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Dogwood Diamonds

  • January 12, 2011 10:30 am

Today began with a bright, clear sky. The unfiltered sun is melting the ice we got Monday night. 

I always love it when the sun comes out after an ice storm. I recall an icy morning as a girl traveling a street where the trees grew right overhead. The sun shone through the trees creating what I thought looked like a glittering hall in a massive crystal palace. 

While my daughter was sledding* an icy slope I noticed a dogwood tree in the sun. It was covered with diamonds of light and I grabbed my camera.

I only wish my photographic skills were better so the photos could truly show the beauty outside this morning.

*I bought a plastic saucer for her after the Christmas snowstorm.

Pot Delivery (it’s not what you think!)

  • October 21, 2010 9:29 pm

They’ve arrived!   I ordered some wonderful new pots for a client and they arrived today.   Next week, I’ll be adding the plants.

My clients had two pairs of pots on their large front terrace, but the space still cried out for more.  I suggested a new pair to go with them.  Then I mentioned an area near the backyard gazebo.  Half barrel planters had been planted there long ago.  The ivy had escaped from them and the wood was decaying.  I suggested we consider new pots for that space as well.  It was agreed that I would pick out pots for both of these locations.

Front terrace with pots by Linden Landscape Design, Cary NC

Gazebo by Linden Landscape Design, Cary NC

 

Then I got to go shopping!  I love choosing accessories for gardens.  Plants can be accessories and I get to choose them all the time.  But pots and furniture are even more fun– like candy.  Most gardens aren’t complete without some carefully chosen accessories.   I checked out Market Imports at the NC Farmers Market in Raleigh.  I found these pots:

Campania Caprice Planter by Linden Landscape Design, Cary NCCampania Frascati Planter by Linden Landscape Design, Cary NC

Click the pics to embiggen and find out where the pots will go and why I chose each.  But I’ll bet you guessed that already.

Now it’s off to pick out more plants for these new pots.  I’ll need more of the panolas (viola x pansy–cute smaller pansy flower, no faces) and snapdragons like I put in the other pots.  I also used a nice dark Ajuga cultivar called Black Scallop.   Oh, and some soil too.  More shopping!

They’ll look great.

Landscape Lighting–WOW!

  • September 2, 2010 2:32 pm

I’m referring to just what happens when you see a wonderful example of landscape lighting for the first time.  It usually does  make you say “Wow”.

photo by KDK Design GroupI’ve been lucky enough to have designed quite a few lighting projects that have made my clients very happy.  Now, let me explain something about lighting design.  There are are a couple of main aspect in the design.  First is the actual layout of the light fixtures and determining the type of fixture/lamp, wattage of the lamp (bulb) and the spread of the light.  Next, the information above plus the power source, site conditions and transformer type all determine the wiring needed to make the system work.  Both aspects are extremely important  for the design–one is just prettier than the other.  I generally do just the first part of design, leaving the wiring configurations to those more adept at the math needed.  Actually, I should mention one more aspect, a night adjustment after installation.   Proper aiming and exact locations of moveable lights can only be determined in the dark.  I do like to be involved in this as well.

Some of my views on lighting design are featured in Irrigation and Green Industry magazine.  A couple of installers and manufacturers are also included in the article by Robin Westmiller.  Even though the magazine is targeted at the landscape trade, it’s a great primer for anyone interested in a lighting system.

So, check out the article and see if you are ready for a little “Wow”.

Smith Mountain Lake, Penhook Virginia Project

  • April 23, 2010 3:39 pm

In 2004 I started helping a client with her lake house.  I’d already designed her Raleigh property and she wanted to transform her lake house as well.  The house is gorgeous, a farmhouse style with a red barn-like garage, but the landscape was lacking.  The property sloped steeply to the lake and while the two gracious back porches offered great views, the lawn was nearly unusable.

At the time, I worked for Greenscape, a design-build company in Holly Springs, NC.  The lake house was about two hours away so I wasn’t sure Greenscape would do the installation after I completed the design.  It would certainly be more costly for the client with hotel and meals for the crew to be covered.

Lake house after 2004 installation

The plan I did then concentrated on the plantings, which were minimal compared to the Raleigh property, and some stone hardscaping.   I really wanted to terrace the steep back yard, but the clients weren’t ready for that very major work and didn’t want to lose the expanse of lawn. 

Greenscape did do the stone work but the planting was done by a local landscaper.  The property was nice, but in my mind, still not complete.

Fast forward to fall of 2009.  My client injured her knee and realized how very hard it could be to get to the boathouse at the lake.  The sloping lawn even made the trip hazardous.   She was ready for a solution.

Lake house 2010

New walls in progress

I was finally able to work on my terracing idea.  I proposed creating two lower walls running parallel to the house.  The visual impact of the walls from above would be minimal and the terraces would be resodded so there would still be a great expanse of lawn.  From the lake, the house would be grounded (it appears a bit top heavy) by the stone walls.   Four sets of stone steps would ease movement down to the pier.

Well, Greenscape is back on site and the new walls are going in. Yesterday I made a site visit to check the progress.  The steps are in and the lower wall is complete.  The upper wall is about one-fourth of the way along.  You can already see the impact the walls have on the home.  Once the walls are done, soil will brought in, the site graded and new sod will go down.

I sent some pictures the owner and she’s very excited, saying the walls are the “final gem” for the property.  I am so excited to see this project complete.  My next visit will be Wednesday and I’ll post more pics then.

Got Balls?-Sweet Gum balls, that is

  • April 8, 2010 2:59 pm

Today I saw something amazing.  Someone in my neighborhood was picking up balls on his lawn with an amazing tool.   Check out the nut wizard. 

I’ve seen these before for harvesting nuts, but never thought they could have any other use.  So, now there is a use for them in spring and fall.

Most of us in the southeastern US know about these ankle twisting Sweet Gum balls.   They come from the tree Liquidambar styraciflua, a native here.  They are little round, spiny balls that fall from the trees in the spring.

Get them when newly fallen to make things easier.  When those spines get crushed they’ll be harder to pick up.

Now, not everyone hates these things.  They are kind of cute.  After my family moved to NC when I was a teenager, my grandmother from Ohio saw the balls and was so excited about using them for crafts.

Apparently there is a market out there for them–http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf43799364.tip.html

Living Outdoors

  • February 12, 2009 11:35 am

OK, so the economy’s got you down.  Maybe you’d like to move to your dream house, but the market to sell your existing home stinks right now.  Maybe you just need a place to de-stress easily.  Why not make your current home your dream home?  Create a place to de-stress.   Sure, indoor renovations are great, but as we get closer to Spring consider what you might be able to do outside.  

Continue reading – Living Outdoors