Dargan Landscape Architects

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Landscape Design Tips

Mountain Chic on High Pinnacle!

High Pinnacle in Cashiers, NC offers blasting winds and a glorious view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Dru and Enis James seized the golden ring with this mountain top eyrie. But where to put future  family events…aka: a swing set of grandchildren? John Warren install these terraces and the next round was to plant materials that would thrice…Call in the Sedum collations. The James’ new pathway is carpeted with 7 varieties hardy to zone 5, thanks to the fine folks at Saul’s Nursery. Ron Fowler of Grady Mountain, who installed these goodies, is shown in the sunglasses, his workers follow and Enis James carries 2 flats.

 

The Bench Niche

Recipe for success!

This may sound simple, but often an view has to be created or space made in order to take advantage of focalization. I like a 4′ bench in most courtyard gardens since it is a diminutive size that can make an impact easily. Two people can just fit!  The garden pictured is one I designed in Charleston, SC on Murray Boulevard. The 4′ bench is used as a focal point with carefully scaled plantings, including boxwoods to anchor the setting.

 

Charleston’s Magnificent 55 Church Street : The Ultimate Trip Down Memory Lane

Like a rock star who sings the same tune never tiring of the song, I feel the same about this garden at 55 Church Street, The Benjamin Phillips House, c1818  in Charleston, SC. Hugh and I were invited to aid in its transformation in the mid- eighties and today it stands as a proud example of a garden whose vision has been realized. Actually, it has looked great for 15 years! The owner sees to each detail and experiments with heat tolerant roses: such as climbing pink Cecile Brunner, whiite climbing Somruiel, and shrub rose LaMarne. Large flowered Clematis peep out to adorn a green wall and heavy white clusters of confederate jasmine hang around spectacularly for about 2 weeks.

It is a masterpiece, especially considering it was installed where a wasteland of concrete and chain link formerly resided.

Home Movies : Jim Cothran, FASLA Memorial Video Link

Time passes by all too swifly. I promised many of you the link to the memorial video played on February 17, 2012 at the UGA gathering in honor of our friend, the late Jim Cothran, FASLA.

Susan Hitchcock and I photographed and keynoted images of the many trophies, family photos and manuscripts that Lynn Cothran shared with us. A voice-over of the eulogies fromt the funeral is included on this video link.This a “Home Movie” and I think, very sweet. It also features colleagues at the Cherokee Garden Library memorial gathering and includes images sent from many friends.

In memoriam Jim Cothran, FASLA (click here)

We share a kinship as a loosely formed group of garden historians, garden club members and landscape architects who knew Jim. In the past short month since his passing, scarcely a day goes by that I don’t think of him. In so many ways, Jim Cothran was the face of garden history in Georgia and South Carolina, and in the South in general. He had such gentle, all abiding interest in our cultural landscape ways.

Lynn has his slide collection and asked me what to do with them. She even has my old slide projector given to Jim when his antique projector bit the dust! It inspired me to send you each gift, a link to 4800 inspirational images of gardens from my archives. The garden history ones are particularly popular (012 series). Please share these galleries with your friends http://learn.dargan.com/

I wish Jim’s slides could be scanned for posterity and shared similarly. Any ideas?

I do not have a complete list of who came, or couldn’t or wanted to be there and just found out, so please share http://vimeo.com/36870419 in honor of Jim.

Dargan’s 4 Essential Landscape Tips for 2010

Landscaping Tip #1: THE BEST INVESTMENT FOR INCREASING HOME SALES: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

  • Investing in home’s landscape can increase its property value by as much as 20 percent – if it is done well.
  • By spending 5 percent of the total value of their home on the landscape, homeowners can add 15 percent or more to the value of their home.
  • According to a joint study by Clemson University and the University of Maryland, potential home buyers will pay up to 11.3 percent above the asking price for homes with thoughtfully-designed landscapes.
  • Homes with nice landscapes are likely to see sale prices that are 4 percent to 5 percent higher compared to similar properties in the neighborhood, according to the Guide for Plant Appraisal, published by the International Society of Arboriculture. Conversely, homes with less attractive landscapes than others in the neighborhood see sales prices that are 8 percent to 10 percent lower.
  • Eighty-four percent of the real estate agents interviewed for the study said a house with trees is 20 percent more salable than a house without trees.

Landscaping Tip #2: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND RESIDENTIAL DESIGN

  • Credentials are important. Landscape architects are licensed to practice in 47 states and must pass a rigorous exam. ASLA members have met their membership requirements and keep up with the latest technology and trends through ASLA publications and continuing education programs.
  • In 2004, residential design constituted 40 percent of the landscape architecture market – the largest market sector for the profession and growing.
  • More than 70 percent of landscape architecture firms offer residential design services.
  • Private developers continue to be the largest client group for the landscape architecture profession. For small firms (four employees or fewer), private homeowners make up the largest clientele.

Landscaping Tip #3: ADDING LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE VALUE TO YOUR PROJECT
Start with a landscape architect to help you plan the site to get the most value for the property. A landscape architect can best plan the streets, parking, sidewalks, trails, common/public areas, orientation of the houses, access to the street, and storm water runoff. Think about what your homeowners will want and how they will use the landscape. Landscape architects can design formal entertainment areas, children’s playgrounds, fences, water features, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, decks, patios, and many other outdoor elements – not to mention the planting plan! Make a realistic budget. The rule of thumb is to invest 5 to 10 percent of the fair market value of the house. If this seems steep, consider that estimated return on appropriate landscape improvements is 100 to 200 % of their cost when a house is sold.

Landscaping Tip #4: THE GREEN GARDEN: AGING IN PLACE
Your current property may be your home for the rest of your life, especially if you are part of the baby boom generation. Statistics project that once people reach 65 years of age, 95% will stay in their current homes for the rest of their lives. Planning ahead to have the highest quality of life at home is the fastest growing landscape trend in the world. “Aging in Place” is the buzz word for this trend.

Your property is part of the web of life. Help conserve this planet by thoughtful design of your home grounds.

Aging in Place considerations include:

  • Accessibility by foot, vehicle or motorized chair
  • Sustainability design to include composting, non-toxic maintenance, harvesting water
  • Energy design to take advantage of solar and geothermal, plus routine watching of watts
  • Wildlife encouragement in landscape design to include places for butterflies, mammals, reptile, insects and birds to nest and rest, breed and feed, i.e.“ the buffer zone”
  • A kitchen garden to provide home-grown, nutritious plants of fruit , herb, vegetables & flowers
  • Landscape design to include places for active and passive recreation: places to sit, rest, to play, places to meditate or do Pilates and yoga and places for family gatherings and socializing is critically important to human health as we age.

Dargan Landscape Architects, est 1973, with current client projects in 14 states has offices in Atlanta, GA and Cashiers, NC.

Timeless Landscape Design: The Four Part Master Plan by Dargan & Dargan is in its fifth printing (Gibbs-Smith, 2007) and is already considered an industry standard for creating places of great beauty and worth.

Published in over 300 periodicals and 40 books, Dargan landscapes appear regularly on HGTV Ground Breakers.

To learn more about The American Society of Landscape Architects: contact www.ASLA.org .