March 2014 ~ Learn Landscape

Friday, March 7, 2014

Garden Designs Made Easy High Heat Friendly Plants

Posted on 11:30 PM by sierra

When thinking about garden design, there are many options out there. As the heat of summer intensifies, plants and flowers can shut down, wilt and escape from the hot summer sun. How can you avoid having a bunch of tumbleweeds for a garden? Try some of these great high heat no-fuss garden landscape plans. These garden plans are guaranteed to resist the heat and keep your garden colorful and full all through the hot summer.

Better Home and Garden suggests using a variety of heat resistant plants such as sedum, feather reedgrass, and euphorbia for drought resistant planters. This article contains 19 different garden plans that you can choose from and then download a plan to help get you started.

Each of the variety of garden plans ranges from high heat plants, to curbside designs, to corners, to several slope designs and late season garden plans. Check out these designs and then check out Warming-Trends.com for all of your fire pit needs.

Landscape Design Tips for Water Efficiency

Posted on 4:30 PM by sierra

We are well aware of the need to preserve water these days and what better place to start, than in your own backyard. Below are some tips to help you preserve water while maintaining the landscape of your dreams.

1. Plant Native or Regionally Appropriate Species of Plants

Plants native to your specific region and climate will naturally adapt to the soil and require less watering, are more resistant to bugs and disease and will require less fertilizer and attention to thrive.

For a list of native plants in your area, click here.

2. Group Plants Together Based on Watering Needs

You should always arrange your plants into separate groups based on their water consumption needs, or "hydrozones." This allows you provide different species of plants with their appropriate watering needs. For instance shrubs and turf areas should always be separated.

3. Planting Site Zone

Turfgrass requires the most amount of watering on a regular basis, so only plant turf in areas where it serves a function. Ground cover, shrubs, mulch, cacti and other low water solutions are available and can help add personality and individualize your landscape design. Native grasses will adapt better as well and stand up to drought better than non-native species. Consider xeriscaping your landscape as well.

"The fundamental element of Xeriscape design is water conservation. Landscape designers constantly look for ways to reduce the amount of applied water and to maximize the use of natural precipitation." -
Eartheasy.com

Xeriscaping is becoming more and more popular, greatly reduces water consumption and still looks fantastic if done right.

Avoid Slopes

Steep slopes are a sure fire way for water to run off and create erosion. If you cant avoid sloped landscapes, consider deep rooted ground cover as your planting selection to help stabilize the slope and prevent erosion.

For more information on landscape design, outdoor living rooms, custom fire pits, outdoor burning systems and more, please contact us online or call today. 1-877-556-5255.

Sources:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/outdoor/landscaping_tips.html
http://eartheasy.com/grow_xeriscape.htm

Muirhead Tower

Posted on 9:45 AM by sierra

The University of Birmingham, where I’m currently studying, has a fine campus with many attractive buildings. But for me, the real star is the recently refurbished, Muirhead Tower.

Considering how many concrete towerblocks you see across the country, it’s remarkable how few of them actually get a decent refurb. When I lived in Sheffield, the trend was to clad blocks of Council flats in muted brown plastic – imagine a kind of beige bathroom look. Another particularly nasty approach is seen in the "Leicester City blue" painted St Georges Tower with its orange, yellow and red panels (see below). Yes, I’ve picked the most flattering angle...

Muirhead Tower was designed by the architect, Sir Philip Dowson of Arup Associates and completed in 1967. It seems to have followed a similar path to many modernist structures of the time: initially lauded, it received awards from both the RIBA and the Civic trust, but as time went on it became rundown and unpopular, with various myths emerging about its stability and structural integrity. It so could easily have found itself demolished.

Whilst Googling for information about the building, I found the following quotes, which probably summed up many people’s attitudes:

“...the building is now infamous to both students and members of staff, and is regarded as a single most ugly building in the beautiful campus.”

“An Ugly concrete block the university couldnt knock down, because its listed”

As someone so eruditely points out, the fact that it was listed in 1993, almost certainly saved it from destruction. Hence, when structural problems emerged around 2006, Associated Architects were appointed to carry out the work

Work on sensitive or historic environments, often highlights the importance of being “sympathetic”. I’ve never liked this term, as it seems to imply a simpering deference, or cosseting. Associated Architects scheme isn’t sympathetic, and is all the better for it. The substantial concrete mass of the building, is augmented by contrasting stainless steel blocks, cores and louvres (or are they brise soleil?). Similarly, the new windows really compliment the form of the building, whilst the result is strangely reminiscent of Roger’s Lloyds building. There’s been no attempt to hide the main elements of the building, be they old or new.

I daresay some purists will be horrified by the presence of Starbucks, and the rampant commercialism this implies. However, I really like it and can confirm that the Starbucks is ridiculously popular.

I particularly like howthe interiors contrast the unadorned concrete, with more modern materials and bright colours. It’s funny but I think the result is much more sophisticated than the more contemporary additions to the campus, even with their swathes of glass, lighting and high technology.

More generally, I’m pleased to see that there does seem to be a growing appreciation of 20th Century buildings. It’s just a shame that it’s probably too late for many of the eras finest examples.

More River Access

Posted on 2:45 AM by sierra

Just a quick post to highlight an excellent article in todays Times by Griff Rhys Jones, regarding River Access. To anyone interested in the issue, Id recommend you read the full article (see below), but the general gist is highlighting the lack of public access to the rivers of England and Wales.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/outdoors/article6681018.ece

The article begins:

"It’s time to reclaim our rivers, says Griff Rhys Jones

From secret bends to urban meanders, our waterways are a national treasure. They need to be opened up for everyone"

I think this next quote cuts to the heart of the issue:

"...after a year spent canoeing, swimming and surfing along our waterways for my new television series about Britain’s rivers, I have discovered that, in England and Wales at least, they no longer belong to the people. They belong to stockbrokers, to anglers and to farmers."

The quotes come ahead of the new tv series, "Rivers Journeys with Griff Rhys Jones", which starts July 26, on BBC One. Ill be setting the Sky +, as Im off kayaking in the Alps (where there is plenty of access to water) , but its good to see him lending his name to another worthy cause.

Im feeling quite optimistic that publicity like this will lead to a change in the law. Ive met few people who arent angling fanatics, that dont think the current situation is wrong.

Indigenous Beauties Helichrysum kraussii

Posted on 8:00 PM by sierra

Helichrysum kraussii
Straw Everlasting

Helichrysum kraussii is often found growing in colonies in grasslands. It loves a sunny spot, and doesnt need very much water to thrive.

It can grow up to 1 metre if left to its own devices, and does become woody at its base. The foliage is a wonderful downy grey, and releases a pungent aroma when touched - especially in warm weather. The flowers dry superbly.

Cool Custom Curved Fire Pit Installation

Posted on 1:00 PM by sierra

We just installed a custom curved fire pit with a linear 400K BTU Crossfire Burner up in the town of Genesee, Colorado in the majestic Rocky Mountains.

Below are some photos of the fire pit in place prior to covering with black lava rock and concrete fire logs. You can check out the full portfolio selection here.

We are in the process, here at Warming Trends, of putting together a step-by-step video of the installation, so stay tuned for that. In the meanwhile, check out our portfolio on our website. If you have any questions on installing a custom fire pit in your backyard or commercial property, dont hesitate to contact us online or call today! 1-877-556-5255

The value of a landscape design

Posted on 6:15 AM by sierra

One of my latest creations below...I had a bit of fun with this one as it was an older home (1960s) in the Greater Toronto Area. The clients have done some work on the interior of the house and are now looking to tackle the outside.

For the landscape project, they were looking for a deck to entertain on and to add a welcoming front entrance which would add to the beauty of their home.

When wondering about your landscaping and what to do... the best thing you can have done is a full yard landscape plan created for your entire property by a professional designer. These clients will now be able to take my plan to several deck companies or landscape contractors and get various price estimates on what it will cost to implement the plan.

A full property plan gives you the greater picture of your yard in detail... having started at this stage, you can now divide the plan up into sections or phases. Then you can take your time to pick and choose materials you wish to have in the landscape. Once youve completed your shopping list you can set a budget on each phase and plan to build things accordingly.

A quick glance at this particular plan and I would estimate a budget of $50,000 to $70,000 to construct the entire project. The cost range will depend on what materials are chosen (i.e natural stone versus interlock or cedar deck versus pressure treated)

If you divide the project into 3 or 4 phases and set it over 5 years or so, in time you will have an amazing looking landscape on a limited budget guided by one single plan.

Secrets of the Highline Revealed!

Posted on 4:30 PM by sierra

Ok, I love the Highline. Youve probably noticed this since Ive mentioned it in almost every blog. The former abandoned, elevated rail line that runs along the southern edge of Manhattan has been transformed into one of the hippest urban parks in the country. After winning the design competition, landscape architect James Corner of Field Operations along with Diller Scofido + Renfro (architecture) and Piet Oudolf (planting designer) produced a cutting edge design that celebrated the site’s history and created something entirely new.

