Meditative Video with Music Hampton Court Koi Swimming

Shade Tolerant Trees for Intimate Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan

Let me introduce you to some of my favorite shade friendly trees for Intimate Gardens in Michigan.  I prefer using dwarf varieties of trees in most home landscapes because they tend to stay within the bounds of typical gardens.  You should always consider the mature size of any plant you install in your landscape.  Landscapes are often overwhelmed by trees and shrubs that become overgrown.

Japanese Maples such as the above Crimson Queen Maple bring significant interest from spring through fall. Whatever the size of your landscape, there is one that will fit your gardens.   You will be amazed at the color options.  Bright reds, maroons, chartreuse, variegated.  The shape of the leaves vary dramatically too. Deeply lobed with serrated edges to broad and smooth.  So, whether you enjoy the broader view or exploring the details, Japanese Maples are for you. 

Acer palmatum 'Okagami' is stunning dwarf upright Japanese Maple whose Burgundy wine colored leaves contrast beautifully with the white/ grey bark.

The Golden Hinoki False Cypress - Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Nana Lutea' has a glow about it.  The contrasting deep green of older needles acts as a foil for the newer golden needles. The texture of this dwarf tree creates is reminiscent  of billowing clouds or lush woodland moss.

Another Hinoki False Cypress, 'Nana Gracilis', adds interesting texture with its flat fan like branching habit.  This compact tree is an excellent choice for small gardens and set against walls and fences. Try it with Scarlet Carpet Roses and 'Little Bunny' grass.

For very narrow areas or to emphasis the entrance to a garden or pathway, or even in an urn, check out Chamaecyparis obtuse 'Spiralis'.  An excellent small tree for small gardens. 

To see these trees and a large variety of unique garden trees in West Michigan, check out Blue Horizon Nursery - 09721 59th St. Grand Junction, MI 49056. Check them out online at http://bluehorizonnursery.com/?page=home.  Tell Bill Brent Langley sent you.

Four Landscaping Mistakes Every Homeowner Should Avoid

Failure to begin with a landscape design will ultimately lead to a failure of the landscape.  While there are many mistakes resulting from failure to plan your landscape, there are four very common landscaping mistakes I will cover here. These include: 

• Garden beds out of proportion to adjacent structures
• Planting without understanding future growth needs
• Walkways too narrow to traverse comfortably
• Undersized Patios

When homes are being built, the landscape is generally the last thing on the architect's or builder's mind.  So, if you happen to be one of those people blessed with a beautiful "cookie cutter" home.  I understand.  It's not your fault.  Builders tend to wrap up their home building activities by adding a 3' wide poured concrete walkway to the front entrance with a 1-2' wide bed between the sidewalk and the structure and another bed or two in front of the house to hold a few tiny shrubs and a couple scrawny trees, beds that are far too narrow, and consider the home landscaped. They tend to add a 10x10' poured concrete slab they call a "patio" behind the home. 

Typical of many Midwest suburban homes, this house has a very narrow walkway with 1' wide planting bed between the sidewalk and garage and narrow beds planted with large shrubs.  Wider planting beds and sidewalk would make the home more inviting and greatly improve the appeal of this home.

Of course, not all builders fall into this category.  Some quality custom home builders are more careful and attentive. But money still tends to run low by the end of a building project.  That means landscapes and outdoor living spaces still come last.  So, to hold the homeowner over, the builder installs narrow walkways, simple planting schemes in narrow beds with less than optimal soils and  nearly useless undersized patios.

Problem: The gardens at this home are too narrow and the few shrubs planted in the beds too large to fit within their confines. Solution: widen the beds and install plants that will not overgrow the boundaries of the renovated gardens.

Garden beds in unplanned landscapes tend to be out of proportion to the adjacent structures causing the home to appear disassociated from its setting.  Your planting beds should help your home meld with the surrounding landscape. When designing a landscape, I recommend that garden beds be at least 1/3 as deep as the building is tall; preferably 1/2 as deep. Narrower beds tend to look like an after thought. So, if you have a one story home, including the roof line and foundation, the home will be around 15' tall. That means your planting beds should be at least 5' deep.  A two story home will be around 24' tall from ground level to roof line.  In this case, your beds should be at least 8' deep.  

