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

Carefree Delight Roses: Pruning Rose Bushes in Spring

I have three large shrub roses in my front yard - Carefree Delight Rose.  I have done relatively minor pruning for the last five years to keep the shrubs around six feet high during the summer and five during the winter.  They have made a wonderful hedge along the front ramp and brought many compliments because they bloom almost continuously from mid Spring through late fall.  Extra pruning a couple times a year increases the number of blooms, but is not strictly necessary.

Now, the maples in my front yard are maturing and casting shadows.  In addition, the Carefree Delight Rose grows approximately six feet tall and five feet wide.  The growth of both the trees and rose bushes has led to thinning foliage and branches along the base of the shrubs. 

So, this Spring I cut them back hard to encourage new growth, especially in  each base and interior.

Most rose bushes benefit from hard pruning either in the Fall or in the Spring. I generally prune shrubs for my clients in Fall. This keeps the canes from cutting each other during the storms of winter.  Wind and snow push the canes together so the thorns tend to slice as they move along other stems. 

Here you can see the winter damage to a large section of this rose bush. 

The branches are dull grey and tan and lack any new leaf buds seen on the healthy branches.  The damage that caused this die back is located further down on a larger branch but is most visible all of the branches seen here.

This damage increases dead branches making it more difficult to prune in Spring.  On the other hand, leaving the pruning until Spring, allows you to enjoy the bright orange rose hips throughout winter.  This picture exemplifies the extreme damage that can occur as a result of thorns from one branch cutting through the bark of another.  This branch as become twisted and weak and could, eventually lead to significant damage to the rest of the shrub if not pruned.




You can make use of the time between now and when the snow finishes melting by trimming your roses.  First, you will cut back the complete rose bush by two thirds.  Here I have trimmed back three Rose bushes to the main canes in order to restore structure to shrubs that have become unruly.


These buds are located where a leaf joins the stem. Since most rose bushes (in cold climates) lose all of their leaves during winter you can identify the lateral buds by locating the nubs along the cane where the branch seems to bend or angle in another direction.  



Lateral bud on a young cane.

Lateral bud on an older cane.




Cut the branches at a 45 degree angle approximately 1/4" above and away from the lateral bud.

Next, remove all dead and crossing branches. This will reduce future damage. All together, you will want to thin the shrubs by a third to half.    So, once you have removed all the dead branches, you may still need to remove some healthy growth.  This will enable air, light and water to penetrate the interior and lead to a healthier plant. Try to remove branches evenly.

Some branches will have winter kill on their tips. Simply cut these back to a healthy lateral bud.

Crossing branches, such as those seen in this picture, can damage each other and create openings for disease and insect invasion.

Cut branches that are completely dead all the way back to a living cane as seen here.  Avoid cutting into the collar which surrounds the base of the branch.  Damage to the collar can keep the wound from healing properly and lead to further damage.




Notice the hole that was caused by the thorns of another rose cane.  This hole is creates access to insects that can damage the cane, as well as interfering with flow of nutrients to the Rose bush.

 

 

 

 

Now that the rose bushes are pruned back to a simple framework, you can reach the base where old canes have not been cut back all the way to the base.  Some of these old canes, such as those seen here, may be dead and need to be removed to a living branch.

Late Winter Early Spring Landscape Maintenance Projects

Snow Snow Snow.  Almost gone right?  Not quite.  I still have several inches of snow in my front yard and mounds along the street and driveway.  But it soon will be gone.  For those of you just itching to get outside and start working on your yards, there are things that you can do now to prepare your gardens for Spring.

Pruning Trees and Shrubs:

Today, I pruned a severely over-grown Crab apple tree for a client.  Dead branches, from previous hard pruning, had fallen in among the living branches.  The previous pruning had focused exclusively on the outer portions of the tree, leaving many dead branches still clinging to live ones.  The majority of dead branches were the result of years of insufficient light, water, and air reaching the leaves.  I pruned out and removed all the dead branches, along with excessively dense live branches, to allow air, rain, and sunlight to penetrate deep into the tree. 

Most likely, you can handle pruning small trees.  When you prune your trees, remove all dead branches along with any crossing or touching branches.  Branches growing vertically without secondary branching should also be removed.  These are suckers if they emerge from the roots or base of the tree trunk, or water sprouts if they grow from the trunk or branches.  Water sprouts are usually caused by previous pruned or broken branches.  Both suckers and water sprouts suck energy from the tree and cause it to grow weakly and irregularly.  Suckers can grow from any point along roots near the soil surface.  Crabapple, Aspen, Beech, Birch and Dogwood are particularly susceptible to suckering.

