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Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Featured Project: Poconos Summer Cabin
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| Entry landscape, with raingarden bottom right. |
In early 2010 we began working with a client at their lake front property in the Poconos. The existing landscape design tied the home into the surrounding woodland landscape and aimed to build on local native plant communities. Beyond the installation of prescribed stonework and planting we were also responsible for further development of the client's initial design.
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| Entry steps and landing (walls not constructed by Land Stewards) |
The project features a great deal of stone work. In naturalistic gardens like this one, we want the stonework and boulders to blend into the landscape, appearing as if they were there all along. Naturally irregular boulders were arranged to form steps, landings, and thresholds, making for beautiful transitions throughout the landscape. Vegetated swales and raingardens were installed to facilitate the movement of water around the property away from the home, slowing and absorbing the water into the ground.
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| Raingarden plants: Magnolia virginiana, Juncus effusus, Iris versicolor, Hibiscus moscheutos |
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Roadside raingarden, intercepts stormwater from the road  
Raingarden with nurselog (which quickly became a hangout for a local frog)
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As the initial work around the home has been completed, we have now been able to focus our efforts to the peripheral areas of the property. Unlike the immediate landscape outside the home, these areas require less direct input. The lake is surrounded by a patchwork of blueberries, black chokeberry, ferns and numerous other indigenous plants growing in wild populations. Here we have taken more of a management stance in the landscape, suppressing the more aggressive patches of weedy plants while fostering existing healthy communities. Into these bottomland areas we have also planted understory trees and shrubs. Paw Paws (Asimina triloba) and Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis) have been planted along the path leading down to the lake. In time the patch of blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) will provide a nice trailside snack on the way down to the dock.
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| Natural stone steps down to the dock. |
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Featured Project: Temple II: North Gratz Street
In 2011, we continued with Phase II of the Temple North 16th Street project by 1260 Housing Development Corporation. Land Steward's involvement in the project was to design and install a second phase of landscapes just a few blocks away on North Gratz St. Here 1260 has restored 29 historic townhomes, creating 40 energy-efficient family apartments. This project has been awarded LEED Platinum status, the largest of its kind in the nation. For more information on the housing restoration by 1260, click here.
Our role in the Gratz street project was to design and install the 18 individual rear yards on the site. The goals of the project are that the landscape would be low-maintenance, conserving water and resources, not requiring the extensive irrigation systems, pruning, fertilizing and mowing typical of a conventional landscape.
The way we achieve these goals is by trying to design landscapes that work with nature and not against it. We begin by selecting plants that are well suited to this environment. We find that a palate of native perennial plants is most appropriate, since they have developed along with the local environment. They also help to preserve local native wildlife, while also providing a sense of place and identity to a project.
In nature, bare patches in landscapes don't usually remain that way, some plant will almost always hurry to fill in the gaps. On Gratz street, any bare patch of soil that wasn't constantly mown would soon be overwhelmed with weeds. For this reason we try to choose perennial plants that seed heavily or spread out quickly by their roots. This allows them to rapidly spread out and hold their own against the weeds. In a few seasons they are able to establish themselves and spread to fill in any gaps, not only suppressing weeds, but also casting dense shade on the ground. This helps to keep the ground cool and prevents it from drying out even in the heat of summer, allowing the plants to tolerate longer periods between rainfall.
The best way to hold onto water when it does rain is to have deep healthy soil, rich with organic matter. On Gratz St., organic matter was added to the planting beds in the form of compost. This will serve as a sponge for holding moisture, as well as provide nutrients for the growing plants. Over time, dead leaves and other vegetation will add to this organic matter and increase the soils water holding capacity.
When selecting plants for any project we like to incorporate plants that are not only appealing to the eye but those which also carry out different roles in the landscape. Some of the plants used on Gratz Street, for instance, Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), Highbush and Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum, V. angustifolium) and Wither-rod viburnum (Viburnum nudum) are beautiful landscape plants that also yield edible fruit people can enjoy (if you can get to them before the birds do!) Plants like Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) and Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) have fragrant leaves that can be used as healthful herbs added to food or tea.
