Robert Marvin

Every so often I have been fortunate enough to meet the man whose work I have come to respect and study. In this field of Landscape Design this had/has happened to me several times. Robert Marvin was one of those people.

Mr. Marvin died in 2001 after getting along to the age of age 81, of the work he was responsible for there are some well-known public spaces. Some of which were highly praised and a few were not(Hazards of dealing with the public). Either way Mr/ Marvin stood by his work and tried to create the best design for the space and the client:

It is a look at the mind that left us such heirlooms as the Henry Chambers Waterfront Park in Beaufort; the Waterfront Park in Charleston; the Governor’s Mansion compound, the Congaree Vista and Finlay Park in Columbia; and the Callaway Gardens Sibley Center in Georgia.

I had a chance to spend time with Mr. Marvin after one of his trips to Columbia during the building of Finlay Park. It was during this time he was receiving some criticism about the design and it’s implementation. Even so he was gracious enough to allow me to pick his brain on several design issues and some of his design philosophy.

It was really great to discuss issues concerning simplicity in design and understanding the need to work with the clients on the site, and not force your ego on the site. a nice guy and I will not forget his patience and demeanor.

Why bring up Robert Marvin at this time? Well . . . If you live in the South Carolina Low Country you should take advantage of this event on May 6th:

May 6: Glorious Gardens — A Tribute to Robert Marvin, from 3 to 6 p.m

This event is part of the Walterboro antiques, history and arts festival which runs the 4th-6th. I was unable to get down to visit him in the low-country and will be sad to miss this event. And besides that Walterboro is some beautiful low country.

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Addendum: There is another new trend happening in another part of the Lowcountry, and I am sure this will create great opportunity for Landscape Designers. It seems that people are not driving all the way to Florida to get some sunshine and are getting off a few exits earlier on I-95.

Let us hope they keep the growth under control and leave the beautiful nature and scenery as unspoiled as possible.

One large-scale development, called Tradition, broke ground in October, with 9,500 homes in the $500,000 price range. Hampton Pointe, a gated golf community of 1,022 homes by the Toll Brothers, is also under way, with prices starting in the mid-$300,000s.

Then there is this gem and plenty more:

Lots were specifically drawn to accommodate the oldest live oak trees, and the developer, the Settings Development Companies, an Atlanta-based concern, has a policy of no clear-cutting. The first phase of the project is nearly sold out, with vacant lots selling for $100,000 to $800,000.

I am hoping for the best, but . . . The other thing I didn’t get straight was all the talk about building on marshland or, on and near wetlands. Lots of talk about saving Live Oaks, but marshland? wetland? I don’t know . . .

Bullfrogs on the Loose

In Minnesota. Yep, they’re out of control and running unchecked in backyards everywhere. Plus the big fella’s are eating everything they can get their hands, er . . . webs, tongue, whatever on:

“A bullfrog will eat anything it can fit into its mouth,” said Yvette Monstad, a non-game research specialist for the department. “We’re seeing them in places they’ve never been seen before, and it’s been escalating the past year or two.”

Why people would buy frogs to put into their pond is way beyond me. Ponds are a terrific magnet to bring frogs into your yard-a terrific magnet. One of the biggest complaints I hear about frogs and ponds is this.

The noise, we can’t take the noise . . . ever since the frogs came into our new pond, it’s so loud.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard this. One other note is this story is true. From Ken Ellis of the Minnesota Water Garden Society.

“I’m not aware of anyone stocking any kind of frogs in their ponds,” he said. “Frogs will show up in ponds on their own because there’s water there. But you don’t really want them because they don’t winter-over very well.”

Frogs seem to like going into the skimmer unit, and this is a place they go to stay. Always finding dead frogs in the skimmer. Poor fella’s seem to think it’s some sort of sauna or whirlpool.

What I don’t understand from the story . . . is the homeowner is the problem? If the bullfrog is illegal to sell in Minnesota go after the pet-store owners. After all, who would believe(homeowners, you, me) that frogs(bullfrogs) are an invasive species.

Healing, Swank, and Urban

A few things have crossed my path this morning and I thought I’d share them with the rest of you. We go 1st to the sub-continent of Asia, then travel to the digs of the rich and famous in the Hamptons, and the back to Ohio all from the comfort of the chair that you are now sitting on. I hope it is a comfortable one.

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• A perspective on healing garden; “Gardens that heal” from the Deccan Herald in Bangalore, India. Notice how much is similar as opposed to different. Biggest difference to me; the discussion on colors(having meaning), and the power of fragrance.

• It’s that time of year again the Hamptons Home and Garden Show 2007. May 4th, 5th, and 6th. So put on your finest garden party clothes, your best sun hat, and head on over. Leave your pick-up truck at home though.
  • In the Hamptons, green is the new red, white and blue
  • The Hamptons(dot)com Lounge (booths 132/133, 163/164) presents free coffee provided by the Golden Pear Cafe’ in the morning and wine tasting provided by Barefoot Wine in the afternoon.
  • Be amazed as you explore the spectacular 32,000 sq. ft. tent. Tour another 32,000 sq. ft. of vendor-filled Outdoor Expo.
  • Spot the most unique products and services found anywhere.
  • Lunch in the Moroccan Cafe’, and drinks in the Beer Garden hosted by Southampton Ales and Lagers.
  • Estate Furniture Silent Auction benefiting The No Place Like Home Foundation, hosted by actress Lorraine Bracco, . . . She will auction off a magnum of her best 2005 wine signed by the entire cast of The Sopranos.