When planting, especially adjacent to a structure, consider the mature growth, not just the size of the plants at time of purchase.  Try installing plants with the intention of never having to trim to keep them in bounds. Read tags at the nursery or store. If you love that Viburnum but your planting bed is five feet wide and the tag says it grows 8' wide x 8' tall.  You either need to increase the width of your bed, or find a shrub with smaller mature height and width. Take into consideration the placement of the plants in relation to each other as well. Don't crowd more plants into your garden beds hoping to make the plantings appear more mature.  Doing so will cost more money and require more maintenance.  In the end, lack of airflow and light may destroy the beautiful plants you installed.  

Shrubs in this landscape are overgrown, blocking windows and decreasing curb appeal.  Install plants needing little to no pruning to stay within the bounds of the beds and below windows to reduce maintenance and aesthetic appeal.

Homeowners often lack a working knowledge of plant growth habits and mistakenly install trees, shrubs and groundcovers that are unsuitable for their intended location.  Previous occupants planted Yews at a home I considered purchasing last year in Grand Rapids Township.  The yews  overgrew the sidewalk so far, we had to walk on the lawn to reach the front door.  Not at all inviting.  I have seen shade trees planted just a few feet from a house damage siding, windows and roof as the branches swayed in the wind.  I have seen roots crack foundations because a tree is planted too close.  Ivy grows so rapidly and aggressively it can push its way through basement windows and under siding. 

These shrubs have grown so large, they are blocking the front walk. Yews were a foundation planting staple for decades. Unfortunately, neglect leads quickly to excessive growth and difficulty reining in the unruly plants.

Walkways on most homes are too narrow because they tend to be thought of as utilitarian; just a way to get from point A (the driveway or public sidewalk) to point B (the front or side door).  Again, builders and home owners tend to run out of money before they get to the landscape. So, utility becomes the driving force in order to save money. Narrow walkways, especially across longer stretches, look out of proportion.  Narrow poured concrete sidewalks are uninviting and difficult to navigate especially when plantings begin to encroach. Wider walkways are imperative if you want your home to appear inviting.  I recommend a minimum width of 4' though I prefer 5' or wider to allow two people to walk abreast comfortably.  Larger landings at entrances are also welcoming, encouraging visitors to linger. Of course, if you do not want them to linger, you have to use your coxing skills to move them along. In that case, you will have to talk to my wife, the mental health counselor to get some pointers on how to do it diplomatically.

The Original Stairs front walkway in Grand Rapids, MI wider than typical but still too narrow for two people to walk abreast considering the walls on both sides.

Solution: Remove the existing steps and walls. Broaden the stairs to the width of the existing stoop and add new walls and a planter bed. Now two people can walk these stairs comfortably side by side with room to spare. 

This is an example of a typical "cookie cutter" home. The house originally had a 3' wide poured concrete sidewalk.  Solution: remove the existing walkway.  Install pavers over the existing stoop to broaden the landing and install a large walkway that feels more like a courtyard.  

This home also had a 3 foot wide poured concrete walk leading to the front door.  I designed a true courtyard that draws visitors to the front and invites them to linger.

Undersized Patios become useless spaces. The 10x10' poured concrete patio that came with your house probably does not meet your needs when you want to entertain family and friends.  It is a nice space to set a child size picnic table and a couple chairs.  But once you place a full-sized picnic table or outdoor table set on there, you lose your ability to walk around the table, or cook at the grill.  Grills always seem to sit just off the slab to gain those precious extra five square feet.  The table blocks the door.... Consider the typical round outdoor dining table (54") and typical rectangular dining table (72"x42") that seats six adults. Once seats are filled, all walking space is eliminated.  Check out the graphic below to see how these tables along with a 26" gas fits on a 10x10 'patio vs a 12x14' patio.  Dramatic difference in space availability.

This graphic shows the size of a typical 10x10' poured concrete "patio" once a dining table has been added.  The right side patios are 12x14' and show the same tables and gas grill.  Notice the dramatic difference 68 square feet makes.  The larger patios allow the grill to set on the them and still have plenty of room to walk around even with people sitting in the seats. 

