Dargan Landscape Architects

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Charleston landscape architects

Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan to Speak at the Spring Garden Festival in Murrells Inlet on March 22

Atlanta-Charleston landscape architect
Mary Palmer Dargan, ASLA, APLD

Spring is going to be a busy season of speaking events for Dargan Landscape Architects’ Hugh and Mary Palmer Dargan! This Saturday, March 22, they will kick things off at the Spring Garden Festival at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

If you’re looking for expert gardening advice, this is the place to find it! Hugh and Mary Palmer will give a lecture in Brookgreen Gardens’ Lowcountry Center, Learning Lab 1, beginning at 11:15 am. During their lecture titled “Lifelong Landscape Design: Gardens for Health and Longevity,” Hugh and Mary Palmer will discuss how to design a lifelong landscape that will allow you to produce food, enjoy healthy activity and reduce stress! A book signing will also be included in the event, so bring your copies of Timeless Landscape Design and Lifelong Landscape Design with you.

South Carolina landscape architect
Hugh Dargan, RLA, ASLA

Other highlights of the Spring Garden Festival include:

  • Lectures on topics ranging from photographing spring flowers and increasing efficiency and decreasing garden maintenance to best garden practices for all Southeastern gardens, etc.
  • A photography workshop in the Gardens.
  • Demonstrations on beekeeping; techniques for installing, cleaning and maintaining water features in your garden; easy, natural ways to decrease the use of harmful chemicals in our environment; a pruning workshop and more.
  • A silent auction featuring unique container designs from Brookgreen’s horticultural staff.

We hope you’ll make plans to join Hugh and Mary Palmer for the exciting Spring Garden Festival at Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet this Saturday. The festival is free with garden admission. Visit the Spring Garden Festival site for more information and a schedule of events, and keep an eye on Coastal Observer for an upcoming interview. We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

gardening festival in Murrells Inlet/Pawley's Island SC
The Spring Garden Festival at Brookgreen Gardens is a “must” for anyone in need of expert gardening and landscape design advice.
Source: Facebook.com/BrookgreenGardens

If you can’t make it out this weekend, below is a list of our upcoming events. Mark your calendars now – we’ll share more information on these events in the near future!

  • Memphis to Milano Flower Show, Dixon Gardens, Memphis, TN; April 4-6
  • Nashville, TN Book signing; April 5 and 7 – Location TBA
  • Little Garden Club of Birmingham, AL, Ribbons of Green Zone VIII Meeting and Flower Show (Private Club Function); April 7-9
  • Book signing at the Historic Charleston Foundation, Charleston, SC; April 11 – Time TBA
  • Charleston Garden Club Tours of Homes & Gardens – Hugh and Mary Palmer will hold book signings and several of their gardens will be featured on the tour; April 11 and 12
  • Southeastern Flower Show “Showing & Growing” in Atlanta, GA, April 25-27 – Hugh and Mary Palmer will have a display, sign books and hold a drawing.

Plus more events to come through May, June and July! We’ve also got events on the calendar for fall. Stay tuned for more information!

Using Your Home as a Powerful Hub

The hub is not only an important part of your landscape’s master plan, but it’s  also instrumental in creating a visual connection between your home and your surrounding property. As mentioned in the previous post, the hub is where activity originates on your land. This focal point is typically the home in most cases.

Dargan Landscape Architects
Dargan Landscape Architects

With the home as the hub, you’ll want to be intentional about the design of your landscape on and around it. The first way to establish the home as the hub is to invest in the design of your approach and arrival sequence, which is where guests get the first glimpse of your home. Next, you’ll want to focus on hub identity and architectural composure, vistas and captured views.

Making a home appear, well, at home in the landscape can be difficult given challenges that are often present with the topography, as well as environmental issues. However, landscaping solutions can make the most of these problems by creating balance and restoring order. Adding retaining walls to level out a sloped site, for example, is just one of the many tactics that can be used to create a more balanced look.

Here are some additional considerations for understanding the anatomy of the hub:

  • When it comes to hub identity, is the hub approached from the side or straight on? While straight-on is a more formal layout, it can present challenges on an uneven site.
  • Is the ground level across the front of the building or does it slope to the side? Sloping land requires retaining walls to make a flat area at the base of the house so that plantings don’t angle downhill.
  • Does high or low ground around the house cause drainage problems? Solutions for drainage problems are not always attractive, so if you have them, you may want to consult a landscape designer for a more aesthetically pleasing fix.

An example of using your home as a powerful hub can be seen in this house, designed by Norman Askins of Atlanta. It sits firmly on flat land and is enhanced by the simple curve of the drive and cherry trees. Foundation plantings are minimized to emphasize the sweep of house and lawn.

Atlanta landscape architect
Home Designed by Norman Askins of Atlanta
Photo via Timeless Landscape Design

Check out our previous post on the Dargan Landscape Architects’ four-part master plan for designing timeless landscapes to learn more about establishing a timeless landscape. You can also order a copy of Mary Palmer’s book “Timeless Landscape Design” to read more  in-depth information about using your home as a powerful hub in your landscape.

Genius Loci: Spirit of Place

Part of what makes landscapes unique is the “genius loci”, a Latin phrase we use in landscape design meaning “spirit of place.” Identifying or describing the genius loci of your property is essential to creating a timeless landscape that best suits you.