While the project has received widespread critical acclaim, I want to focus on a particular aspect of the park’s design: the planting design. Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf has become somewhat of an international celebrity in recent years for his projects in both Europe and America. All of Oudolf’s projects use strongly structural perennials and grasses in naturalistic drifts to create a stunning display of form, seasonality, and color. But his work on the Highline has a quality that stands apart from his other work.

Oudolf’s work on the Highline possesses a loose, breezy naturalism that smartly references the site’s former beauty as a fallow rail track. The end effect is a planting that looks at once highly designed yet absolutely natural; modern yet ecological; legible yet ineffable. As a planting designer, I’m dying to know: how did he pull that off?

A recent discovery of a piece of Oudolf’s planting plan on the internet has rocked my world. It is my horticultural Rosetta stone, the key to decoding this brilliant design. Come close, I will share with you its secrets.

The secret? Oudolf employs the strategy of a layered matrix planting. This is where a single species—or handful of species in this case—dominates the planting, forming a matrix into which other plants are blended. In the case of the Highline, five (+/-) species of low grasses become the field into which other ecologically compatible forbs blend.

The strength of this strategy is that the base material provides year-round interest and acts like a filler, while the perennials provide structure and seasonal accent. The grasses add the loose, natural look, while the perennials create the tension that gives the project its artistic edge.

As simple as it sounds, the strategy is revolutionary. Oudolf thinks of planting not in formal terms as a painter (the Gertrude Jeckyll/Christopher Lloyd tradition), but rather through time. Plants do not simply occupy a corner of the bed, but rather emerge ephemerally out of an ever changing base of grasses. The result is a site that changes hour by hour, day by day. It is a new naturalism, a perfect blend of the designed and the natural.

Can you try this at home? Well, with planting the ultimate maxim is: know thy materials. Oudolf is a master of knowing exactly what species to use to create the matrix, and which perennial accents to blend. So perhaps the rest of us mere mortals will stumble around doing bad imitations. But using Oudolf’s strategy, our designs will now be liberated from the confines of form-making that dominated planting design for the last 2000 years.

Firmiana

Posted on 9:30 AM by sierra

Firmiana

A genus of 9 trees native to southeast Asia except for one that is native to Africa.
They cast dense shade and making excellent shade trees.
They not fussy about soil. Some protection from wind is good, especially when young.
They are propagated wither from lateral shoots taken in early spring or from seed.

Firmiana colorata
A large, deciduous tree native from India to Java; reaching a maximum size of 80 x 40 feet with a huge bettressed trunk.
The leaves are large, up to 12 x 12 inches and is either palmate or oval with 3 or 5 lobes.
Hardy zones 9 to 12 and very drought tolerant.

Firmiana simplex ( Chinese Parasol Tree )
Native to the Orient from the Ryukyu Islands to Vietnam and also China, this is a fast growing, rounded, large tree reaching around 60 feet or more. Some records include: growth rate - 6 feet; largest on record - 100 x 50 feet with a trunk diameter of 4 feet ( unconfirmed reports of 120 x 60 feet ); longest lived - 100 + years. It is often used as a street tree in China.
The large 5-lobe palmate, deciduous foliage resembles that of some maples, with 3 to 7 lobes but is gigantic to a foot or more. Foliage on vigorous shoots can be up to 20 x 24 inches in size. The foliage is glossy rich-green.
The yellow-green flowers are borne in large terminal clusters up to 18 inches, during early summer. The flowers individually are up to 0.5 inches across.
The attractive bark is smooth and bright green to gray-green.
Very few other non-tropical trees have similar bark.
Hardy zones 7 to 10 tolerating as low as -7 F, this tree though rarely seen makes an excellent exotic looking ornamental shade tree in the Mid Atlantic and Southern U.S.
Tolerant of heavy clay and wet soils and may become locally invasive on floodplains.
It requires hot humid summers to thrives, and either doesnt thrive or is less hardy in cooler maritime climates. It is generally immune to pests or disease.

* photos taken on May 16 2010 @ Cylburn Arboretum, Baltimore, MD

* photo taken on 4th of July @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photos taken on July 17 2010 @ Morris Arboretum, Philly, PA

* photos taken on Aug 25 2013 @ University of Maryland, College Park

Variegata
Foliage is green and mottled white

Winter Wonderland More Snow!

Posted on 2:45 AM by sierra

After a mild weekend with temperatures in the upper forties and the grass finally visible we woke up to yet another winters snow. I have totally lost count of the number of snow falls we have had at this point with two more in the forecast for this week. Having mixed feelings about the snow, and truthfully having had enough, its beauty never ceases to amaze me. It looks like such a winter wonderland outside I had to venture out with camera once again!