LAND DESIGNS UNLIMITED LLC

A Patient Craftsman Creating Exceptional Landscapes

Category: Landscape Design

  • Stone Walls Shouldn’t be Imposing

    Stone Walls Shouldn’t be Imposing

    Stone-Walls-Can-Be-Soft-1038-460

    I often see landscapes built like a fortress.  A tall and stark stone wall blocks the grounds.  The formidable wall tells visitors to stay away and “Don’t tread on me.”

    Stone walls keep the eye from moving through the landscape.  They say look at me and nothing else.  They are a blazing  neon sign saying “Closed.”

    I make sure the stone walls I design fit into the landscape.

    You can plant weeping plants on top of walls to soften them.  Especially if the wall is over three feet tall.

    In the photo above a blue rug juniper (Juniperus horizontalis ‘Wiltoni’) gently weeps over the wall.  Without the junipers it would be a stark, cold and imposing feature.

    Before starting construction consider if the wall is really necessary and how you can lower its impact.

    By John Holden

     

  • A Berm for Curb Appeal

    A Berm for Curb Appeal

    Here are some great landscaping ideas for your front yard featuring a berm planted to give curb appeal to a lovely colonial.  A fieldstone wall compliments the colorful plantings.

    By John Holden

  • Why Should You Hire a Landscape Designer?

    Why Should You Hire a Landscape Designer?

    What are the benefits of hiring a landscape designer?  Why should you hire a landscape designer?

    There are at least three situations where you should hire a landscape designer:

    1. The most obvious reason, you don’t know about garden design.  A good landscape designer can help you get the results that best meet your needs.
    2. You know about gardening but have a limited knowledge of plants or design.  There’s a world of plants out there that you are not familiar with.  A landscape designer can introduce you to those plants and show you how to make the best use of them in your landscape.
    3. You don’t know about gardening but you do have an idea of what you want. If you call me and say, “I want a patio” there are some questions I’ll ask you are, “What is the patio for?  Do you want a quiet place to relax?  A stimulating place to entertain?  A place where young children can play? Are you looking to combine different design needs?”  A landscape designer can hone your ideas into a beautiful landscape.

    Make sure your landscape designer puts your needs first.  Your landscape design is about meeting your needs.  If you suspect a landscape designer isn’t looking out for your best interests trust your gut.

    When I design a landscape I act as a filter translating my clients needs into a finished landscape design.

  • Front Yard Landscape Design by an Oxford CT Landscaper

    Front Yard Landscape Design by an Oxford CT Landscaper

    The video above is a beautiful colonial in Oxford CT where we were the landscaper of choice.  I hope you enjoy the tour of this lovely home.

  • How I Got My Groove – The Stages of a Landscape Design Career

    How I Got My Groove – The Stages of a Landscape Design Career

    Unlike now, when I graduated UCONN I didn’t have real-world landscape design experience.

    I designed landscapes by the book and my designs incorporated the latest cool plants at the nursery.  If the book said a plant grows in the shade to 10 feet tall I put it in the shade where it could grow to 10 feet tall.

    I talked with associates and read magazine articles about new plants.  I still do because there’s always room for improvement.  The palette of plants to choose from is constantly changing.

    After designing, installing and watching my landscapes grow in for over 20 years I have more experience than most in my field.

    Sometimes, even though the book says a plant grows in the shade it just sits there neither living nor dying.  Arborvitae planted in late fall are going to suffer from winter’s drying winds.  Over-planted landscapes fill in quickly and are a ton of work to keep up.  Landscape construction never goes exactly according to plan and small changes are a natural part of the process.

    My design style is “Form follows function.”  I abhor complexity for simpler is always better.  I like focal points but don’t overdo it.  Viewers get headaches from bedazzled landscapes.

    Landscape design and installation is an art and subject to interpretation by the designer and installer.  Seemingly small differences, like those above, make a big difference in your project.  You can talk to five landscape designers and get five completely different landscape designs.  You can then give that design to five different landscape contractors and get five different landscapes.

    I hope you choose wisely when hiring your landscape designer or landscape contractor.

    By John Holden

  • Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper

    Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper

    As a Monroe CT landscaper this landscape was a challenge to design.  The stately colonial perched on top of a hill and doesn’t look like part of the landscape.

    My goal was to make the home look like it fit in.

    Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper

    I made the home look like it fit in the landscape using a few tricks.

