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 - 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

Curb Appeal - Front Yard Transformation in EGR

East Grand Rapids Home Before Landscape Transformation

Planning to sell your home soon? Don't just clean up that landscape. Transform it.

 

If your home landscape hasn't recently been updated, you should really consider replacing outdated plantings.  It makes sense to keep mature, well placed trees and shrubs, assuming they have not become too over grown to be effectively prune without constricting your options for transformation.  Proper pruning can turn healthy trees and shrubs into prime focal points. 

Here I added PJM Rhododendron, Endless Summer Hydrangeas, Chocolate Eupatorium, Huechera, Hanoke Grasses and Hostas - Color interest is assured through use of "evergreen" foliage of various colors, as well as steady flowering of different plants from season to season.

Once you have determined what trees and shrubs can remain with careful pruning, remove other worn out plants.  Make sure you have removed all roots from old plants without damaging desirable plant roots. 

Having removed old perennials, shrubs and trees, it will be necessary to add garden soil or compost to fill the vacant spaces.  Spread four inches of compost over the area you are renovating.  In small areas, mix the compost in using a shovel or garden fork and rake.  Large areas will need to be mixed using a tiller. Just don't damage tree roots in the process. Alternatively, mix compost into individual planting holes at a 1:1 ratio.

Ground cover such as the Periwinkle seen here can be very effective for large areas.  However, it needs to be used in moderation.  The above area lacked height and color variation making the overall look pretty boring.  Overgrown Yews had previously been removed from beneath the windows (good move) leaving only Pachysandra.  Dull.  Most ground cover overwhelms other perennials and shrubs, so if you plan to keep the ground cover, be sure the plants have enough space to become established and not be choked out.  Also, choose plants that sufficiently tall and whose leaves naturally emerge higher than the typical 6-10" height of Periwinkle and Pachysandra.

Here we have another "before" view of the home we transformed in EGR.

And here is the after view.  Notice the colorful display.  I removed the existing Pachysandra and Periwinkle to make room for new perennials, including 'Candy Hearts' Bleeding Heart, 'Brise D'anjou' Jacob's Ladder, Burgenia and a variety of Hostas.  Also included in this planting area: a weeping Japanese Maple and 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea, repeated from the other side of the house.

 

This gently curving path is NY Bluestone set in Slate chips.  Another walkway that stands out and creates a unique feature that makes the landscape a stunning masterpiece.

 

This home in EGR beat the market by selling in a matter of weeks, not months. 

 

Believe it or not, this house sold at the asking price. 

 

Major selling point:

CURB APPEAL.

 

For assistance in designing a unique landscape for your home or business, or help creating that CURB APPEAL for the house or business you need to sell

 

Call Brent @ (616) 328-3258.

Building a Raised Paver Patio

Creating a landscape design with a raised paver patio, built against a wooden deck, requires careful consideration to ensure long-term success, stability of the project. The first detail to tackle is the question of how raise the paver patio.

 

 In this project, we chose to use large (800-1500 pounds each) Michigan boulders.

Landscape fabric was attached to the deck using 2x1's and draped against additional 2x12 treated boards to retain the crushed stone we used as a base for the patio.  Landscape fabric was also used to retain the stone behind the boulders. 

When choosing a landscape fabric for use in hardscape projects, be sure to find a product that has a 25-30 year guarantee.  You don't want the landscape fabric breaking down and ruining your patio or wall prematurely.  Landscape ideas need to be executed with care and quality products.

Brussel Block Outdoor Kitchen and Entry

As I mentioned earlier, I was able to wrap up two hardscape projects this past December thanks to the incredible weather here in Michigan.  The first project was for the Costantinos in Caledonia.  The second was a collaboration effort with Shawn Kenyon, owner of Precision Remodeling of Rockford, Michigan. 
I was called in to install the hardscape for the new outdoor kitchen and front entry for the Hughes in Cascade. 

This outdoor kitchen includes a grill, sitting walls, counters, a built in firewood box, and a single 24" pillar.  This spring, I installed a Forno Bravo Casa2g-90 pizza oven, encasing it and the stand in a  brick and stucco facade, with a number unique tiles inset on the stucco chimney and stand.  This oven is now ready to bake delicious pizzas, breads, and any number of other dishes.  Temperatures inside reach 1,000 degrees and can hold its temperatures for long periods of time thanks to the three inches of insulation wrapped around the exterior of the oven.

Home Made Bread baked in the new pizza oven

I used an 8-10 inch chips n dust base for this Brussel Block Dimensional wall system, as well as landscape fabric for extra stability, because the subsoil was softer than most of my previous installations.  Compaction using a plate compactor ensures this wall won't shift during Michigan's generally harsh winters' freeze and thaw cycles. 