Now that the harsh winter weather is almost behind us, it is possible to start pruning the shrubs too.  One of the first chores in my own yard this year, will be inspecting the shrubs close to my house.  Usually, I get small amounts of snow falling from the roof over the full length of the winter. Not this year.  The constant extreme cold allowed snow and ice to build precipitously on my roof.  Guess what.  When we had a few warm days, all that ice and snow slid from my roof and landed on my shrubs.  I have never had this problem before.  I had one chunk of ice crash down on top of half a dozen Burning Bushes.  Crushed most of them in one foul swoop. 

So, I will be headed out once that snow and ice has melted, to cut most of those to the ground or close to it.  If you have the same issue, don't worry, most shrubs actually benefit from a hard pruning.  If you are in doubt, feel free to message me or send me a text with a picture of your plants.  I will be glad to advise you on an individual basis and help you identify the shrub and the best solution to your unique situation.

Cleaning Up Debris:

I don't know if you are seeing the same thing, but I have noticed an unusual amount of debris in my yard and on the streets this year.  Now that the snow is melting, all the garbage that blew out of the garbage trucks over this long harsh winter, all the leaves that waited to fall from the trees until the snow started falling, all those branches broken by ice storms and heavy snow falls and fierce winds, all the dog leavings abandoned by people too cold to stop to pick up the mess (mostly me and my kids), is being exposed by the slow melt.

Well, it's not too cold to do the clean up now.  If you do, as I am doing, a little at a time as it is exposed, this unpleasant chore won't feel so overwhelming.  And when the enjoyable part of Spring garden chores is possible, you will be ready.  The leaves may have to wait a bit. 

Live in the West Michigan Area and have some Spring Landscape Maintenance that needs doing but don't have the time, energy or inclination to do it, give Brent a call at (616) 328-3258.  I'll be happy to give you a quote on getting your landscape in shape for the season.

How to Build a Retaining Wall in Michigan

Retaining walls can be built of numerous materials types, natural stone such as fieldstone and quarried stone, man-made pre-cast or cast in place concrete wall systems, brick, timber, composite materials (plastic and wood particles combined), and even metal.  My preference is to build retaining walls in natural stone, but generally, the cost of natural stone is significantly more than that of man-made materials due to mining/quarrying costs and installation labor costs.  Michigan fieldstone boulders are an exception to this rule since they require less foundation preparation, and are more common in West Michigan than is quarried stone, and thus costs less in labor and materials.
 


This retaining wall was built by Omega in 2013 using seven tons of Michigan fieldstone boulders hand picked from Grand Rapids Gravel, and planted using material from Bohemia Nursery in West Olive, MI.

The wall and steps seen here were built by Omega Brick & Landscaping using Burnt Red Blend Wallstone/Wedgestone and Stratford Pavers manufactured by Hanson.

Built by Omega Brick & Landscaping using Antique Wallstone and Wedgestone Wall in Grand Rapids Township near Frederick Meijer Gardens

 I built this wall several years ago on Philadelphia SE in Grand Rapids, MI using St. Clair PISA 2 retaining wall by Unilock.

 

Split Chilton Wallstone, a natural limestone mined in Wisconsin, was used by Omega to build this wall in Ada, MI

 

Regardless of the materials being used, all retaining walls share fundamental building requirements that ensure long-lasting structural integrity.

1. Properly placed and compacted foundation material to keep your retaining wall from sinking or tipping. 

 

2. Geo textile fabric to separate base and backfill material from native soil which, left to its own device, will seep into the base and backfill material and degrade them as well as seep through the front of the wall. 

3. Properly placed and compacted backfill material to keep water from undermining the your wall or, in the case of wood, rotting it.

 

4. Carefully placed and leveled retaining wall foundation.

 

5. Properly sloped soil above the retaining wall to direct water away from the wall or over the wall.

 

When preparing your site for a retaining wall, whether replacing an existing wall or building a new one, consider all surrounding structures and land formations. These structures and formations can have a significant effect on the survival of your retaining wall by directing water toward or away from your wall.

