B R E C K O N L A N D D E S I G N: August 2013

NEWSLETTER – Summer 2013

In The News

Summer is winding down and fall is around the corner. We have been very busy here at Breckon Land Design, so here is a quick highlight of some exciting new news:

· New Project Updates – I have had the pleasure to visit some of my past projects and take some new after pictures... I have posted some of those Pictures on Houzz – why not check them out!!

· Real-time 3D animations – we are very excited to announce that we have a new program that will bring residential and commercial projects to life. Materials will have realistic surfaces, mirrors will work, Lighting effects as night with real reflections, water will move, branches and leaves will sway in the wind, cars will move, birds will fly and more……. We just upgrade our computers to run this -so stay tuned for more information, or contact us to see how we can bring your residential or commercial project to life. To see some examples of this software in action – click here!

In our summer Issue we are going to talk about one of my favorite late summer plants – Black Eyed Susan! In our project spot light we will review the Bown Crossing Residence, which details an extensive landscape installation. In our Contractor Spotlight we will highlight a local landscape Lighting Company – AfterDark! I hope you sit back and enjoy the Summer issue of “Sense of Place”.

Contractor Spotlight – AfterDark Lighting

AfterDark Lighting has been a Valley staple since 1994. Specializing in residential and commercial Landscape Lighting, Afterdark has set itself apart from the rest with unparalleled customer service, quality, design and installation. Scott with AfterDark has installed several of my projects over the years and he has always done a stellar job of combining aesthetics and budget into a lighting installation that will be the talk of the neighborhood.

AfterDark has won several awards for their Lighting design and installations and they are my “go to” contractor for everything about landscape lighting. They can design and install low voltage or 120-volt system to meet your residential or commercial lighting needs.

If you need help installing, maintaining or enhancing your landscape lighting, why not give Scott with AfterDark Lighting a call today to see what they can do for you!!!

Focus on plants - Black Eyed Susan

Black Eyed Susan or - Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm’ is one of my favorite summer perennials for bright flower color. The leaves of Black Eyed Susan are a dark green, then in the heat of summer, when everything else seems to tucker out – Black Eyed Susan’s come to life with an explosion of bright golden yellow flowers. The flowers attract butterflies and won the 1999 Perennial of the Year!!. This is a low maintenance perennial that loves heat and the sun and will get approximately 2’ high by 2’ wide.

Project Spotlight - Bown Crossing

This Bown Crossing residence had a typical “builder special” landscape that did not match my client’s tastes. My clients were looking for a more attractive curb appeal, a more naturalistic waterfall, more shade, an outdoor kitchen with dining area and an area for their hot tub. Our Client (which was referred to us by Sterling Landscape) wanted to see multiple options for their yard, so they could see the true potential.

Landscape Master Plan (2012)

Concept #1 – Key Points

· New paver entry walk

· The existing back yard patio would remain as-is

· curved outdoor Kitchen with a bar area

· The waterfall would stay in the same location as the existing waterfall, but larger boulder would be added

· Flagstone patio and path

· Sunken hot tub

· Floating boulder slab steps

· Rock lights

· Hammock area

· Evergreen forest for a woodsy feeling

Concept #1

Concept #2 – Key Points

· New paver entry walk, landing and landscape

· New flagstone path along side yard to act as the entry to the garden

· “L” shaped outdoor kitchen

· Larger waterfall and stream along the NE side

· Sunken dining area

· Outdoor living room (deck -flush with threshold) with wood, stone and metal shade structure

· Custom privacy screen for the sunken hot tub

Concept #2

Concept #3 – Key Points

· Rectangular concrete stepping stone entry walk

· Stone and Ipe accent fences

· Multilevel deck-patio (concrete and decking)

· Cantilevered shade structure

· Small outdoor kitchen (no bar area)

· Rill water feature

· Artificial turf lawn area

· Bocce ball court

· Sunken hot tub

Concept #3

The client loved the initial concepts and the, construction y combined elements mostly from Concept #1&#2 – Although they were really attracted to concept #3 they liked the relaxed feeling of the more naturalistic concepts. After we revised the concept we went on to construction documents, and we prepared the following drawings:

· Materials Plan – to illustrate, note and detail all hardscape items like, pavers, paths, walls…..

· Planting Plan – to illustrate all plant material proposed for the project

· Conceptual Landscape Lighting Plan – to illustrate the overall landscape lighting effects

Now that all the drawings were done, it was time to get 3 bids. We decided to get bids from Thad with Sterling Landscape, Tom with LCG landscape and Gary with Green lawn care. The Home owner reviewed the bids and decided to go with Sterling Landscape as the general with the main subs being Boon LLC (outdoor Kitchen and Shade Structure) and Afterdark Lighting (landscape Lighting).

The first step of construction was to demo the back patio and the majority of the existing landscape. The footings for the Alumawood shade structure were poured while the back yard was prepped for the multilevel Belgard Paver patio.

The grades were also set for the flagstone patio, paths and the floating stone slab steps. After the patios were installed (Belgard pavers and Flagstone) the frame for the outdoor kitchen was installed.

The disappearing waterfall was one of the last elements to go into the back yard before the plantings were installed. The disappearing waterfall was design to be seen from the multiple sitting areas. While the waterfall was being installed the curved outdoor kitchen was getting tricked out with DCS Grill, refrigeraotor, beverage center, side burning, storage and more -- Truly a chef's play area!!

To soften all the hardscape areas, plants were then added to bring year round color and texture into the yard. The finishing touch was the adjustment of the landscape lighting that included LED strip lights under the paver steps, accent lights on the waterfall, selected trees, shade structure and the residence.

As with all new installations, I recommend patience, as the beds will look rather open at first, but with time the plants will mature and the yard will grow up! A special thanks to Sterling Landscape, Boon, LLC, AfterDark Lighting, and all the team members….for making this project looks so good!

Summer 2013 Newsletter Partners

I hope you enjoyed our 2013 Summer Newsletter. I would like to thank our partners for their help to make this newsletter possible. Please visit their web sites to review their products and services. Thanks!!

Our Main Partners are: