The Brief
The Brief
All projects begin with a consultation to gather the client's overall wishes for their design.
The challenge in this brief is a desire for a natural landscape yet a very "architectural" design. This implies that the "hand of man" is very obvious but in a format that is very low maintenance. Wild but tidy. Specifically, not "weedy" as in wildflower meadow.
Introduction
House and area
Your contemporary/rustic 1982 lake house, surrounded by pine forest, is well situated for views on the sloping lot. Adding outdoor living areas and minimizing erosion will enhance its enjoyment.
The primary focus is to improve the area between the lake and the house by reintroducing planted areas, minimizing lawn, adding a fireplace and cart path, screening adjacent outbuildings, etc.
Existing garden observations
Positive Points
- This lot is very nicely shaded. In our southern climate, shade is at a premium in the hot summers.
- Great views of the lake, minimal areas that need screening of neighbor's shed on the north side.
- Existing understory trees and shrubs provide screening along property lines.
- The slope to the garden provides an attractive gradient for a dry stream.
Garden Issues
- A huge amount of mowing.
- Erosion.
- Lake restrictions for shoreline development.
- Clipped boxwood is wrong in this setting.
- Sandy clay soil with erosion is a challenge for nursery plants. A large number of trees with shallow roots will dictate minimal surface disturbance and the addition of heavy mulch to support new plantings.
- Drought conditions exist occasionally in our area. Irrigation is recommended to support the new plantings but drought resistant selections will provide some insurance against irigation system failures.
- Drainage french drains from the basement of the house need to be addressed.
Scope of work
- You want a re-design of the landscape, concentrating on the area between the house and the lake.
- A native-informal style of the garden would suit both yourselves and the house. This can be interpreted as a rustic structural layout with a natural planting style with an emphasis on low-maintenance.
Hard Landscaping
- You want to remove the existing wood sleeper and brick stairs near the entrance. The patio space to the west could be bigger. There is potential for more paths and stepping stones to link the house to any new features.
- The hard-landscaping style is to be natural stepping stones for footpaths and paving with a decorative edge for cart paths.
- There is potential for additional wooden structures, such as an arbor or trellis within the garden.
Water features
- Existing gullies are to be retained but enhanced with dry stream bed/stones.
Lawn
- Minimize
Planting
- You like a natural planting style.
- The planting should be colorful where possible given a large amount of shade.
Lighting
- You would appreciate feature lighting within the garden and some functional lighting to extend the use of the new fireplace.
Budget
- Under 20k
Timescale
Garden survey and concept-plan consultation to be within July; intermediate concepts presented bi-weekly, final plan to be presented in September/October.
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