Cashiers landscape architects

Inspired Spring Gardening with Raised Beds

March 25, 2015

The benefits of raised garden beds abound, and there’s no better way to ensure a bountiful garden than with sturdy and reliable raised beds. Gardening in boxes or contained areas makes it easier to maintain better soil and prevent weeds and pests. With more control over nutrient levels, soil temperature, and seed distribution, raised beds allow you to enjoy higher yields and longer growing seasons.

Raised beds not only make for beautiful and healthy gardens, but they can also add incredible aesthetic value to landscapes. As we enter the tail-end of the winter season, we’re dreaming of lush and gorgeous spring gardens with inspiring raised beds that are design elements in themselves.

The classic raised bed is constructed with a wooden box. These are the traditional structures most people picture when hearing raised beds. Wooden raised beds can easily be designed with ledges on top to provide convenient seating for nurturing and enjoying gardens.
Great for garden designs that are outside of the box, stone walls can be used to make creative and more organic-shaped raised beds. The cool tones and natural textures of stone masonry additionally create naturally stunning contrasts in the garden.
Metal raised beds can be fabricated from troughs, stock tanks, culverts, slabs of steel or Cor-Ten. What’s so intriguing about metal raised beds is the industrial, modern, or rustic feel they can bring into garden designs. These types of beds not only create up-to-date designs but are long-lasting and weather-resistant.
Other materials that can be used for raised gardens include rock, cinderblock, and brick. But no matter what materials are employed, there are still plenty of opportunities to create a custom garden design with the shapes, positioning, and configuration of raised beds.
Beds can be configured into a grid pattern or organized to outline and surround a yard or patio. They can be terraced on a slope or laid into narrow rows like a small farm. Galvanized culvert beds or metal troughs can be arranged in a way that makes for a whimsical, shabby-chic garden or a chic, contemporary design.

Raised beds can be used to achieve any style garden, from formal designs to clean and contemporary landscapes to more casual, cottage-inspired looks. They can also be practical and functional. Picture being able to cook in an outdoor kitchen with herb gardens in nearby raised beds, or imagine being able to smell herbs as you dine and entertain al fresco.

Our team at Dargan Landscape Architects has the expertise and passion to design the garden of your dreams. Whether you’ve always wanted an edible garden or your entire landscape could use an update, our team would love to help. Contact us online or call 404.231.3889.

How Do I Incorporate Walls & Design Features Around My Yard?

February 27, 2015

Masonry walls and backdrops give three-dimensionality to landscapes. Built structures compliment anything with footing. These include fences, gates, retaining walls, steps, arbors, treillage, pavilions and pergolas. They can showcase your style while highlighting the best aspects of the landscape and the home’s architecture.

A treillage is a staple of the French-inspired garden. It’s any type of trellis that can stand alone or be attached to a wall or side of the home to add architectural interest and detail as well as greenery. Creeping vines covering a trellis always creates a romantic and picturesque look and feel.

Fences can be custom designed to add character, charm and personality to landscapes. A tall fence that encloses a garden can become a fabulous backdrop to a sitting area with an ironwork canopy. A front gate can feature elegant balusters, arches and keystones or even arbors to make a stunning impact and memorable first impression.

Pavilions provide a distinct area for relaxing and entertaining in a gorgeous outdoor setting. We’ve custom-designed several site-specific pavilions that make for an incredible and one-of-a-kind outdoor room. The types of plantings used on and around the pavilion can solidify the style of the landscape, whether traditional, contemporary or modern.

Balustrades can create a Mediterranean, resort-style look and feel while adding a beautiful patina to the landscape design. Traditional balustrades constructed with cast stone form negative and positive spaces that add wonderful shape.

If you are looking for a larger built structure, you can have a tall wall custom designed with built-in niches, planters, arches, columns, ironwork and even a fountain. The bricks or stones can be arranged, painted or aged to create the exact look that blends and enhances the landscape. One of our favorite, and most complicated, projects was a tall statuary wall complete with natural grotto design. Rocks were used throughout the design to integrate it into the natural surroundings while niches provide places for plantings that add color and interest.

If you are looking to add beautiful backdrops to your landscape, contact Dargan Landscape Architects in Atlanta to learn more about our landscape services.

What is the Best Way to Incorporate Water Into My Landscape?

February 25, 2015

There’s a reason why water features have been included in gardens and dwellings for centuries. In early Pompeian, Greek and Roman times, water features were considered a necessity for pleasurable living. We know this not only because of actual remains but because of depictions on frescoed walls. Today, the most popular ways to incorporate water into your landscape are with a fountain, stream or waterfall feature.

Archaeology findings have revealed the lavish designs of ornamental fountains in early Pompeian gardens and European estates. These magnificent fountains served as both a glamorous status symbol as well as a therapeutic tool for healthier, happier lives. Today, the design possibilities with fountains are endless, and they can be customized to suit your personal aesthetic and lifestyle.