    1. I planted larger trees and shrubs at the back of the landscape to ‘ground’ the house.  By planting a larger trees and shrubs you ground the house making it more to scale with the surrounding landscape.
    2. I installed a retaining wall to raise the grade.  The climb from the drive to the front steps was very steep and difficult to climb.  My goal was to make the journey pleasant.  I didn’t want a landscape with random steps that became an obstacle course or ankle twister.
    3. I brought in truckloads of fill and topsoil to create a level area in front of the house.  The goal was to soften the grade so the home didn’t look like it could slide down the hill.

    The home went from looking out-of-place to a stately home gently placed on top of a hill.  It’s all in a days work for a Monroe CT landscaper.

  • Creating a Landscape Design Base Plan

    Creating a Landscape Design Base Plan

    newtown ct landscape designerToday I got to work drafting the base plan for a Newtown, Connecticut, Landscape Design.

    First, I calculate the scale to use so my landscape design will fit on the paper.  Most landscape designs are larger in area then they seem when measuring the site.

    Now I make a draft of the base plan based on the measurements I took during the site analysis. Unwanted site elements are left out.  The focus is on moving forward when designing.

    Once I complete the base plan I overlay it with a piece of drafting paper and trace the base plan through the drafting paper to align the design.

    Finally I trace the base plan with black marker of differing weights. The heavier the line the heavier or larger the object. The foundation gets the heaviest line followed by the sidewalk, driveway and stone walls on the site.

    I print a label for the plan and place it on the corner.  It is now time to begin drafting a landscape design for my Newtown CT clients.

    By John Holden

  • Newtown CT Landscape Design Site Analysis

    Newtown CT Landscape Design Site Analysis

    Today I completed the site analysis for a landscape design in Newtown, Connecticut.  A site analysis is the first, and most vital step, when you measure and assess the site you are designing.

    Landscape design is about getting a feel for the site.  How much sun does the space get?  What type of soil is on the site?  How does water flow over the site?  What type of emotion do I feel when on the site?  How can I enhance, or negate, that emotion?

    It takes an hour or two for the site analysis of a basic landscape design.  Yes, I could rush in, take some measurements, snap a few pictures and be gone in half an hour.  A little extra time getting to know the site will lead to a better landscape design for this Newtown, Connecticut home.  I look at the area from many different angles.  Constantly asking myself, “What if I…?”

    While completing the site analysis I start with the big picture and work down to the details.

    First, I take pictures of the site from every possible angle.  Digital pictures are cheap and I can extrapolate a measurement I missed or recall the view from the road.

    Next, I draw a sketch of the area and take measurements of the site.  While taking pictures and measuring the site I am keeping an eye out for elements of the site that will affect the design.  Are there any obstacles to move or work around?  Is there a better way to design this walkway?  How much sun does this space get?

    At last I am ready to start drafting a preliminary landscape design.  It does not have to be perfect right now.  My goal is to jot down my thoughts quickly before they disappear.  I write the names of some plants I will use, most plants names are generic, such as small flowering shrub, large evergreen, perennial etc.  My goal is to have a rough idea what size and type plants I need.

    Once I leave the job site the design mostly completed.  It’s a matter of going to the drafting table and drawing a scaled base plan and filling the spaces with my thoughts.  I also do some research on plants and materials to use during the design process.

    All decisions for this landscape design in Newtown, Connecticut, are based on the site analysis.  Doesn’t it make sense to spend a little extra time getting a feel for the site?

  • Where to Begin Your Landscape Design?

    Where to Begin Your Landscape Design?

    In my job as a Newtown, Connecticut, landscape designer I often meet people who have chosen to improve their landscape. Some have moved into a new home and need a front yard planting.  Others have an overgrown landscape that has literally eaten their house.

    Often future clients are unsure where to start developing their landscape.  They obsess over what plants to use in the landscape, what material to use for the walkway or the investment for their project.

    Design your landscape by working from the big picture down to the details.  At the beginning of the design process I ask clients questions such as:

    • What area do you want to design?
    • What function will the design serve?
    • What do you like about your current landscape?
    • What do you not like about your current landscape?
    • How will people move through the landscape?
    • Is your style more contemporary or traditional?
    • How soon do you want the design to look established?
    • Why? (Repeat often, it is a goldmine of information!)

    Remember, if you work from the big picture to the details, developing your landscape design will be both thorough and enjoyable.