Luckily, the problem with the undersized concrete slab can be corrected without removing the slab. By installing pavers over the concrete and extending the same pavers beyond the edges of the slab on a crushed concrete and screed sand base you can add the needed space and beautify your outdoor living space at the same time. 

Paver Patio Covering and Extending Beyond Existing Poured Concrete Slab

An excellent resource for guidance on creating an adequate patio for your needs is ConcreteNetwork.com.  Checkout this link: https://www.concretenetwork.com/concrete-patio/size.html.

East Grand Rapids Outdoor Living Space Walkthru

This East Grand Rapids, MI landscape was designed to encourage the home owners to live more often in their outdoor living space.  Wood burning fire pit. Unilock paver patio. Stepping stone passes through a crushed stone transition walkway between the main lower paver patio and the upper paver patio.  Future gardens are planned to finish off the landscape and soften the edges and water features to add sound to the newly landscaped back yard.

Call or Text Brent NOW

(616) 328-3258

Your Outdoor Living Space and Intimate Garden Transformation is One Call Away

2017 Outdoor Living in East Grand Rapids

Another  East Grand Rapids, MI Outdoor Living Space and Intimate Garden is completed. The 3D landscape design was created using Sketchup, an open-source design software used by architects, engineers, interior designers and many other in design fields.

3D Sketchup Outdoor Living and Landscape Design For Home in East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Outdoor Living Space and Landscape Design in East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Crushed Stone Walkway with Stepping Stone Path and Raised Paver Patio

When I was approached by the homeowners, they made it clear I would have a challenge on my hands.  The small backyard had, at one time, been transformed into a flagstone patio with a stream and native plantings.  Years of relative neglect and an unruly dog had returned it to an even more natural state: that of chaos. 

Long-Neglected Backyard Landscape Before Transformation

The majority of the yard was dirt or mud, depending on the weather, with slabs of flagstone and various sizes of cobblestone throughout.  Boards were laid down along the side of the house to allow access from the side door to the main backyard.

Another Before Angle of Before Implementing New Landscape Design

The homeowners' goal was to create an outdoor living space that would fit their lifestyle.

Their teenage children needed a place to gather with their friends.  They needed an area to entertain family and friends.  Grilling, Dining, Relaxation.

Unilock Paver Patio with  Black Diamond Paver Frame

Wood Burning Fire Pit

Though they enjoy gardens, their time is limited by career and family. So, the gardens were to be low-maintenance.  No lawn would be easily sustained due to the mature trees surrounding their property: oak, pine, maple. 

Wood Burning Fire Pit in New East Grand Rapids in Paver Patio Outdoor Living Space

3D Landscape Designs Created with You in Mind

This project includes a multi-level paver patio with a stepping stone path between the upper and lower levels.  The wood burning fire pit was built using Unilock Brussels Block Dimensional wall blocks in Mahogany Ash with Piedmonte Onyx Black wall caps by Techo-Bloc. I used Unilock Bavarian Beacon Hill large format pavers for the main body of the patio with Belgard's Black Diamond 3x12" Moduline Pavers for the border. Aberdeen Rock Garden Brown 20x30" Pavers are used as stepping stones to transition between the upper small patio and lower main patio.

Crushed Stone Walkway with Stepping Stone Pavers - Transition Between Large Lower and Small Upper Patios

I can design and/ or install a gorgeous Outdoor Living Space for you as well.  From concept to completion.  3d designs created so you can see your landscape before installation.

If you live outside of West Michigan, I would still be happy to consult on your project and design your intimate gardens and outdoor living space.

Call or Text Brent now to your initial consultation @

(616) 328-3258

2017 Outdoor Living - Boston Road East Grand Rapids

I have wrapped up the patio area of the Boston Road outdoor living space project in East Grand Rapids, MI.   For the paver patio, I used Belgard's new smooth/ crisp Cotswold Mist Moduline series large format pavers with Black Diamond accents.Wellington Wall was used for window well and fire pit with the 48"x14" natural gas American Fire Glass stainless steel pan. The fire pit cap is Techo-Bloc's Piedmonte in Onyx Black to tie patio and fire pit together.