If you are going with a stand-alone fountain design, the considerations you would need to make would be related to height and position within your landscape. It can include a low retaining wall that provides seating or it can be flush with grade. When choosing materials, you can take cues from your home’s style and architecture. If you are looking for your fountain to be bursting with greenery, just remember that there should be 70 percent water surface coverage above or below. Use plants with a diversity of heights to create a beautiful frame for the fountain.

If you are looking for more of an auditory experience with your water feature, consider a waterfall that cascades into a stream and collects in a serene pond. You’ll want to work with a professional who understands how to design a waterfall that will produce the most pleasing sounds. With a series of falls, consider installing separate pumps for each waterfall for easier management and repair. One piece of equipment we recommend for your waterfall is a sump pump because it is so reliable and durable as well as incredibly versatile and rather inexpensive. These can be used to create a good, strong flow for your waterfall as well as a babbling brook in a stream.

An existing slope can be the perfect place for a waterfall. Make sure you are working with a designer who is thoughtful about making it look natural rather than man-made. Surround the waterfall with wetland plants like mosses, and add beautiful blooming plants like water lilies to ponds. You can also look into native varieties of plants such as milkweed, which will provide beautiful coloration with cascading flowers during the growing seasons.

We invite you to watch our video on water features which includes a wonderful talk from a waterfall design expert. Contact Dargan Landscape Architects to see how we can help you design and install your own custom fountain or waterfall.

What are the Best Gardening & Landscape Ideas for Empty-Nesters?

February 23, 2015

A new chapter deserves a new space that will enhance your quality of life. If you and your significant other are looking to create an outdoor room, consider a custom design that will provide more than just a treat for the eyes.

Freedom and Mobility: Whether you are downsizing or you are just looking to optimize your home and property, the right design can result in a multi-purpose outdoor space that is cleverly leveraged to take advantage of every square foot and feature.

Nature: Consider a design that will encourage you to spend more time with nature on a daily basis. Include a table and chair for dining al fresco or a comfortable sitting area for reading the newspaper while you drink your morning coffee or tea. Bring your landscape to life and create ways to interact with nature by incorporating a bird feeder and plants that attract butterflies.

Therapeutic: You’ll enjoy incredible benefits with a landscape design that allows you to slow down, quiet your mind and find peace and tranquility. Tending to a garden, touching plants or simply just being outside can promote a healthier lifestyle as it reduces stress and reignites the senses.

Social: Designing an outdoor room that lends itself to social gatherings can also significantly enhance your quality of life. In addition to dining areas, consider other ways to encourage social engagement such as outdoor games or a fire pit or fireplace with plenty of extra seating.

Active Use: Get yourself moving outdoors with a personalized design. Whether you like to practice meditation or tai chi, or you would rather go for an invigorating swim in a lap pool, consider a home spa unit or fitness space to provide a way to enjoy a different level of activity or exercise at home.

Passive Use: You don’t have to work up a sweat. Simply creating an outdoor space for enjoying downtime and quiet “me time” for reflecting and clearing the mind can do wonders for your health and happiness.

Contact Dargan Landscape Architects to learn how we can help you achieve a custom multi-purpose landscape design.

How Can I Design a Seamless Landscape? The Four Part Master Plan

February 18, 2015

A seamless landscape design ensures beautiful and comfortable experiences for your household members and any visitors to your property. This type of design is not only aesthetically pleasing but is intuitive for easy and safe navigation.

Approach & Arrival Sequence: Usually at the front of your property, it’s the welcome mat you put out for your friends and family. A thoughtful approach and arrival sequence seamlessly shows visitors how they can enter your property and where they can park cars. It also leads them gracefully to the landing of your front door where they can be greeted. And finally, it may also include starting points for garden experiences or pathways to outdoor rooms. This is where sustainable building materials can be employed such as gravel and other permeable pavers.

Hub: The middle portion of your property, known as the hub, is – of course – the house. It’s the epicenter around which all parts of your property revolve. The style of the house often inspires and dictates the aesthetics and layout of the landscape. Taking cues from the home’s colors, textures and architectural details is essential when designing a seamless landscape design.

Perimeter: This part of your property is situated outside, behind or on the sides of the house. It can be designed to be a multi-purpose environment for relaxing in and entertaining. It can include a sun pocket, an outdoor kitchen, an outdoor dining area or an expansive lawn. An outdoor social environment should be safe and accessible for both people and pets.

Passages & Destinations: These are the pathways and gardens of the property. The passages are the steps and walkways that allow us to get to and from different garden areas. The destinations can be a koi pond, a fountain, a bench beneath a willow tree or a series of garden statues.

Whether you are looking to add onto your landscape, make it more sustainable or give it a whole new look and feel with a complete renovation, our experienced and passionate team here at Dargan Landscape Architects would love to help. Contact us to learn about our landscaping services.

Cashiers landscape architects

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