Going Green

We are seven weeks into our complete landscape installation on Clear Lake, the hard scape is 95% complete we have started planting. Trish the homeowner told me now she feels like she has a home, the plant material finishes the house. I have to admit it is looking sweet. The backbone of our English cottage style garden, the anchor plants are emerald green arborvitae, boxwood and hydrangeas. Two three stem river birch help meet the requirements for lakeside tree planting and one will provide a wind break for the side garden between the fence and the house.





The current fence runs the length of the property, over 300 feet. While it is functional in providing privacy and security from the public beach and park next door its aesthetic value and poor condition make it a target for replacement. Clear Lake has recently adopted a long new set of rules governing development. Two of the rules regarding fences are; no fences on the lakeside past the house and no fences over 6' tall. The unique location of this property and the fact that the existing fence has virtually always been on this piece of land, (in one form or another) at it's current height makes us hopeful that we will be allowed a variance to replace the fence. The variance we seek is to replace the fence with a beautiful custom designed cedar fence painted white. The panel and post construction will be eight foot tall along the house and six foot tall down the remainder of the property. Our variance meeting is in a week so we will refrain from planting between the fence and the stepping stones.



The stepping stones that provide a pathway through the side garden are set to allow a variety of ground covers to be planted in between. The stones are a thinner smaller version of the stone used to create the steps. Their size and scale create an illusion making the space seem larger. The hydrangea and viburnum standards (tree forms) will give height and bloom allowing smaller plant material to be layered beneath. Green velvet boxwood are the first layer and perennials will be the next. The clethra hide most of the mechanical elements and will stop visitors with their great fragrance in mid summer.




We beefed up the boulder outcropping and made it more wall like which allowed me to gain additional height with our arborvitae planting. The addition of 10' Canadian hemlock on the end of boulders and near the grill will complete the larger plantings. Three more arborvitae will also be used to screen the grill area.

This long lot has a gentle roll from the road to the house. Channeling the rain water from the house foundation was a challenge. To contain the water we installed a eight inch drain tile which is connected to the large concrete storm drain being carried by the mini excavator. We are pitching as much of the yard as possible to the drain and have all the downspouts tiled as well. The tile pokes through the seawall and has been painted black to help conceal it.


The photograph of the road side entrance shows the septic alarm box before I had it moved to the fence. As is the case with this alarm, they are often placed in locations that are less than ideal, disguising the septic grinder lid is always a challenge. No one wants to see it but there are very specific rules as to what you can place near the tank lid.



Next week irrigation will go in and we will install the final hardscape, the first 15' of paver walk. If all goes well the job should be complete in about seven working days. Sod is the final step.