The designed Trex deck with cable rails installed by Bruce Grifforst with Adaptable Homes is Completed as well. New Deck Pics Coming Soon.

I can transform your landscape from ordinary to extraordinary by designing and installing your new Intimate Gardens & Outdoor Living Space.

If you live outside of West Michigan, I would still be happy to consult on your project and design your outdoor living space.

Contact Brent now to learn more. (616) 328-3258

Landscape Design and Installation Services East Grand Rapids, Michigan

Correcting Drainage Problems with Beautiful Landscapes

Last year, I received a call from a potential client looking to correct some major drainage problems in their yard.  When I investigated the property, I found the walkout sitting in a bowl with dense clay subsurface soil, four down spouts draining water from the roof into the lower backyard and only one small drainage pit leading to nowhere. 

The homeowners hoped to finish their walkout basement, but had delayed for years because the basement flooded during heavy rain event.  The water would sit, several inches deep, on the surface for days.  Previous attempts to mitigate storm event flooding by contouring and use of swales beyond the "bowl" had failed.  More extensive steps were needed. 

After meeting with the homeowners and identifying their goals, I developed a plan to both eliminate the flooding and maximize use of the awkward space.  The area includes a large paver patio, segmental retaining and sitting walls (Wellington Wall by Belgard), and boulder retaining walls, Chilton outcropping steps, a rain garden in the lower area and extensive mixed gardens above.  We also added drip irrigation for area that receive minimal water, and a narrow sod path between the gardens and the patio.

The excavation crew removed approximately two feet of heavy clay soil over a three thousand square foot area within the bowl, sloped the grade away from the home and toward a large stone filled pit which, ultimately, included a sump pump that can pump the water out of the bowl and into a swale above the bowl.  The swale, which this year will be turned into a naturalistic dry stream bed, carries the water off into an open field away from the house. 


To Learn More About How I Can Help You Solve Your Challenging Landscape Problems, Call or Text Brent Now:
(616) 328-3258

Sketchup For Landscape Design

This year, I started designing with Pro Landscape design software and Sketchup . Pro Landscape is an excellent program for creating 2d and photo-realistic designs. While Pro Landscape can be used for creating 3d designs, it requires significant re-working of the Planner design to achieve a viable design. The transfer from 2d to 3d is not seamless.  The amount of work required to reach an acceptable 3d design does not seem worth it at this point.

Though it is possible to create photo-realistic designs from digital photographs. It is not possible to create these designs starting with previously created 2d or 3d design.  I believe Landscape Pro needs to add to its training videos.  At this point they provide only remedial training via videos.

The following is a sampling of my Pro Landscape designs in the program's Planner and Image Editor modes:

Landscape Design in Grand Rapids, MI
Landscape Pro Planner

Landscape Design - Grand Rapids, MI - Landscape Pro Planner

Landscape Design Alt. - Grand Rapids, MI
Pro Landscape Planner enables user to choose among several design styles rapidly by selecting an button on the screen.

Driveway Island Landscape Design - Richland, MI -
Pro Landscape Design - Photo Realistic Image Editor

Asian Inspired Relaxation Garden - Holland, MI
Pro Landscape Design - Photo Realistic Image Editor

Sketchup, on the other hand, is intuitive and highly useful for creating 2d, 3d designs and walk-throughs and photo-realistic pictures. There is no need to switch between 2d and 3d modes. 2d designs can be transformed into 3d designs using simple actions. Really getting to realistic looking designs takes a lot of practice and time, but it's worth it. Photo-realistic pictures can be shot from within the design by adjusting the view of the built-in camera. This program is made easier because it is an open source program used by thousands of professional architects, landscape and interior designers, engineers, artists, etc. constantly tweaking and adding to available models.  These models can be submitted to Sketchup and integrated into the designs of other users.  Check out some of my new Sketchup landscape designs:

Outdoor Kitchen and Living Space in Dowagiac, MI

Outdoor Kitchen Side View - Sketchup

For professional landscape design services, 
call Brent Langley at (616) 328-3258.

Outdoor Kitchen - Sketchup

Landscape Design - Holland, MI
Sketchup Camera Top View