garden design

Design Your Own Utopia with PlaceMakers

December 5, 2013

landscape design Atlanta — Design by Dargan Landscape Architects

Over the years we’ve discovered that many homeowners are eager to not only have a gorgeous landscape, but also to learn how they can transform their property into their own piece of paradise. During her time as an instructor, Mary Palmer has taught students in both in design education and in landscape architecture and planning. Now you can learn her unique system that allows you to design your perfect and personalized home environment through PlaceMakers.

PLACE is an acronym created by Mary Palmer that stands for Potentials, Layers, Agenda, Create and Environmental Transformation. This unique system features five levels to meet your needs and help you make the best use of your land. The five levels are:

PlaceMakers Sprout2Grow – Offered twice per year, with two months of Wellspring Sprout Galleries
PlaceMakers Orchard – Enrollment is offered only during events and features two design studios and four months of Wellspring Orchard Galleries.
PlaceMakers Live Oak – Enrollment is offered only during events and features two design studios, Wellspring Orchard Galleries, nine months design certificate and other benefits such as European travel
PlaceMakers Grow Library – A 6-part comprehensive design library
PlaceMakers at Landscape Your Life™ LIVE! – Receive priority seating, preferred status, special rates and tickets for a friend

To get started, join at PlaceMaker’s Sprout2Grow level. In this level, you’ll study the PLACE system through a three-month home-study program featuring video downloads, audio and DVDs, as well as a supported forum with Wellspring Galleries where you can interact and share inspiration with like-minded homeowners. You’ll also receive autographed copies of Lifelong Landscape Design and Timeless Landscape Design and a call from a PlaceMakers staff member to guide you through the forum and address your questions.

If you are a homeowner or landscape designer looking to take your knowledge to the next level, the PlaceMakers Orchard is the place for you. You’ll receive everything included in the Sprout2Grow package, as well as design studios with personal assistance and phone calls from Mary Palmer to discuss your project. You’ll also receive six webinar lectures on DVD and slides for each webinar, Pinterest board where you can share your process plus much more.

Are you ready to design the utopia you’ve always dreamed of? Visit our website today to learn more about joining PlaceMakers today! There, you can register as a guest to learn more about the program, as well as receive access to useful worksheets designed to help you organize your property, a sample of the Wellspring Galleries, and a forum just for guests.

Looking to Improve Your Property? Consider These Tips for Immediate Results

November 29, 2013

Many homeowners come to us looking for ways to refresh their property or landscape. Perhaps it’s looking a little dull or they could be looking for a way to improve its appearance and value. Whatever the case may be, many are surprised to learn that there are steps to take that can offer immediate results.

Ready to take the plunge? If so, here are our five secrets that can help improve your property immediately.

1. Curb Appeal – The first step to improving your property is to make it more visually appealing. One of the quickest ways to do this is with a pop or two of color from a patch of annuals placed near your mailbox or the entry to your driveway. Also, consider adding a shapely seasonal tree for more dimension and texture, as well as containers of seasonal color near your front door.

improving your property and landscape — Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

2. Fix it Up – Chipped pots, overgrown shrubs or uneven walkways are signs that your property could use a bit of maintenance. Oftentimes, these signs aren’t so obvious to you because you’ve grown accustom to seeing them, but visitors will notice. Routine maintenance, and perhaps a few detailed tune-ups throughout the year to trim plants and replace broken or uneven fixtures can offer a dramatic change in appearance.

