Posts Tagged ‘Landscaping’
Thursday, January 27th, 2011
Clients can ask themselves a series of questions to determine the quality of a design. Is the design organized and cohesive? Does the design respond well to the land and fit comfortably in that context? Do the various lines of sight enhance appealing elements of the property? Does the design integrate well with the existing architecture of the home? Are the spaces functional and logical? Does the overall form have a unifying theme or sense? Does the design accommodate the family’s needs and desires for how they plan to use the space? Once design quality criteria are met, there are two more major elements to a successful design. Can it be build within the budget and does it comply with municipal regulations?
The most gorgeous designs are not successful if the project can’t be built within budget. A quality designer will be skilled at value engineering a project to achieve the desired goals within budget. However, sometimes the client’s desires simply can’t be achieved on their budget. Then it becomes a matter of either scaling back or phasing the project and completing some elements in the future.
A successful design must conform to municipal regulations in order to obtain permits. Local zoning codes will determine setback distances for pools, decks, pool houses, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and much more. Zoning regulations will also determine the amount of a property that can be covered with an impervious surface, such as patios. A quality designer will be skilled at generating designs that conform to municipal regulations and will be versed on the process of creating construction drawings that get the project through the permit process.
Tags: Landscape, Landscape Architect, Landscape Design, Landscape Permits, Landscape Plans, Landscaping
Posted in Landscape Architecture, Landscape Design | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
Design starts with a conversation between client and designer. At that time a designer may throw out some ideas, but the best ideas and true quality design requires a more reflective process. The designer needs to survey the property and generate a base map of existing conditions, accurate and to scale. With that, the design team can work out ideas with a series of trace paper overlays exploring a variety of possible design solutions.
Most designers will work through their initial ideas in hand drawings, but there are benefits in moving design to the computer as soon as possible in the process. Once the project is in a computer aided drafting (CAD) program, it can be transferred to a three dimensional modeling program. Three dimensional computer models allow the client to see their project from a variety of angles and provide an understanding far beyond the two dimensional plan. Computer drafted plans can be directly e-mailed to clients, building architects or site engineers, streamlining the design process and saving the client time and money.
Tags: Landscape Architect, Landscape Design, Landscape Plans, Landscaping
Posted in Landscape Design, Landscaping | No Comments »
Thursday, January 6th, 2011
Successful landscape projects require quality landscape designs. This is true whether you are building a simple flagstone patio or walkway or an extravagant porch addition, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, or outdoor fireplace project. Landscape design is the process of unifying a range of factors including a family’s needs and desires, their budgets, natural elements of the property, and municipal building/zoning regulations. Plans are the landscape designer’s tool for expressing everything from the concepts of the designs to the layout and the construction details. A skilled, professional designer and a quality set of plans will make a project smoother from the permit process though to the finishing details.
The first step is to choose a designer. That choice revolves around a potential candidate’s education, experience, creativity and chemistry. Does the designer have an accredited degree in landscape architecture or a related degree? Does he have hands on experience with construction materials and techniques? Do examples of his work express a unique creativity in each project? Personal chemistry is critical since design is a process of working together as a team from start to finish. Projects can be long and stressful at points, but the right designer will help the whole project go smoothly.
Environmental Landscape Associates provides exceptional quality landscape design and landscape contractors
Tags: Hardscape, Landscape Architect, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Outdoor Living
Posted in Building Construction, Fire Element, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Outdoor Kitchens, Swimming Pools | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010
With 90 degree days and long stretches without rain, it is important to focus on keeping your plants well hydrated through the summer. Without water many landscape plantings will become unsightly and growth will be stunted. For trees, shrubs & perennials, it is best to deepwater once or twice a week depending on the species. Let a hose trickle slowly by the plant for an extended period of time so that the water soaks deep into the ground. Then let the area dry out for a few days. This will teach the plant to send roots down more instead of staying near the surface. It is best water plants at the base, especially if watering in the heat of the day. If you water the foliage in the middle of the day, the wet leaves may burn in the sunlight and any flowers will certainly wilt. This is general advice, but you should certainly research the water needs of your specific plants and adjust this advice as needed. Take care of your landscape plantings so your outdoor living rooms can look their best.
