“Design Up-Front”

ESPatch Aug 5, 2013 7 comments

C:UsersJohn_PCDocumentsCorbett2012 WillowSANDERS_042913 Mo

This contemporary house / garage apartment is shortly to be built on the east side of Austin.

I am signed up to design and install the landscape and exterior hardscaping on the property.

I wanted to get a head start on the project but I needed to really understand the architecture and site layout to develop a consistent and appropriate scheme.

I decided the best thing would be to construct the house in 3D based on the architectural plans (which are hard to digest, even for the trained eye)…

Here are the 3D building blocks representing the outside dimensions and architectural design:

I concentrated on the main front area as my first priority is to design the area from the street down both sides of this house.

As this is a completely new construction it is a clean slate, nothing to work in or around…the luxury!

3D model taking shape.

The home owners requested minimal plants and ultra-low maintenance.

Here is the final post-rendered model in-situation with a superimposed minimalist xeriscape planting scheme. The final image helped the homeowners visualize how their future new home and landscape is going to look.

Architectural_Landscape_Design__Xeriscape

Now, it may be sweltering hot in our current August temperatures but I will get some frosty Arizona ‘blue-ice’ cypress trees into the scheme!

Cupressus arizonica

Stay Tuned for:

“X Marks the Scot”

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“Test of Courage”

ESPatch Apr 28, 2013 8 comments

It seems to have been a long spring this year and we have been making the most of it spending as much time outdoors as possible before the tigers

ruin it all, and they will.

Especially with our recent downpours and now greenhouse-like conditions.

Taking advantage of these final relatively bite-free days, we have once again been busy breaking open geodes, as you do, snort.

We got lucky with this one.

This is “Natures Treasures” in Austin, they have a large selection of rocks, crystals and minerals…a color and texture for every plant, planter and container.

It is one of their favorite places to shop, I cannot believe we all have punch cards.

Armed with buckets they run around gathering different colored raw rocks that will be later smacked with a hammer and tumbled.

On our return trip home I spotted this century plant,

these are beginning to bloom all over Austin right now. Someone had recently hacked off this ones lower limbs in preparation for its imminent demise and subsequent nasty stinky rotten messyness.

You’re okay Kumo.

On a smaller scale this Yucca Recurvifolia

is putting out the first flower spike of the year, offering protection for this lacewing:

Moving Along:

I have a couple of these Star Jasmine ‘Star of Toscane’ scrambling up a 10ft high section of my bull-wire fence. It is evergreen, richly fragrant and hardy.

But the best thing about this plant…

…is how it looks against our house and trim color. The dark green leaves punch out the gold tones of the flowers.

I expect this fence to be completely covered next year.

Staying with vines for a moment, this is another great plant when you can find it,

Orchid Vine or

Bauhinia corymbosa

Fatsia Japonica gets very happy with some additional moisture.

This

Pittosporum tobira

pruned up, looks like a miniature big tree.

I think I can say this bed is officially out of control:

As are these oxygenating pond plants,

I always have to thin these out after their initial spring fling.

Reaching into the uncharted murky depths of my pond is not for the feint-hearted, oh no,

paul-has-his-hand-in-the-box-and-believes-his-hand-is-melting1

it is a test of courage.

I am just happy that it was my daughter’s hand that came up with this bloodworm stuck on the side of it.

Brrr.

On that note,