To reduce the need for mowing on Gratz Street, the lawn areas throughout the site have been seeded with a No-Mow seed mix. This mix of clumping fescue grasses will stay reasonably short and requires mowing only a few times a year instead of the weekly mowing required by regular turf grass.
This project on Gratz Street is still fairly new, we are excited to see how things fill out in the spring. We look forward to updating this post with photos in the coming season!
- 2012 update.
Plants are settling in nicely. While some patches have succumb to the typical wear and tear of an urban site, the majority of the plants are going strong the second season, spreading out and setting seed. Blueberries are loaded with fruit and flowers are blooming and buzzing with life.
Our role in the Gratz street project was to design and install the 18 individual rear yards on the site. The goals of the project are that the landscape would be low-maintenance, conserving water and resources, not requiring the extensive irrigation systems, pruning, fertilizing and mowing typical of a conventional landscape.
The way we achieve these goals is by trying to design landscapes that work with nature and not against it. We begin by selecting plants that are well suited to this environment. We find that a palate of native perennial plants is most appropriate, since they have developed along with the local environment. They also help to preserve local native wildlife, while also providing a sense of place and identity to a project.
In nature, bare patches in landscapes don't usually remain that way, some plant will almost always hurry to fill in the gaps. On Gratz street, any bare patch of soil that wasn't constantly mown would soon be overwhelmed with weeds. For this reason we try to choose perennial plants that seed heavily or spread out quickly by their roots. This allows them to rapidly spread out and hold their own against the weeds. In a few seasons they are able to establish themselves and spread to fill in any gaps, not only suppressing weeds, but also casting dense shade on the ground. This helps to keep the ground cool and prevents it from drying out even in the heat of summer, allowing the plants to tolerate longer periods between rainfall.
The best way to hold onto water when it does rain is to have deep healthy soil, rich with organic matter. On Gratz St., organic matter was added to the planting beds in the form of compost. This will serve as a sponge for holding moisture, as well as provide nutrients for the growing plants. Over time, dead leaves and other vegetation will add to this organic matter and increase the soils water holding capacity.
When selecting plants for any project we like to incorporate plants that are not only appealing to the eye but those which also carry out different roles in the landscape. Some of the plants used on Gratz Street, for instance, Serviceberry (Amelanchier laevis), Highbush and Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum, V. angustifolium) and Wither-rod viburnum (Viburnum nudum) are beautiful landscape plants that also yield edible fruit people can enjoy (if you can get to them before the birds do!) Plants like Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) and Blue-Stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) have fragrant leaves that can be used as healthful herbs added to food or tea.
To reduce the need for mowing on Gratz Street, the lawn areas throughout the site have been seeded with a No-Mow seed mix. This mix of clumping fescue grasses will stay reasonably short and requires mowing only a few times a year instead of the weekly mowing required by regular turf grass.
This project on Gratz Street is still fairly new, we are excited to see how things fill out in the spring. We look forward to updating this post with photos in the coming season!
- 2012 update.
Plants are settling in nicely. While some patches have succumb to the typical wear and tear of an urban site, the majority of the plants are going strong the second season, spreading out and setting seed. Blueberries are loaded with fruit and flowers are blooming and buzzing with life.
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| Blueberries...not quite blue yet! |
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| Caterpillar enjoying the Meadow Anemone (Anemone canadensis) |
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| Wildflowers and ferns spreading out beneath a Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) |
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| Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) climbing a chainlink fence |
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Featured Project: Temple I: North 16th Street
In 2009 Land Stewards was hired by 1260 Housing Development Corporation to design and install a series of low-maintenance, drought resistant landscapes as part of a larger affordable family housing project along N 16th St in North Philadelphia, just a few blocks away from Temple University's Main Campus. The project, Temple I: North 16th St, involved the historic restoration of 22 townhomes along one block, restoring and enhancing the beautiful brick and stone work of these classic houses and transforming their interiors into healthy, energy efficient homes. From the start the project aimed to adhere to and obtain LEED certification standards and upon completion 1260 was awarded a LEED Gold rating for the project, just a few points shy of Platinum. The following phase of this project, Temple II: N. Gratz St. did in fact earn a Platinum rating (the largest affordable housing project in the country to do so).