If water will be directed toward your wall as things stand, you will need to redirect the water by installing drains and drain tiles or by changing the slope of the land formations. Which you choose has much to do with the amount of labor and equipment cost. Drains and drain tiles are inexpensive in and of themselves. However, installing them can require significant time and equipment costs. The quickest way to install a drain tile is with a trencher such as the Ditch Witch. In Grand Rapids, MI, I rent this machine from Advanced Rentals. http://www.advancedrentalcenter.com/products_43_Trencher-30-x-4.html?cat=2&sub=11 .

Dig your trench a minimum of eight inches wider than your retaining wall material.  Dig deep enough to lay down a minimum of six inches of crushed concrete or gravel (your base material) plus the height of one block, timber or stone.  Your will bury the first layer of your wall below grade.  In this case, because the soil here is clay and tends to hold water, in order to ensure minimal shifting and upheaval in I dug twelve inches below grade. 

 By digging 12 inches below grade, I was able to install eight inches of crushed concrete and still have room to bury my first course of retaining wall block.  Better safe than sorry.

Retaining walls built in Caledonia, MI for use as raised planting beds.
These are part of the system seen in the pictures above demonstrating proper base preparation.

 

Once your trench has been dug, lay out your geo textile.  Run the fabric from the front of the trench, down into the trench and up the back side of the trench and hill you are retaining.  Use large staples to hold the fabric in place both front and back of the trench.  Once the retaining wall is completed, you will need to pull the fabric over the front and back of the trench to cover the base and backfill material, so be sure to leave at least one foot of fabric beyond the front of the trench and two feet above the hill.  Also, allow enough slack in the fabric for the crushed concrete and stone to settle without tearing it.

 

Crushed stone from Grand Rapids Gravel.  Not the angular nature of the stone.  This allows the stone to be compacted and keeps it from shifting as happens with rounded pea stone/gravel or washed stone.

To make it easier to level your first layer of stone or block, consider laying a layer of chips n dust or stone dust on top of the crushed concrete approximately 1/2"-1" deep.

In Grand Rapids, MI, I purchase all of my crushed concrete and crushed stone from Grand Rapids Gravel.

Once the crushed concrete is fairly level, it is time to begin laying the blocks or stone.  You must place each block/stone individually, leveling each from front to back and side to side.  Level your first unit using a six or twelve inch level, tapping it with a heavy rubber mallet to lower set it deeper into the crushed concrete where it is too high.  If you need to add material under the block to get it right, use chips n dust, or stone dust.  It easier to level blocks and stone on chips n dust or stone dust than it is on crushed concrete.  Lay the second unit next to the first, using the first to level the second. 

Crushed stone is the preferred material for use behind retaining walls. Check them out at http://www.grgravel.com/ Try to install a minimum of twelve inches of crushed stone behind your wall. It is best to place the stone as you go to ensure proper compaction on filling. I install the stone after each level of retaining wall. I usually use a hand held tamper rather than a plate compactor. A plate compactor tends to push the the retaining wall our of alignment, requiring you to go back and push blocks back into place. If you are using fairly heavy retaining wall units (over 80lbs each), you will be safe using the compactor and save yourself a lot of manual labor. Be sure while you are putting in the backfill material to keep the geo textile fabric from pulling away from the native soil. You don't want to create gaps in the fabric where the soil can sift through and undermine the backfill and wall.

You may be required to cut the stone/block as you build in order to get a tight fit between blocks.  The best option is to rent a concrete saw or a large brick/block saw from a local rental company such as Home Depot or Advanced Rental here in Grand Rapids, MI.  These saws are equipped with diamond blades that make quick work of these cuts. 

Do not use blocks smaller than half the length of the standard units if at all possible.  They can become unstable and can be pushed out of the wall.  If you must use smaller pieces, use masons adhesive/glue to hold them in place by gluing them to the blocks above and below them.  Otherwise, the only time you should use adhesive is when you get to the capstones.  The capstones should be glued down using two beads of adhesive running lengthwise along the top of the previously laid layer of block: one bead two inches from the back of the block, one along two inches from the front of the block.  Try not to place the glue too close to the front.  If you do, the glue will ooze out and be exposed on the front of the wall.  The glue is difficult to remove.

When setting the capstone, use a rubber mallet to tap each block down to achieve proper adhesion.

 

For assistance with design or installation of your retaining wall,

 

Call Brent Langley today @ (616) 328-3258.



First Snow of 2013 - East Grand Rapids, MI

It's true! 
Winter has returned.  The first noticeable snow of the season arrived today (November 11) around 1:00 PM in East Grand Rapids. 
 

Here are a few photos of the 'Carefree Beauty' Roses adorning my home's front yard.