Tackling a large landscape design project can be overwhelming and expensive to do all at once. Hence why many of our clients like to have us move in phases, creating an initial design and then installing it over a period of years. Beyond the time and cost benefits, spreading out the project can allow the design to evolve as the homeowners learn how they like to live in their yard. One of our clients’ projects was perfect for this multi-phase approach.
Phase 1
Our clients’ existing home had a covered patio with a concrete pad off the back. They wanted to expand the patio, and we did this by covering the concrete with pavers and then carrying them out to a newly built support/seating wall. The patio doubled in size and offered a nice, comfy enclosure.
The key to the success of placing pavers over concrete is the state of the pad – if there are cracks or if it is leaning, that underlayment will continue to erode and undermine anything we lay on top. We also need to ensure we have sufficient elevation to the home entry. As long as there is a good base and enough height, there is nothing wrong with going right over the concrete with a paver. This option allows us to change the shape and size of a patio, as we did for this project.
Past the patio, their homeowners’ association had installed a drainage swale causing drainage issues for our clients. To solve the problem, we turned it into a dry creek bed which helped move the water during heavy rain events. We laid landscape fabric down and created the rock base with Wisconsin cobbles, a smooth granite that is a bit flatter than Indiana cobbles. We then added sandstone to make it look like a naturally occurring creek. A bridge over the creek takes you to a wooded part of the lot, which we cleared out and installed a stone patio to house a small sitting area. The goal was to create a relaxing sitting space, placed to also offer a lovely view from the home. Final plantings were chosen for privacy and year-round color.
Landscape Design Project Phase 2
This spring we returned to add more plantings and ended up enlarging the back patio too. Our clients had discovered that they needed more room because the family likes to hang out there! They also like unique plants, so we added a feature evergreen, many varieties of Hosta, and more shrubs to enhance the different seasons of color. We also added several more boulders. Since we had such a strange spring season that year, Bill would often just drop by with 1-2 new plants for the space. Our client started calling him Santa Claus because she was always excited to see what new “gift” Bill had brought her. We have started a new conifer collection for them, which we love. They even rearranged their patio furniture to enhance the enjoyment the new plantings. It has been so much fun to bring joy to their garden.
Phase 3 has been happening little by little each year. We do a little “add” each spring, bringing in new perennials, evergreens or whatever the space calls for as it matures.
Creating these long-term relationships with our clients through multi-phase landscape design projects is fun. We enjoy helping them expand their ideas for their yards over the years. If you are considering a large landscaping project, you may want to consider moving forward in phases. For more information on how we can help, send us an email or give us a call at (317) 997-4803.