I used Rosetta Stone for the counter tops in this outdoor kitchen.  These were cut to size using a concrete saw.  Capstones for the sitting walls are Brussel Block Dimensional coping.  A paver saw was used to trim wall blocks as needed, followed by hand-trimming using hammer and chisels to blend the cut blocks with the uncut tumbled wall blocks.

Narrow gardens will be installed around the base of the walls to help soften the edges.  The lawn will also be reseeded early in the spring for optimal establishment.

The front entry was built using Brussel Block Dimensional wall stones and Brussel Block pavers.  The old wooden steps and deck have been replaced with wide curved steps, a deeper paver patio and sitting wall.  I love these steps; seven feet wide, six inches high.  These are easy to clear and easy to climb.  No slipping or loosing your footing.  The wall running on the outside curve of the wall makes a beautiful handhold.

This short wall to the left of the entry was also relaid and a new complementary capstone installed.

Fall Projects - Lawn Health

Fall is a great time to improve the health of your lawn. Among the various projects that a home owner can do, or hire a professional to do, are dethatching, over-seeding, fertilizing and weed prevention.

Right now, I am going to recommend dethatching, a simple way to improve the health of your lawn. For those of you who mulch your leaves and grass clippings into your lawn, this is an important step in the care of your lawn. Mulching clippings is a great way to insulate your grass from excessive heat and cold as well as drought that can strain the lawn and open it up to disease and insect damage. Insects love to live in that thatch buildup. Even if you don't use a mulching system on your mower, you should take a look at your lawn to see if build up is occurring. Cut out a small plug of sod in several areas of your lawn. Pull them up a look to see if there is more than half an inch of clippings built up above the soil line. If there is, it is probably time to dethatch. However, years of mulching can create buildup of thatch, which keeps water from penetrating easily. Additionally, for those of you who use insecticides and fertilizers, thatch build up can decrease their effectiveness by blocking the pathway to the root zone. When water, that can not drain properly, comes in contact with these chemicals, runoff occurs. Unnecessary runoff. If you have had trouble with ineffective fertilizer and insecticide applications, this may be your problem.

The goal of dethatching is to remove the thatch which prevents proper water and chemical penetration. Dethatching machines can be rented at most equipment rental stores. I just dethatched several acres of lawn for a client in Grand Rapids. The machine cost $90.00 for a 24 hour rental. I completed the dethatching in about six hours. Not your typical yard. Using a rake, gas powered blower, and a zero turn lawn mower, I removed approximately fifteen yards of old thatch from the lawn. That's seven and a half mounded pickup trucks full. It took me twelve hours to accomplish this.

Most of you won't have such a large project on your hands. One to two hours (maybe) using the dethatcher and another hour of raking would probably do the trick. Rent the machine for under $50.00. Operation of the dethatcher is simple. If you can mow, you can dethatch. For those of you who have a tiny yard, or don't want to spend the money, but have the time, inclination, and strength to do it, you can buy a dethatching rake to do this project.

Once you have finished dethatching your lawn, including raking up the clippings and composting or otherwise disposing of the product, you can move on to overseeding, fertilizing and weed control. Tenacity, one of the newest weed control products out there, can be applied at the same time you are overseeding/seeding and still effectively control post- and pre-emergent weeds according to Syngenta. Check it out: http://www.greencastonline.com/TenacityHerbicide/index.aspx. I'll be testing that product claim this fall and next spring to let you know how it works out.

Michigan: Fall Gardens

Fall is in full swing and quickly moving toward winter. I thought now would be a good time to get out and view some local gardens and show everyone some ways of keeping the garden interesting even during these days of dormancy. So, over the next few weeks, I will be posting pictures with descriptions and explanations of the various ideas behind the use of the feature shown. Hopefully, you will get some ideas on how to make your landscape and gardens shine in the coming months.

Among the ideas I will try to touch on, is the use of structural plants like the variegated grass to the right. Even through winter, this grass can add interest. When other plants have died back and withered away, strong ornamental grasses can hold their shape and give the garden some height. In addition, the swaying and swishing of the grass as the wind blows through it can be mesmerizing and calming in the middle of a bleak winter. Look at the way the light filters through the blades. Beautiful.

Hint: Sometimes large grasses can become unruly. If needed, you can always use tan twine to help keep the grasses from collapsing under the weight of excessive snow/rain or wildly whipping winds.

