Spring IS coming!

Late February is the time of year when we all start to dream of spring. And despite the snow falling outside right now, spring is just around the corner and it’s the perfect time to start thinking about your landscape and gardens. At db Landscaping we’re here to help!

Many clients don’t start thinking about their outdoor living environments until the weather begins to improve- we typically get very busy going into April, May and the summer months. You can ensure that your project will be on this year’s building roster by contacting us now, before the spring rush. Despite the snow that lays on the ground now, we can get to work consulting with you, designing your landscape, and obtaining any needed permits. Enjoy the warm months in your newly designed landscape by calling us now! You’ll thank yourself when the warmer months arrive!

Snow slides off of this pitched roof onto the shrubs below.

Have you ever seen a shrub- say a favorite spring-flowering beauty such as Rhododendron- bent over and broken by a heavy snow load that has fallen from a pitched roof? If you’re a plant lover like me, this is heart breaking. And totally avoidable. Placing the right plant in the right place has everything to do with keeping your favorite woody plants from falling victim to snow-induced breakage.

Before you make a planting plan, conduct a little site analysis. Observe where snow loads from your roof land. As snow sits on a pitched roof it becomes heavier and heavier until it eventually slides off- covering any plant in it’s path. Sliding snow often doesn’t end up right under the eve, but rather as far from the house as 10-15′. So it’s important to: A. choose trees and shrubs that are resilient to breaking or B. place susceptible plants away from where snow slides off the roof . Most deciduous and needled evergreens trees or shrubs are resilient to heavy snow because they are flexible and shed snow easily. Broadleaf evergreens can be problematic. The large surface area of their leaves holds onto more snow and ice (and weight), making them more susceptible to breakage.

Another option would be to plant hardy, herbaceous perennials in snowy spots. These plants go dormant during the winter and foliage dies back to the ground naturally. During winter there remains no delicate branches or shoots to break- the roots lie underground sleeping, emerging only in spring when the ground warms.

Our Horticulturists at db Landscaping love a good planting challenge. Over the years we have come up with a pallette of shrubs that can handle a heavy load of snow sliding from a roof. We especially like the following not only beacuse they can handle the snow but also because they offer year-round beauty:

Clump birch, Kousa dogwood, Spruce, Pine, Fir, Hemlock, Cut-leaf Stephanandra, Red/Yellow twig Dogwood, Yew, Spiraea, Cotoneaster… And of course we are big fans of hardy perennials such as Lady’s Mantle, Daylilly, Astilbe, Columbine, Yarrow, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Bleeding Heart, Hosta, etc. etc…

This Lake Sunapee residence needed an outdoor living area, access to the front door from the driveway, and access down to the lake. An existing series of decks provided access to the water but needed to be replaced. A large ledgestone patio was constructed in fall ‘09. The patio includes a gas fireplace-  a gas line was run under the patio. A series of steps and a stone path lead to the reconstructed dock. The next phase of this project will include planting trees, shrubs, and perennials to compliment the new hardscape.

Perennial plantings this spring will add more color and texture to the landscape.

[View with PicLens]

Exposed aggregate concrete finish

Brush finished concrete

Why do we try to fake our way past real style?  Do we not have the patience to wait for character, or are we too blind to see that every material can be beautiful?

There is a strong human connection to old things and their history. The Japanese call it “wabi sabi,” the beauty that comes with age and imperfection. People are attracted to the character that comes with time, but are often unwilling to wait for it. We can use a patina or purposely scratch furniture in the hopes of speeding up the aging process and creating an “antique” look. But time and history are what really make antiques so valuable.  This fake aging tries to force personality, and anyone aware of their surroundings can see right through it.  Why not look for quality in materials now, and allow time to shape the future. There are so many other ways to bring out the true beauty of even the most modest materials.

In the landscape, we see a common and perfect example of faking it: pressed concrete. Trying to force concrete to look like brick or stone results in a product that looks cheap and feels fake. Why not embrace the qualities of the concrete itself, instead of wishing for something else. I once saw a cardboard sculpture that used the inner ripples as an alternate texture.  The point is that even something as cheap and common as cardboard can be great if its not trying to be something else. There will always be a more expensive stone or a flashier wood, but trying to recreate them from concrete cheapens not only the final project but also the original material.

Embrace the materials you can afford.  If all you have is plywood and plain concrete, show it off, and don’t try to hide it.  Time will bring character- the real kind that can’t be forced.

Working through the landscape design before building design is finalized benefits the client by saving time and money. When any home is built, and in particular homes near lakes, rivers, along the ocean and other water bodies, environmental permits (local zoning, planning and conservation commission approvals) and state permits (wetland permits and shoreland permits) must be obtained. The permitting process can involve many hours spent compiling the proper documents and drawings, and includes application and use fees.

Many of the permits required for building construction must also be obtained for landscape work. Permitting can be a very time consuming and costly process; going through it only once can really save time and money.

Before a home is built, engineers design grading plans for proper drainage around the house. While this is a valuable service, it is done for utility rather than beauty. We design the spaces around built structures to be both beautiful and functional- while drainage is important, so are the clients needs for the landscape. These spaces might be outdoor entertainment zones or contemplative gardens. We think you should have both beauty and function in your landscape- that’s why we like to work with the engineers at the beginning. Often clients want more or different landscaping than is initially built with the home-  so they call us to change and add to what has already been built- adding increased cost in demolition, redesign, permitting, and construction.

When we get in on the landscape design from the beginning we tend to find that the result is better- think of it as having a landscape and home that were designed around each other rather than creating a landscape plan out of what is leftover after building. We work with architects and engineers to help site the home in a way that creates the best possible areas for outdoor living, gardens, and access around the property.

After design and installation by dbLandscaping

Before dbLandscaping intervened- landscape installed by builder

Call us while your home is still in the process of being designed…it just makes sense!

What does this have to do with landscaping in New Hampshire? One phrase that always comes up in our designs is “plant with native and naturalized species.” Your front lawn is not a native species, and while its definitely large part of the American landscape identity, and at risk of alienating our allies in the landscape maintenance industry, I think our most attractive properties are ones that have no lawn at all. I would like to think that we tend to accelerate the process Poynter talks about in our designs. Yeah, we place plants with aesthetics in mind, but the spirit behind “throw away your rakes” is still there. The idea is that these beautiful native plants could have grown in your back yard if it was just left alone. I can’t endorse leaving a disturbed site bare and waiting for it to fill on its own for a multitude of reasons, primarily erosion and invasive plants species, but I can endorse the idea of having a native landscape that doesn’t need to be mowed or raked every week.

This is definitely an increasing trend, particularly in the Lake Sunapee Region. With the passing of the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act last year, the Department of Environmental Services is putting a lot of emphasis on preserving native, undisturbed woodlands around New Hampshire’s water bodies, and replanting areas of disturbance with native material. While the intention of this CSPA is largely to protect the quality of water in NH lakes and rivers, it does a fine job of promoting native, sustainable landscapes as well.