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A chill is in the air, football is in full swing and the
smell of pumpkin pie is just around the corner!! That’s right, fall is here!!!!
We have been very busy here at Breckon Land Design, so here is a quick
highlight of some exciting new news:
·Real-time 3D animations and stunning still
renderings – we are very excited to announce that we have a new program that
will bring residential and commercial projects to life. I just finished my
first project with this new program – The Plexus Plaza redesign in Nampa.I like the fact that reflections work,
landscape lighting can show the different effects, and plant materials are more
realistic and much, much more …. Check out this intro video!
In our fall Issue we are going to
talk about one of my favorite small ornamental trees – the Coral Bark Japanese
Maple.In our project spot light we will
review the Island Woods Residence, which details an extensive back yard installation.
In our Contractor Spotlight we will highlight a local landscape Construction Company
– Eagle Landscape! I hope you sit back
and enjoy the Fall issue of “Sense of Place”.
Coral
bark Japanese Maple or – Acer palmatum ‘Sangokaku’ is one of my favorite small
ornamental trees. As with all Japanese Maples, it will need a protected
location from wind and the afternoon summer sun.This small tree has green leaves with blood
red twigs – a truly stunning combination. Mature branches will slowly lose the
bright red color, but all new twigs will be a bright fire red for at least 3
years.The fall color varies, but most years
the green leaves turn golden orange yellow with some years a combination of
yellow with red tips which will really make a statement!! Japanese maples can
have a somewhat inconsistent fall color year to year in our Valley. Some years
you will get a spectacular display of colors, while other years, we change from
Hot to cold, too quickly and the leaves end up just turning brown and stay on
the tree all winter until the new spring leaves pus them off! But when the
leaves due turn those spectacular colors it is truly worth it! The approximate
mature size is 15x12, so if you have a protected space, and looking for
something a little different, why not try the Coral Bark Japanese Maple!!
This
Island Woods residence had a typical “builder special” landscape that did not
match my client’s tastes. My clients were
looking for a more outdoor living space, the sound of water, an indoor outdoor
living room for watching TV and reading books while enjoying nature, and an area
for a grill with dining room. Our Client (which was referred to us by one of
our past clients) wanted to see a couple of options for their yard
Landscape
Master Plan (2012)
Concept #1 – Key Points
·Enclosed 4 seasons room
·Sunken patio with timber shade structure
with party lights/lanterns
·Outdoor grill and paver patio dining area
·Flagstone paths
·Raised garden beds
·Grass along the side yards
·Waterfall tucked in the back corner
Concept #1 - Video
Concept #2 – Key Points
·Covered patio/3 seasons room with outdoor
kitchen and living room
·Sunken patio with free standing structure
·Artificial turf putting green
·No grass back yard
·Woodsy, understory plantings
·Garden beds
·Flagstone paths
Concept #2 - Video
The client loved the initial concepts and they used elements
mostly from Concept #1, but they liked how the main entrance to the yard was
from the middle of the 4 season room in concept #2. They also liked how the
waterfall from concept #2 flowed into the sunken patio. They also wanted to
make the sunken patio handicap accessible for one of their friends, so we
designed in a ramp to the sunken patio. After we revised the concept we went on
to construction documents. For the 4 season’s room, I had to bring in an
Architect and a Structural Engineer, so I turned to Merlin Stark with Stark Planning
and Design for the Architectural Drawings and Tamarack Grove for the Structural
Design and Review. 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
·Plant care package – full color photos of
all the plants and info on how to care for them.
·Conceptual Landscape Lighting Plan – to
illustrate the overall landscape lighting effects
·Architectural Plans - Merlin Stark prepared
a full set of Construction drawings for the 4 season’s room and Tamarack Grove
prepared the Structural design and Calculations for the 4 season’s room.
Now that all the drawings were done,
it was time to get construction bids for the work. The home owners were
refereed to us from one of our past clients and they had Sterling install their
project – so they wanted to go with Sterling as well. For the 4 Seasons room,
the Home owners watered to go with Merlin’s recommendation of Rory Hammersmark Construction.
The first step of construction was to
demo the existing shade structure and concrete patio. After the demolition, the
area had to be excavated for the foundation of the 4 season’s room and the
sunken patio. As Rory’s crew worked on the foundation for the 4 Seasons’ Room,
Sterling started the prep for the sunken patio.
As the base was being prepared we
made a trip with the home owners to Basalite and Rocky Mountain Supply to look
at paver and Wall samples. The Home owners decided to go with Belgard’s
mega-Arbel patio slab paver (resembles natural Flagstone) for the patios, paths
and ramp and Celtik wall for the landscape walls and steps.
As Rory had the exterior shell of
the 4 season room completed, Sterling started on their part of this project. The
walls and steps were the first landscape elements to get installed with the
sunken patio and waterfall to follow shortly after. The upper patio and paths
were then finished with the plantings and sod to soften the hardscape
elements.Sterling then added Belgard’s
Anglia Edger to the main planter by the upper patio to keep the bark from
getting on the patio.
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, Rory
Hammersmark Construction, AfterDark Lighting, Stark Planning and Design,
Tamarack Grove Engineering and more….for making this project looks so good!
Eagle
Landscape is one of Eagle’s oldest and most trusted landscape Construction
companies.Started back in 1978 by Pete
Cintorino (CEO), Eagle Landscape has been a staple here in the Valley.From large subdivisions and commercial development’s,
to private residences, Eagle Landscape can handle all your construction needs. From
paver patios, walls, water features, outdoor kitchens and irrigation systems,
Eagle Landscape can do it all. I have had Eagle Landscape install several of my
projects over the years – we have been working together for over 12 years now
and their quality and customer service is top notch.Jason Aird (President) now oversees the day
to day operations of the company, but Pete is still actively involved in the
company he started.
Located at
3931 N. Ballantyne Lane, Eagle Landscape has a large Tree field for locally
grown plant material and is also home to their landscape construction office. If
you looking for larger specimen trees or unique plant material for your next
landscape project, why not check out the Tree field at Eagle Landscape – you
will be surprised with what you can find! If you are in need of some landscape
construction services for your residential or commercial project, please feel
free to contact Jason at Eagle Landscape!
I hope you enjoyed our 2013 Fall
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!!
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