3. A House Presented – If your home doesn’t appear to be balanced from the outside, others will not be as impressed with it as they should. I usually photograph a client’s home and then draw in plants and other features on the photo to gain a sense of scale and arrangement to see where improvements can be made to enhance its balance, and I encourage you to do the same. You may notice a new coat of paint or window boxes are all that’s missing!

improving your property — Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

4. Parking Perfected – Adequate parking is essential for any home, but in so many cases, there’s only enough room for the homeowners to park their cars, and visitors must park in the street or in the yard. This blocks the view of the home, and in turn, creates a visually displeasing scene. Parking must be functional, yet beautifully placed. I suggest only paving when you must, and using greenery to distinguish where cars can’t go.

improving your property with additional parking — Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

5. Places to Socialize – I love to dine and entertain outdoors. All of my homes have a space designated just for this, such as a deck, terrace or even a simple patch of grass with the right furnishings. Truth be told, though, all you need is a flat space that’s relatively close to your kitchen with enough room to comfortably fit a grill, a table and chairs – usually 12’ x 20’ is sufficient.

landscape improvement — Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

The information above just scratches the surface of what you can do to improve your property. For more information, register your name and email address in the box at the top right hand corner of the page to receive a more in-depth look at Dargan Landscape Architects’ secrets to immediately improve your outdoor space.

Consider the Benefits of Hardscapes for Your Garden

November 26, 2013

There are many elements necessary for a gorgeous and functional landscape. Yes, features such as colorful plants, trees, benches, chairs and perhaps a fountain are a few of the necessities. But one area that’s often overlooked until winter sets in is the potential of hardscapes.

Hardscapes are just as important as the living portions of your landscape, especially for functionality. In some instances, hardscape surfaces, such as rock walls, create the backbone of your garden. Most often, hardscapes help define outdoor rooms of a home, creating a seamless transition into nature where homeowners can cook and host guests. These features also allow you to enjoy recreational activities or to just sit and take in the beauty of your surroundings. Still, in other cases, hardscaping can be used simply to enhance visual interest through texture, or to create symmetry or proportion within the parameters of the area.

Additional benefits of hardscaping that are often overlooked include:

Decreases erosion on properties with slopes and/or uneven soil
Increases property value
Requires less maintenance
Makes your landscape and garden areas more accessible to all guests
Reduces the amount of water needed to maintain your landscape

Below are a few examples of functional and beautiful hardscapes. Take a look and get inspired for your next hardscaping project!

Atlanta landscape architects — Project by Dargan Landscape Architects

In this project, we used a variety of stones to create a focal point that captures the eye through texture. The arched openings create the right amount of mystery to draw the viewer closer to the structure.

Cashiers landscape architect — Source: The Garden Consultants, Inc. via Houzz

The brick walls in this hardscape create a nice frame for the courtyard, as well as the woodland views beyond the fence.

designing a hardscape — Source: Pennsylvania Landscape & Nursery Association via Houzz

We love the contrasting colors used in the bricks of this outdoor fireplace and patio design. What a cozy spot to enjoy a cool evening!

dargan landscape architects — Source: Harmony Design Group via Houzz

This hardscape design creates visual interest with terraces for plantings, while also controlling erosion.

hardscape design ideas — Source: Designing Nature Inc. via Houzz

In this design, a brick pathway adds a traditional element to a more contemporary garden. Notice how the layout of the bricks pulls your eye toward the center arrangement.

Are you considering an update to your current hardscape, or are you looking to incorporate a hardscape into your garden? Contact Dargan Landscape Architects today. We would love to discuss how we can help you achieve the perfect look for your garden, complete with a hardscape that balances the rest of your area. Give us a call at 404-231-3889 to schedule an appointment. We can work with you virtually or in person.

Secret Gardens: Creating Your Private Oasis

November 19, 2013

Have you ever wanted to escape to a place where nothing and no one can disturb you? A secret garden may be just what you need. Not only will it give you the opportunity to retreat to a private space outside of your home, but it will allow you to surround yourself in the beauty and tranquility of nature.

Total immersion in a hidden garden can help you forget your worries and reconnect with nature to rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Call it the ultimate therapy session.