Disciplines of Landscape Design

Landscape Design encompasses several disciplines necessary to achieve a satisfactory result (end product). Landscape Design requires some measure of insight into each of these. Among these disciplines are Aesthetics, Horticulture, Architecture and Psychology.

A practical understanding of Aesthetics or art, when combined with the other disciplines, will enable you to envision the overall layout of your landscape. Additionally, an eye for art allows you to combine various elements of the landscape into a cohesive and flowing design.

Great landscape designers take much of their sense of garden aesthetic from natural landscapes. I encourage you to find and explore areas untouched by the ever encroaching hand of man. God is the greatest landscape architect. Let His creation guide your design. Combinations of color and texture, the mix of beauty that touch your various senses in the wild can be included in a smaller scale in your own landscape.

Horticultural knowledge encompasses a wide range of disciplines but in short it is the science of plants. What plants go where and what conditions each plant requires for optimum growth. How are plants affected by pests, soil conditions, light and water and temperature? How do plants react to pruning and fertilizers? And so on.

Additionally, a basic knowledge of architecture helps us frame the landscape. It helps us determine what hardscapes such as walkways, patios, gazebos, outbuildings, etc., need to be included in our landscape to make it habitable and useful for our defined purposes. Keep in mind, how the landscape will be used. Who will be using the area? How will it be accessed? What is topography of the land? What kind of walls or slopes will be included in the landscape?
How will various areas interconnect and interact?

A general knowledge of psychology is within the grasp of most people. While designing your landscape, you should think about how you would like to use the area(s)? Everything you include in the landscape should contribute to your usage goals. Will the area be used for meetings or family gatherings? Are you trying to create an atmosphere of action or relaxation, an aura of anticipation or peacefulness? Do you intend to exude intimacy or openness with your landscape? As with the interior of your home or business, how the various elements combine and contrast affects the mood and ambiance of your landscape.

Once you have determined what your landscape is meant to accomplish in your life, a knowledge of psychology will help you frame and fill your gardens and landscape with elements that will enhance your intended experiences. How does a particular choice of paving material affect the speed at which you move through your gardens? Do certain elements draw you in? How do certain plants or arrangements affect our mood or the moods of those who experience our landscape? Will a certain water feature distract from or enhance the purposes you envision?

Brickwork: Making a Lasting Impression

I cannot tell you how many times I've been called to a home to consult a client on repairing their brick walkway or patio. It is not unusual to see brick pavers that have shifted away from their original position by one, two, even three inches. Multiply that by the number of joints in a project, and you can see how dangerous, and down right ugly this could get.

Shifting patios inevitably result from two major mistakes with the initial installation. First, the project was probably laid without a proper base. It is not uncommon for pavers to be laid on a one or two inch sand base. That's probably OK of the first few months, but come winter up here in Michigan, the ground starts freezing and thawing and heaving. The problem is that sand doesn't retain its original position, so when the sand shifts, so do the bricks. Never lay a brick/paver walkway or patio only on sand!

The second problem: no edging. Without some type of edging, the bricks can shift outward. When this happens, the bond between the bricks loosens and causes the general structure of the walkway or patio to fail.

In areas prone to harsh/cold winters, it is essential to start your project with a proper foundation. This means digging approximately seven inches deep for areas receiving only pedestrian traffic or ten to twelve inches deep for areas receiving vehicular traffic. In addition, you must dig approximately four to six inches beyond the area of what will be your finished patio. Thus, if you intend to make a patio that is twelve feet wide, you will dig the hole thirteen feet wide, six inches wider on either side of the patio.

Next, order crushed concrete or gravel to fill four inches deep for a pedestrian area, and six inches deep for a vehicular area. To figure out how much crushed concrete or gravel you need to order, use this formula:

Crushed Concrete

Pedestrian Area:
Area square feet/27 cubic feet/3 * 1.10 * 1.4 tons = total tons of gravel/crushed concrete

Vehicular Area:
Area square feet/27 cubic feet / 2 * 1.10 * 1.4 tons = total tons of gravel/crushed concrete

Dump and spread the gravel/crushed concrete to half of its final depth, two inches for pedestrian area, three inches for vehicular area. Spread as evenly as possible. Don't worry about leveling perfectly.

21AA Road Gravel

Compact using a tamper or plate compactor. I would advise you to use a plate compactor whenever possible. Plate compactors compact more thoroughly and more quickly. They also save you a lot of labor. Believe me, after using a tamper for half an hour, you will feel sore for days. If you do use a plate compactor, you will still have to tamp some edges by hand. You can never get into every nook and cranny with a plate compactor. Failure to compact all of the base will result in eventual collapse of the improperly compacted area.

