 |
|
|
valley center...eureka springs |
|
|
|
[Home] [Portfolio] [discovery hills] [Eureka Springs] |
|
|
|
Professional Landscape Design Portfolio: Eureka Springs...Xeriscape & Firescape
They wanted a design that used low-water, low-maintenance plants along with eco-friendly hardscape materials and installation techniques. The use of harvested rain water was also an important element for these eco-conscious homeowners. Because of the specialized nature of this project, The Yard Fairy commissioned me to do the landscape design for this property. In my capacity as principal designer for the project, I worked closely with the homeowners and contractor to create a stunning design that met all of the homeowners’ needs. Throughout the design process I kept in close contact with both the homeowners and the contractor via e-mail, phone conversations, and onsite in-person visits. I started the design process by meeting with both the landscape contractor and the homeowners. I then reviewed the client’s completed design questionnaire to make sure I captured all of the information I needed to create a design that worked aesthetically for the homeowner and fell within the contractor’s installation capabilities. The homeowners were quite fond of the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College and wanted a design that reflected these gardens and gave them paths for walking along with spaces for relaxing and entertaining. They also wanted to attract birds and butterflies to the garden. Since one of the homeowners had limited mobility, the creation of focal points that could be viewed from inside the home was a priority. Additionally, paths that were level and easily traversed, with frequently spaced seating areas were important. Recent transplants from the midwest, the homeowners also had an unusual request—to create an enclosed outdoor space for their cats that could no longer venture outside due to the risk posed by coyotes in the neighborhood. Eco-friendly design and construction is one of my specialties. I started this project by reviewing the gardens at Cuyamaca College. I also made visited the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens in Claremont. I decided early in the design process to use berms throughout the gardens. Berms break up large expanses of flat land and create visual interest—this would give the homeowners the park-like setting that they desired. Berms also allowed me to give the native plants the exact soil conditions they need to survive. Raising the soil level by 18 to 24 inches in strategic locations also allowed me to create distinct garden areas and made the separate seating and entertaining areas feel as if they were much more secluded than they actually were. I used decomposed granite pathways to connect all of the gardens and patio areas, giving the homeowners the space for walking that they had requested. The conceptual design included Mediterranean, native, wildflower, kitchen and cat gardens. Throughout the gardens I used boulders and landscape rocks for a natural appearance. I chose to place the plants in groups with open areas between them to replicate the spacing found in nature. To keep weeds down, I specified the thick application of wood mulch. For the native garden, I specified the use of decomposed composed granite mulch to meet the needs of these wonderful but picky plants. The contractor suggested that wall pergolas be installed along two of the exterior walls to provide passive solar cooling. This was a suggestion that the homeowners liked and I added it to the design. My design included three patios, and an additional seating nook to view the wildflower and cat gardens. A circular pergola with a fire pit seating area at rear of property was included so the homeowners could enjoy their amazing nighttime views. The homeowners wanted a water feature but felt that the energy and water needed were not eco-friendly. I designed a custom disappearing fountain set at the ‘top’ of a dry creek bed which then ‘flowed’ along the base of the main patio and terminated in pot planted with succulents set in colored glass to mimic a basin filled with water that was overflowing the edges. Installed, this has become an interactive contemporary work of art that blends beautifully with the overall design for the property. To meet the homeowners’ unusual request regarding their cats, I created a cat garden adjacent to the wildflower garden. An 8’T x 4’W cat enclosure was placed alongside the home to take advantage of the shade provided by the building. A grouping of birdhouses/birdfeeders and a second birdbath across from the cat’s outdoor enclosure will attract birds and provide visual interest for cats. I planted catmint alongside the enclosure for special sensory treat. The homeowners loved my hand-rendered conceptual design. A few minor changes were made: the kitchen garden became a rose garden, succulents were added to the dry riverbed, and the cement patio became a permeable paver patio to allow rainwater to soak into the landscape. A final design was quickly produced in AutoCAD and the HOA approved the design with no modifications. Additional eco-friendly construction details included in my design were:
You can see photos of this design installed at: http://www.landscapecontest.com/2008/bilger/index.htm http://www.clcasandiego.org/Awards_list.htm#awards http://picasaweb.google.com/yardfairy/AwardWinnerCraneAveEscondido K. Hudson Landscape Design is an award-winning North San Diego County landscape design company owned by Kathy Hudson. I specialize in residential landscape design for landscape contractors. My designs start with the needs of the professional landscape contractor in mind. I will also do commissioned designs for individuals referred to me by landscape architects and licensed landscape contractors.
|
When the homeowners of this estate-sized property (10,000 sf) contracted with