Tags: Landscape Maintenance, Landscaping, Outdoor Living
Posted in Landscaping, Plants | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
It’s time for spring cleanups in the landscape. Cut back any dead wood on shrubs and trees, cut back any remaining perennial debris, fertilize, edge the beds and mulch. Time invested now will save time later in the summer and make the gardens that much more beautiful throughout the season. Generally, stick to the natural triple ground mulch. Some people prefer the dyed mulch (black, etc.), but that really isn’t best for the plants. Penn State research has shown that dyed mulches tend to encourage more detrimental bacterial and fungal growths. And always make sure you don’t put too much mulch around the base of shrubs and trees. This will eventually rot the bark and kill the plant. Remove the old mulch first, then put down the new mulch. Make your landscape gorgeous for the season with these early season preparations. If you would rather not do this work yourself, call ELA for all your spring clean up needs and to design this years landscape projects.
Tags: Flowers, Landscape Maintenance, Landscaping, Spring Planting, Trees
Posted in Landscaping, Plants, Spring Planting | No Comments »
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Do I need a permit for my landscape construction project? That answer depends on the township and the project. You’ll generally never need a permit to put plants in the ground, but for most everything else you may need a permit depending on your townships requirements. I’ll be posting more about this over the years because it is a deep and complex issue in the industry and difficult for most homeowners to understand. The big picture is that if you are planning a significant hardscape project you will need a zoning level permit, often called a ‘minor grading permit’. That permit ensures the township that you are dealing with the grading in an appropriate way. Also, many townships will require on site storm water retention which is part of that permit process. Once that permit is approved, a variety of building permits may be required for everything from general construction to outdoor lighting. ELA has worked with many townships to get through the permit process successfully, and each one is different.
Tags: Hardscape, Landscape Design, Landscape Permits, Landscaping
Posted in Building Construction, Landscape Design, Landscaping | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 13th, 2010
With spring in full swing, people often have questions about what to prune. Well start by making sure all your perennials are cut back. Lots of people do that in the fall, but it is really better for the plant to wait until spring if you can tolerate the somewhat messy appearance. And cut back all of the ‘cutback’ flowering shrubs, the more herbaceous ones. Plants like spirea can be cut to 6″ above the ground and will bloom much better if you do this. And prune your woody shrubs to create the form you are looking for from them. Finally, check all your trees for any dead branches or tips and clean them up. If you put your time into spring pruning, your landscape will reward you throughout the season with better growth, healthier plants, and more flowers.
Tags: Flowers, Landscape Design, Landscape Maintenance, Landscaping, Pruning, Spring Planting, Trees
Posted in Plants | No Comments »
Monday, April 12th, 2010
Environmental Landscape Associates has a building construction partner named K. Frederick Builders. Both companies operate under one roof giving the clients the benefits of complete coordination between building and landscape construction. We have gone in this direction because the majority of our projects involve building construction of some sort from a pergola or porch roof to a full pool house.
Tags: Landscaping, Masonry Walls, Pool House, Putting Green
Posted in Building Construction | No Comments »
Saturday, April 10th, 2010
Spring is here in Bucks County. The trees and shrubs are blooming. The landscape is gorgeous and bright again. One of our favorite spring flowering shrubs is the Viburnum Carlessi – Fragrant Viburnum. The smell of the flowers permeates the air. The fragrant and colorful shrubs and trees of spring can’t be beat. The red bud trees are brilliant purple/pink. The bulbs are covering the ground with colors. Time to plan your landscaping projects so that next spring your garden will glow even that much more. Time for planting is now. So call us and get your landscape planting design ready for installation. It is the season for landscape design and construction now, so don’t wait.
Tags: Landscape Design, Landscaping, Native Landscapes, Spring Planting
Posted in Spring Planting | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010
Tree-houses can be a romantic fascination for children and adults alike. We have an innate physiological bond with trees that may very well stem from a genetic memory of our ancestors reliance on these living giants. Psychologists have shown that we are drawn to trees that are climbable and provide good opportunity for broad surveillance, probably based on early survival needs. “The idea of building a small refuge in the trees seems to be one that man has entertained since the beginning of his existence……In certain cultures of the South Pacific, entire populations once lived among the trees……Records also document observation bridges in Japan, luxurious platforms in Persia and classical Rome, and a popularized version of the tree house in Victorian-era Britain” (From TreeHouses by Alejandro Bahamon, 2007). Tree houses come in all styles from an eclectic structure pieced together with found materials to a refined architectural design built by professional craftsman. Many people think of tree houses a place for children to explore, exercise and imagine. But today, tree houses are being built as home offices, guest rooms and even entire living spaces.
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Tags: Childrens Gardens, Landscape Design, Landscaping, Native Landscapes, Outdoor Living, treehouse, Trees
Posted in Treehouses | No Comments »