Once you have finished compacting the first layer, add the remaining crushed concrete or gravel, this time take your time to get the area leveled. If the paver patio or walkway will be against a structure, you will want to ensure proper drainage by sloping the gravel away from the structure.
Half an inch slope for every four feet of distance is plenty.

Once level, compact again. Don't forget to get into those corners. You will probably have to rake and shovel to get the proper slope/level. Get this level as close to perfect as possible.

Now you have your completed base.

Take a can of spray paint and mark out where you would like the edge of your finished patio/walkway. Don't forget, you need to leave four to six inches of compacted crushed concrete/gravel around the outside of your patio. Step back. Take a look from several different places. Try to envision how the patio will look once it is finished. Make sure your lines mesh with your vision. Cross out the lines if you don't like the look. Try again until it looks just right.

Now, time to install that edging. I generally use a plastic or aluminum edging, staked in place with ten or twelve inch spikes. I prefer to be on the safe side and use approximately five spikes for every eight linear feet of edging. This way, the edging tends to shift less. Run the edging along the outside of the line you just made. Brick restraint edging is generally "L" shaped. Face the horizontal part of the edging outward, away from where the bricks will go. Spike the edging in as you go. Remember, you don't need to put edging along any hard edges such as a structure, concrete or asphalt driveways, or sideways.

I have occasionally used landscape ties as edging. However, this only works for straight-edged areas, and the wood tends to rot rather quickly, usually within five to ten years. That means, you have to replace the edging eventually, thus disturbing the brickwork. Not really worth it in my opinion.

I have seen poured concrete curbs used as edging. Again, I think you are looking at a lot more work than its worth. Like most poured concrete, a concrete curb is inflexible. Therefore, if you do not put in a proper base and pour deep enough (i.e. below the frost line which could be 18" or more), you will eventually end up with cracked concrete. Just like those driveways you see all over Michigan. You don't want to replace that and mess up your brickwork. Stick with aluminum or plastic brick restraint. It will last as long as your brickwork so you won't have to replace it.

Landscape Design: Harmony

Harmony in the landscape refers to the way in which various elements in the landscape are organized to create a sense of unity or continuity within individual garden areas as well as between areas within the overall landscape. There are many elements that can be used to create harmony within a landscape. Each element adds a different dimension of unity and can be used in combination with the other elements to create an overall sense of harmony within the garden and landscape. Among these harmonizing elements, I would like to emphasis the following: Color Schemes, Repeated Hardscapes elements, Repeated Forms, and Green Spaces. Let’s look at some of these various elements in detail.
Color Schemes are probably the most easily identified harmonizing element in a landscape, and therefore the most habitually emphasized of these elements. Color Schemes usually rely on specific color combinations that can make or break a garden. For this reason color schemes must be chosen with care. However, the most exciting combinations are not always planned. Feel free to experiment with new partnerships. Choose an individual color or several contrasting or complimenting colors to be used throughout the landscape (see the color wheel).
Color partnerships can be separated into two categories: contrasting colors and complimentary colors. When contrasting colors are combined, they tend to draw attention to themselves through explosive relationship. Tension is created, heightening our senses and drawing our eyes to this place. By standing out, these dissonant color combinations further emphasis the more harmonic color combinations. Seizing our attention, these contrasting color combinations can highlight transition between two areas in the landscape. Beware: too many dissonant color combinations can destroy a garden. Our goal should then be to limit these contrasting color combinations in order to emphasis the overall unity of the garden or landscape.
It is easy to focus exclusively on flower color. However, flowers come and go. They blossom and fade with the seasons’ change. Foliage, however, is longer lasting and thus, perhaps, the more important producer of color choices in the landscape. I would, therefore, encourage you to try basing your color scheme on the foliage of one or more specimen plants. You may even consider the color found in other elements such boulders, tree and shrub bark, a garden sculpture or paver brick.
Hardscape elements repeated in the landscape can also draw together a disparate landscape. Thus, when you are dealing with various themes such as formal and informal areas or perennial and annual gardens, Consider using common hardscape elements such as stone or brick. Both of these can be used in a number of applications. For instance, granite can be used to create a very appealing patio or walkway as well as retaining walls. Perhaps you could use granite to create a unique water feature such as a fountain surrounded by granite pebbles.
Repeating a particular plant such as a Rhododendron or weeping Japanese Maple could also add another unifying element.
Try using Redwood or Cedar in both your fencing as well as your decking application. Match the brick in your front walkway to the brick on your house. It may be difficult to match the paving brick exactly, especially if your home is more than a couple of years old. However, there is almost always another brick that will coordinate with the existing house brick