and needing to remove plans in the future. 

 

Six years later, the creeping ground cover interplay with the succulents, now dominate the Riverstone planter in conjunction with soft grasses that were mere seedlings at the time of project completion. The hillside planter reached a similar level of coverage, the carissa ground cover grew and was trained to fill the gaps leaving a coat of fresh green to cover the previously barren reaches of sandstone and clay.

The potted plants, meanwhile, had also reached maturity. Carefully pruned and treated citrus trees provide a consistent bounty of lemons, limes and tangelos, while the grasses now fountain over the overhanging edges of their pots, creating a startling cascade of light in the setting sun.

Maintenance is a crucial factor in ensuring a landscape design reaches this mature stage, as too much or too little care can result in disaster. Pruning and trimming is necessary to maintain the clean edges and ensure that specialized flora, like potted or espaliered fruit trees, maintain a desirable and healthy shape.

Hardscaping And The Impact Of Time

The materials used in hardscaping are not quite as static as they may first appear to be. The energy and stresses of the environment and time influence the appearance and texture of seemingly immutable materials such as stone, concrete, and hardwood.

The Sunset Cliffs project, for example, featured handsome burnished Ipe hardwood decking whose distinctive reddish gleam nearly matched the cherry wood used in the spa area. Over the years, the sun “burned out” the vibrant reds and browns, leaving the wood with a neutral gray coloration. This weathering was a design choice to emulate a more modern style as well as reduce the amount of maintenance throughout the years. It is very common to stain wood decks, however this would need to be touched up every few years to keep it looking fresh. Deciding not to stain the hardwood Ipe decking paid off in both time and aesthetics. This color evolution compliments the gunmetal greys of the oversized modern planting pots and railings lining the deck and stark natural gray concrete.

Materials used in the fabricated aspects of landscape need to be chosen with care in order to maintain a desired aesthetic over time. A once-beautiful landscape can become shabby-looking if its visual focal points age incongruously with the rest of the design.

Structural Concerns

While designers need to be aware of the aesthetic implications of aging, the underlying structure of a landscape cannot be subject to the forces of nature. The foundations need to be capable of withstanding the forces of nature for as long as possible.

For the Sunset Cliffs project, large caissons were used to anchor the decking and walkway to the steep sandstone cliffs. These are capable of withstanding significant tectonic forces, so the frequent mini-earthquakes that crack and damage hardscape patios all over southern California don’t leave an impression on the expansive hardwood structure.

Choosing the right flora also makes a significant impact on the stability of a property’s underlying structure. For challenging topographies featured in many San Diego properties, the complex root networks of many trees help stabilize and reduce erosion to the underlying soil. In our Sunset Cliffs project, the bare sandstone occluded the use of larger trees. Choosing plants that prefer the sandstone slope and require less water was key. 

What looks spare on day one can become layered and lush in year six. The Sunset Cliffs project proves that negative space, careful plant selection, and ongoing maintenance create a living composition that only improves with time. Torrey Pines Landscape Company designs for this entire arc so your landscape feels intentional today and even more compelling tomorrow. If you’re ready to create a space that will hold up for years to come, Torrey Pines Landscape Company can help. Call today!