No matter what your style and how you plan to use your secret garden – whether for reading, meditating or private contemplating – it will need to be designed in a way that makes it partially hidden from the rest of your property. This can be done by creating a garden within a garden using tall shrubs and trees.

secret garden design ideas — Source: Philip Nimmo Design via Houzz

When selecting the spot for your hidden garden, choose somewhere somewhat tucked away and quiet. A neglected side yard, for example, can provide the perfect enclosed area for serene secret garden. However, for some homeowners, the entire landscape can become their own private retreat where only a select few are invited to visit.

We love Karen Chapman‘s idea of adding to the experience of entering the secret garden by building a little suspense and mystery with a winding path that twists and turns until it suddenly opens up to a small clearing. Envision a meandering stone path, for instance, that leads to a charming gate or arbor entryway where you are then greeted by gorgeous colors and textures and a charming flagstone patio with a lush live carpet.

Atlanta landscape design — Source: Bloom Landscape Design and Fine Gardening Service via Houzz

Amidst vibrant plantings and cascading containers, your secret garden can feature an elegant fountain, a stately statue or other piece of art as the focal point and centerpiece. A bench, a pair of lounge chairs or a bistro set with a small table and chairs can be used for creating a sitting area within your secret garden.

Cashiers Landscape Architects — Source: Exteriorscapes llc via Houzz

Are you enchanted by the idea of having your own secret garden? Dargan Landscape Architects in Atlanta can help you achieve the secret garden you thought only existed in movies and dreams. Contact us at 404.231.3889 to set up your design consultation. We can work with you virtually or in person and look forward to helping you create a space where you can Let Nature Speak!

For more information on creating a timeless landscape design or a secret garden, check out Mary Palmer’s book, Timeless Landscape Design.

Landscape Design Inspiration – Hidcote Manor & Garden

November 12, 2013

We encourage homeowners to look at different gardens around the world to draw inspiration for their own landscapes. There are so many gorgeous spaces that offer unique selections of plants, flowers and textures that appeal to the senses. One that we are very fond of is Hidcote Manor & Garden, a National Trust Garden located in Cotswolds, not too far from Stratford-upon-Avon in England.

Hidcote is a product of the very talented American horticulturist Major Lawrence Johnston. He created this masterpiece throughout the first half of the twentieth century around his Tudor-style home. From 1907 to 1914, Johnston concentrated on developing the gardens closest to his home. His most significant works during that period include the Maple, Fuchsia and White Gardens, along with the Bathing Pool. These spaces were designed formally by intention.

Pool, Hidcote Manor gardens by G E Jeal — Source: © Copyright G E Jeal and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Over the next six years, Johnston began creating garden rooms, featuring designs heavily influenced by classic French and Italian styles. He also designed a space called “Mrs. Winthrop’s Garden,” featuring a Mediterranean theme. During this time, Johnston also created the plans for numerous pavilions and the Stilt Garden, which form part of a corridor along the west end of the house.

Mrs Winthrop's Garden by David Stowell — Source: © Copyright David Stowell and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

In the decades that followed, Johnston continued to expand the gardens, adding the Long Walk and the Pillar Garden, before finally presenting the National Trust with Hidcote in 1948. Now, visitors come to Hidcote by the thousands each year to marvel in Johnston’s works, which are “always full of surprises.”

Hidcote Manor garden by Jerry Evans — Source: © Copyright Jerry Evans and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

What inspires us most from Hidcote is its utilization of permanent color all year long, as well as how this garden is set up to create vistas and inward views beyond the enclosed garden rooms. As stated in our book, Timeless Landscape Design, Hidcote’s “level of horticulture is unsurpassed, with borders in theme colors, hidden rooms, the use of form, repetition, and focalization.” In just a few words, Hidcote is simply breathtaking.

Are the elements of Hidcote or another garden inspiring your thoughts for your own garden oasis? Contact Dargan Landscape Architects, and let us know what you’d like to see in your landscape. Either in person or virtually, we can take what you find inspiring and create a master plan or a tune-up for your own personal retreat.

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