ISLES-Landscape Ideas
Aluminum and stainless steel are popular midpriced options.They’re also easy to care for, generally requiring only a rinse with a hose and perhaps scrubbing with a diluted dish soap solution for stubborn spots. Aluminum is lightweight and rust-resistant and is good for damp climates. You can also find powder-coated aluminum, which will allow you to choose a color you love. Its light weight does mean it won’t be as sturdy as other options. Stainless steel is heavier and stronger than aluminum but with the same rust resistance. Stainless steel can chip, making it vulnerable to rust, so repair any damage as soon as you can.
Metal. Metal arbors can be deceptively fragile-looking but in reality they’re very tough. You can use almost any metal to form an arbor: aluminum, stainless steel, wrought iron, weathering steel, even pipes or rebar. Metal, except for the last two options, is usually more expensive than wood, but it’s extremely durable — a quality metal arbor lasts 20 years or more. Metal is good for harsh climates and is easy to care for. Metal arbors can be fabricated to almost any size and shape. The metal won’t fade and generally can be cleaned periodically with water to preserve its looks.
Peaceful gardens. While many people are looking to their outdoor areas to create more space for dining, lounging and playing, others are seeking quiet space that provides a tranquil break from work, school and a stressful news cycle. That’s why a peaceful garden might be a good investment for your available outdoor space.
LDS worthy article
GREAT article "READ ME FIRST!!"
Plantings The plantings are relatively simple and green, to keep the garden in visual harmony with the waterfront and in line with the community’s planting guidelines. New ‘Malayan’ coconut palm trees (Cocos nucifera ‘Malayan Dwarf’) rustle overhead, while a dwarf variety of native gamagrass (Tripsacum sp.) planted below them moves with the slightest breeze. For hedges around the dining patio and fire pit lounge, Westwood planted ‘Green Island’ ficus (Ficus microcarpa ‘Green Island‘). The native sea grape trees (Coccoloba uvifera) growing along the fence line behind the dining area will eventually grow partially up and over the pergola, providing more dappled shade.
OUTDOOR LIGHTING TIPS for LANDSCAPE
Landscape Lighting- The Front of your HOUSE!
Discovering New Sustainable and Healthy Products One product that got a lot of attention at the show was the 4-by-8-foot Verdure live moss wall ecosystem. The moss wall has a misting bar that periodically slides up the wall to keep the moss healthy. And the recirculating water pump in the bottom sounds like a babbling brook. Recent testing of the product in a 1,176-cubic-foot space showed that the unit reduced carbon dioxide by 225 percent and reduced harmful 0.5-micron airborne particulates by about 4,000 percent.
Residential applications for commercial products- This three-dimensional modular trellis system from Greenscreen is most often used to add plants to the sides of tall buildings, to pretty up mundane structures like parking garages and to serve as lush living fencing. It’s easy to make the leap and imagine how they could transform the facade of a home.
You Live in a Flood Plain or Other Sensitive Area If your property is situated in a flood plain or includes some protected wetlands, it’s a good idea for a landscape architect to be on board with your project. With the stricter regulations and unusual requirements involved, you may be required to have sealed drawings from a landscape architect. Your landscape architect will also be able to come up with solutions that meet your needs — like the open-celled paving grids shown here, which allow stormwater to safely make its way into the ground. Shades of Green Landscape Architecture designed the drought-tolerant landscape. Landscaping Tricks to Manage Stormwater Runoff
great article for drainage
Mondo grass frames the flagstone path, with river rock sitting in between the pavers. The river rock is permeable and requires less maintenance than plants growing between the stones would. It also keeps the path cleaner. Designer tip: Create a sense of mystery by not revealing the whole garden at once — even in smaller gardens. “It makes the whole space feel bigger,” Reynolds says, and leads to a more interesting experience.
Plants played an important role in the project — This space feels lush and overplanted. Close neighbors with mature plants also influenced plant selection. “Shade and privacy are huge in Key West,” Reynolds says. The right plants in the right place can help with this. Reynolds used a combination of native plants and tropical species that would help create the effect the homeowners were after and stand up to the site’s conditions. For example, Reynolds relied on the exotics in the extra-shady areas where native plants might not survive. “There are very few native plants that can handle the shade,” he says. Bromeliads, philodendrons and a layering of tropicals fill out the understory.
Designer tip: Don’t forget landscape lighting. “Lighting is like you have another property,” Reynolds says. “You can focus people in different ways with the light.” In his smaller projects especially, Reynolds likes to accent the paths and downplay the garden’s edges, making the space feel even larger.
From this view you can also see how close the nearest neighbors are, with the rooftops of adjacent homes poking through the tops of the palm trees. The pygmy date palms (Phoenix roebelenii), planted by Reynolds’ team, won’t grow much taller, maintaining the view that continues past the property line. “A natural view really adds to the space,” Reynolds says, and creates the feeling of a larger yard.
I like the pathway, stones low greenery
Color & Pots for the house!
beautiful color minimal planting beige rocks / not black bottle palm, bromeliads & palms with a few annuals PERFECT!
With plants. Gabion can have an industrial or somewhat raw appearance. Depending on your tastes, you may want to soften this look. One way is to surround the base with plantings that accentuate the color of the stone. I LIKE THIS LOOK!
Decorative garden features. Recently, the gabion has moved beyond its purely functional roots into the realm of decorative use. It can be used in the garden in a variety of unexpected ways, including as fences and gates. A gabion structure can be used as a frame for almost any garden feature. Here a gabion cage surrounds a contemporary water feature …
Scrims - The more open the fabric patterning, the more subtle the space-defining effects will be. I like how this fabric very minimally defines an entry and circulation space without the need for a partition wall. Very open wire fabric such as this requires special detailing to maintain tension and prevent sagging. The rod at the base accomplishes this in a visually minimal way. This treatment can be used inside and outside.....
Panels for landscape vines to climb... Pool cage seams to create shade, color and privacy. Used here as a partition wall and stair guard, these perforated metal panels have been painted, elevating them from their raw industrial roots. The square perforations pick up on the window patterning too. Stairs are great places to leverage metal mesh’s strength and openness.
Hardware cloth, metal wire mesh used as a climbable substrate for vegetated walls doesn’t have to be particularly refined, because it will eventually be concealed. It takes time for vegetated walls to establish themselves, and the mesh provides shading in the interim.
Although this is quite a narrow structure, it still provides enough cover to filter the sunlight before it touches the plants below.
Panels for vines or plant support at outside 'seams' of pool cage will allow for cooling, color and privacy. This metal structure looks as if it may have been reclaimed and is a delightful addition to the side of the house. Tip: Take this idea a step further; old ladders or even picket fences turned sideways could be a fun way to introduce something similar to your yard.
Once the vines are established, this outdoor shower will make for a uniquely private retreat. Although I wouldn't necessarily recommend this method of privacy for cooler climates since the growing season isn't very long, the general concept can be carried into other parts of the yard, such as fences or small privacy screens.
walkways
Screw Pine, Horsetail reeds, pots with ?
Entry to front of house? OR rear of house? OR Mstr suite?
Tropical
Dombeya, buganvilla, burl Marx & PALMS!
palms in variety shapes & sizes
Clusia, Dombeya, Bird or Heliconia, "burl Marx"
Driveway treatment with "astroturf?"
Outdoor Shower? :-)
Clean simple & linear? Or should we go TROPICAL!
For a more casual look, pipes and rebar are inexpensive choices that add an industrial touch. On the other end of the scale, weathering steel, while one of the most expensive options, will give you a rustic-contemporary look.
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