The concept of genius loci dates back to 18th century England, when it was first described by poet, classical scholar and gardener Alexander Pope. In a place and time when it was most fashionable to recreate French and Italian gardens, Pope advocated for a landscape style that considered the inherent qualities of a place first and foremost. In other words, let nature be your guide.

The easiest way to understand genius loci is to tap into your senses. Touch, taste, smell, sight and sound all contribute to spirit of place. Considering these aspects should help with more concrete parts of the decision-making process involved in any landscaping project such as Dargan Landscape Architect’s Four-Part Master Plan.

To identify your genius loci, observe your land and the surrounding area and what is naturally occurring there. Here are some things to consider:

  • What is the local topography?
  • What kinds of plants are already growing and doing well?
  • What are the prominent natural features–a creek, pasture, etc.?
  • What are some of the naturally occurring raw materials and color palettes?
  • What kinds of rock, stone and earth abound?
  • What kind of wildlife inhabit the area?
  • Are there any subtle sounds or smells?
  • How does the sunlight hit your property throughout the day?
  • What is your home’s architectural scale and style?
  • What building materials are used on the house?
  • What are the house colors, forms and textures?
  • What is the neighborhood like, and are there any vernacular building styles?
  • Does the neighborhood have lots of trees, hills, or other features?
  • Are the houses modern or traditional?
  • Are there straight or winding streets?

spirit of place in landscape design

For more information about the concept of genius loci, order a copy of Mary Palmer’s book “Timeless Landscape Design.”

Contact Dargan Landscape Architects for help identifying your genius loci and incorporating it into your landscape master plan.

The Dargan Landscape Design Process – Part 2

Recently, we began a discussion on the landscape design process that we follow here at Dargan Landscape Architects. Our landscape design process consists of 12 steps that are intended to help homeowners achieve a beautiful landscape through meticulous planning. Our previous discussion covered the first six steps in the process, which include making a survey; developing a base plan; taking an inventory of the site; analyzing the site; developing a program wish list; and creating a functional diagram. Let’s continue the discussion today with a look at the final six steps of our landscape design process.

7. Develop a concept diagram. The concept diagram plays off of the functional diagram, putting more details and ideas into the vision for your landscape design.

8. Sketch alternative plans. You may discover through creating your diagrams that some ideas you had hoped for your new landscape won’t be ideal based on site conditions, space and other factors. A sketch of alternative plans gives you a “plan B” to fall back on.

9. Verify field conditions. Verifying your field conditions is a way to test your landscape design on the site before your plan and drawings are finalized. This can be done by taking measurements of the space you’re working in and marking it accordingly. By verifying the field conditions you’ll avoid costly construction mistakes.

10. Create a master landscape plan. The master plan shows the locations of the project and boundaries of the area to be designed. It also includes features to be built like walkways, buildings and other structures, as well as flower beds, focal points and more. Your master plan should include the approach and arrival sequence, hub, perimeter and passages to destinations.

master plan

11. Make implementation drawings. Making implementation drawings is one of the final parts of the landscape design process. These final drawings will guide the contractors and designers that will build and install your new landscape. 

12. Get it built! Now it’s time to get started on your property’s new look. Once you’ve signed an agreement with your contractor and set the date, construction can begin.

For more information on our landscape design process, purchase a copy of Mary Palmer Dargan’s book, Timeless Landscape Design. If you would like to discuss a master plan or a tune-up for your property, contact Dargan Landscape Architects for more information.

Register Now for the February Sprout-to-Grow Landscape Design Workshop

Spring is just around the corner, and what better way to get ready for spring gardening than by brushing up on your landscape design knowledge? Dargan Landscape Architects is offering a virtual landscape design workshop starting in mid-February 2014 that you don’t want to miss.

sprouttogrow_150

The Sprout-to-Grow virtual workshop kicks off with a one-day intensive lead by landscaping expert Mary Palmer Dargan, owner of Dargan Landscape Architects. Mary Palmer will help you rediscover your home PLACE (Potentials Layers Agenda Create Enjoy) and take the first step toward a revitalized landscape and lifestyle. Get one-on-one landscape design advice and ask all your questions to help plan your dream outdoor oasis.

Students of the virtual course will use Pinterest to create an online inspiration board for their landscape and home. When your inspiration board is complete, you’ll be able to share it with your family and friends and add to it in the future. It also makes a great resource to share with your contractor when you’re ready to begin work on your landscape. You will also leave the course with our Sprout-to-Grow Virtual Blueprint System to kick start your plans.

Dargan Landscape Architects
Dargan Landscape Architects

The Sprout-to-Grow landscape design workshop is the first level in the PlaceMakers program, a unique branded system created by Mary Palmer that allows you to get the best use of your property using the PLACE method mentioned above. It is based on Mary Palmer’s 30 years of designing hundreds of landscapes for private clients.

Other levels in the program offer more knowledge and experience to meet your growing needs as a designer. The program is a three-month home-study course that includes downloadable videos, audio, DVDs, access to an interactive forum and an inspirational photo gallery.

The February 2014 Sprout-to-Grow landscape design workshop is almost here. Visit our website for more information on the course, pricing and to register for the course!