Design Specialties
New Home Construction
At Garden Architecture, we work with you and other professionals who may be involved with your project to plan the location and orientation of the new home on your lot. We can make arrangements for the property to be surveyed and have a topographic worksheet prepared. Working with you, and collaborating with the architect and/ or builder, we can plan how the house relates to the site. What will be the finished elevation of the house in relationship to the existing topography? How will the drainage patterns work and how will storm water be managed? How will driveways and parking areas be incorporated? All of these features are designed and drawn on a Site Plan that can be used in your builder’s package to obtain building permits for your project.
Landscape Renovation
Many homeowners face the dilemma of what to do with an older property. Where is the best place to start with making changes that enable you to use your outdoor space more effectively? Your home may have overgrown shrubs and trees crowding your front walkway, driveway or house. Perhaps you have inherited an out dated landscape from the previous owners that doesn’t meet you current outdoor living needs. Your family may be growing and you want to create lawn play areas and a large patio space for outdoor dining and entertaining. Or your family is changing, and now that the children are grown, you want to eliminate some lawn to create a focal water garden for relaxation and enjoyment. Every property and homeowner has a unique situation and goals. Here at Garden Architecture, we can help you to meld the conditions of your property with the way you would like to enjoy it.
As with any design process, the first step is to evaluate what you have to work with. Experience and a critical eye are important to know what plants and features are valuable and should be preserved, versus what is overgrown and unsalvageable. Sometimes older trees and shrubs just need appropriate pruning and the right horticultural care. Providing protection to these assets during any grading and hardscape improvements can be crucial to the success of the overall garden project. At Garden Architecture, we know what it takes to get all pieces of the puzzle to come together.
Outdoor Living
At Garden Architecture, our philosophy is that a landscape should be designed as a series of outdoor garden rooms. It should be created to enhance the architecture of your home and to provide a setting for your favorite outdoor activities. You may want a picturesque view enhanced; privacy from the neighbors’ play areas for the kids; garden access and fenced areas for family pets; patio or deck spaces for outdoor cooking, dining and entertaining; an elegant front walkway for guests, and a retreat garden to relax and enjoy the outdoors. There are many issues to consider and decisions to be made, but by working with Garden Architecture, you can be assured that the design for your outdoor living spaces will meet your needs and exceed your expectations. The result will be a landscape that is appropriate for your home and lifestyle.
Conservation Garden Design
Going “Green” is a very popular goal in today’s lifestyles. Many of Garden Architecture’s clients request that their plans include gardens that attract birds and butterflies, feature native plants and recycle water resources for irrigation. Often the goals of creating beautiful outdoor living spaces and gardens easily align with the principles of Conservation Garden Design. This approach includes planning techniques that conserve natural resources like healthy topsoil and clean water, reduce consumption of fossil fuels and eliminate the need for polluting fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. The property can be shaped to mimic how a natural ecosystem works, so that rainwater can fall and be reabsorbed directly into the soil, and plant, insect and animal ecosystem webs are reconnected. We’re here to help you create the garden of your dreams, while respecting and supporting the natural environment that connects us all.
Special Places
What is your image of paradise? What type of outdoor setting helps you to relax and focus of the beauty of the moment? Working with Garden Architecture, we can help you to create that special place, whether it’s a small seating area to sit and gaze upon a flower garden or listen to the trickle of water in a pond, or a path to stroll through a woodland garden.
Plans for the “Do it yourself” Gardener
Many homeowners enjoy gardening and doing small outdoor landscape improvement projects. Even experienced gardeners can benefit from the services of a landscape architect. What they often lack is the overall vision of how their weekend efforts can come together over time as a cohesive landscape. By hiring a professional landscape architect at Garden Architecture, we can work with you to develop an overall Landscape Master Plan. This master blueprint for your property will give you the knowledge to implement your projects as time and money allows. It will provide you with a phased approach plan, listing all plants and materials by “project”. With patience and work on your part, your dream garden can evolve.