The scope of the landscape work done in Phase I consisted of the rear yards of the rowhomes as well as the reclamation of 6 vacant lots throughout the block. 1260 desired for the spaces to be low-maintenance, requiring minimal watering, pruning, fertilizing or mowing. This would reduce the energy and resource demands typical of a conventional residential landscape.
The design was developed around low maintenance perennial gardens for the residents to enjoy with places for kids to explore and play, while also providing quiet spaces for relaxing. The individual backyards behind the units have been opened up into communal garden spaces with long meandering paths. Sight-lines where kept open in order to maintain views into the gardens from the street, ensuring pleasant views for those passing by as well as safety for those within. Work on the landscape began in October 2010 and was completed just two months later in early December.
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| Installation of Meadow Planting and Raingarden, The boardwalk through the raingarden also provides access to a small blueberry patch. Lot 1736/1738 N. 16th St |
Natural stones, boulders and cairns were placed throughout the design for climbing and sitting. These stones also create micro- climates, creating more varied habitat for plants and animals.
As part of the design, each lot has a series of raingardens and swales intended to divert rainwater from the city's combined sewer stormwater system, slowing it down and allowing it to seep into the ground, hydrating the soil. The beds have all been graded with subtle undulations, using the forest floor as a natural analog. This create a diversity of drier upland areas and lower, water absorbing pockets. In these pockets you will find native wetland plants, like Golden Ragwort (Senecio aureus), Turtlehead (Chelone glabra) and Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis).
In the drier areas of the site, sweeps of native meadow grasses and wildflowers were planted to provide year-round interest, as well as habitat for local wildlife. Stands of Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and Bushy Beardgrass (Andropogon glomeratus) sway in the breeze, providing year round color and movement in the landscape. These tall grasses develop deep root systems, permeating the tough soil and allowing the ground to absorb and hold more water. Throughout the season the plants will also drop bits of dead vegetation that will compost down, adding organic matter to the soil. As the plants grow and the soil develops it will increase its capacity to function as a water holding reservoir. In drier times plant roots will be able to tap into this reservoir, making the landscape much more resilient to periods of drought.
There is no irrigation required anywhere on site, once the plants were in the ground they relied solely on natural rainfall. This forces them to develop deeper roots, seeking out water for themselves in the soil rather than relying on resource intensive irrigation systems. they have already gone through an entire year like this and have done very well. Many have started to spread out and make themselves at home, all the while spreading their seeds to fill in around themselves.
Another objective in our design was to provide opportunities for the children moving into these homes to experience nature in their own backyards. Places to explore safely right outside their doors. All throughout the year the gardens will provide a changing landscape, with new interesting flowers, textures and colors to observe as the seasons change.
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| Preparation of the garden area outside of the shared laundry facility. 1700/1702 N. 16th St. |
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| 1st season of growth 1736/1738 N. 16th St. |
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| Rain garden on east side of 16th St. In this rain garden: Carex grayi, Senecio aureus, Eupatorium dubium, Magnolia virginiana. |
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| Walking paths and lawn areas were planted with Path Rush (Juncus tenuis), a short grass-like groundcover requiring minimal mowing once established |
After one growing season the plantings have shown a lot of promise. While some patches have fared better than others, the overall impression is that the plants are beginning to fill in and hold their own. We look forward to see how things continue to develop in 2012. More pictures to come as the year progresses!
Also stay tuned for the second phase, Temple II: North Gratz St., which achieved LEED Platinum status.
Photo Update July 2012:
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| Joe Pye Weed, Golden Ragwort and White Turtlehead in the raingarden |
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| Little woodland in the city. |
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| Little Joe Pye Weed, Eupatorium dubium, the pollinators' delight. |
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| Black Chokeberry, Aronia melanocarpa. Each shrub loaded with berries, each berry loaded with antioxidants! |
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Happy New Year from Land Stewards!
Happy 2012 everyone! We at Land Stewards are celebrating the new year by launching our new blog page. Here we will be posting articles on featured projects, noteworthy herbal, edible and medicinal plants in the landscape and relevant news about the world of ecological landscape design and permaculture. We will also be providing advice on how to utilize your landscape to help you and your family live a healthy more sustainable lifestyle. Stay tuned for more info.
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