• Finally what could be better than reading about Urban Design than from an up and coming critic who is sitting at an outdoor cafe getting plowed. Salud!

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Addendum: The thumbnail is the 1st of several sketches for a new entryway. I believe some call this type of drawing axonometric. My guess is that those who do final presentation drawings in axonometric would hat what I have done.

I actually like it. The style is a good way for me to hash out spatial relationships to scale in a way a client could relate. I would not hesitate to show this to a client to get the dialogue moving in the right direction.

Reliving those Home Show Moments

“Selling the Illusion” . . .

A while back I got into a Blog conversation with Kim over at Blackswamp Girl(great name) about Home Shows and the views, and the gardens, and a little of what goes into creating a look to capture those in attendance.

Having done many a home show in earlier years, I had remarked to Kim about our goals has “displayers” . . . it’s to “sell work”. It’s not to motivate, illuminate, or inspire the homeowner to run out and put the same thing in their backyard. it really isn’t about being a “idea factory“.

Contractors and Designers want to design/install work. It’s about another form of marketing. Now I/we all know that some homeowners will copy/borrow/steal vignettes they see at these Home Shows . . . it’s part of the Home Show Game we all play. We can easily deal with that-no problem.

Hopefully the time, energy, effort, creative process, and money put in will pan out in the end. In some cities and show designers/contractors are compensated to put in a display, that may be as little as comping booth space to actual money to defray cost of building/displaying/manning the display.

This all varies on the size, scale, reputation on the actual show itself. I would consider Chelsea being the #1 show.

The reality is most guys I know hate, and I mean hate doing these types of shows. If it is not real hate, then it is usually real dread. There is usually a lot of time and energy involved in putting the display all together. Then the worst part comes . . . the actual show and the questions. The questions are the worst part, by far.

A lot of people want something for nothing. They start asking stuff about their yard as though you are actually standing in their with them looking at the same brown spot they asked about at last years show(hey, some people are just unforgettable).

One of my other favorites is the homeowner who balks when I/we explain we charge fees . . . actual fees to do work.

We’ll Bob in booth #223 said he’d look at our yard for free and do a design for free. Why can’t you be like Bob.

Over and over; brown spots, the scab on unidentified trees, the mysterious fungus, the guys who just got laid off somewhere doing “design work” for free-it never stops. This is how it is in most Home Shows across the U.S.

The waterfall at the top of the story was built by me for a show I helped with in 2001. The last time I worked a booth.

I was the waterfall/pond/fish guy, so my weekend sort of went like this:

• My fish are sick.
• The herons ate my fish.
• My fish disappeared . . .
• My fish died . . .
• Why did both my plants die?
• I want a pond without algae.
• Why is my water green?
• Will you come out and find my leak?
• I cannot see my fish . . .
• My pond water is scummy, why?
• My pond stinks . . .
• My pond is black . . .

Aaaaargh, that was it. It would take a lot to do that again. Now I would help the right person design/build a display . . . but the questions.

Another from the show of the other waterfall, this was the right one of a double falls. At one point we actually did have a problem with this one leaking and had to shut down this side-bummer it was. But, the show must go on. Hardly anyone remarked of it being off, which surprised me.

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Addendum: I do not know a “landscaper” named “Bob” who gives his work away.

Another; Nothing to do with Landscape Design Post (3)

 

[Found on a Chinese web-site]

My kind of Article

Now this is a headline that really grabs my attention;

“Cultivating Your Kingdom”

Yep, that’s it. Especially when we go on to talk about all the great stuff involved when you improve your landscaping. this is from the Hamptons.com:

If the house has elaborate landscaping, the real estate agent and homeowner will usually point out its value as in, “ we spent $150,000 on landscaping when we built this house three years ago.”

Lines like that make my day. The article is written from a Hamptons point of view-of course. It is an interesting read and gives perspective on what that market in this country is thinking about.

My one beef is with the writer using the word landscaper instead of Landscape Designer when speaking about design issues, and placement, etc. Oh well, not a perfect situation.

Oh, a few interesting lines written by Andrea Aurichio at the bottom in the tips area-worth reading this article just for these interesting observations and good ideas:

• Surplus plantings can always be sold. Mature trees are at a premium.
  
• If you are marketing a mega watt estate with abundant acreage, mazes, flower beds, and exotic plantings, don’t worry. Money will not be an object to this buyer.
• Privet hedges are here to stay and so are evergreens.
• Likewise, you will find yourself star gazing at night with a glass of wine in your hand throughout the year.
  
• If you are putting a house on the market, curb appeal counts. . . . . . “Overgrown and neglected” does not sell.
• Gardens created by noteworthy landscape architects and designers will also drive the value of the property upwards.
• If you are selling or renting a house with noteworthy gardens, it is a good idea to have photos of the garden taken throughout the year, so buyers can see what the grounds will look like in the spring and summer, when they are viewing a property on a grey day in January when the East End is monotonously brown.

A couple of things about the tips:

1. The photo tip is really great, if you do have great gardens, or beds you should record that info.
2. Are privet hedges really here to stay?
3. The next to last line; remember that, and call me I can make myself available.

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Addendum: Have you subscribed yet? There are easy ways to do this, just look at the box on the right sidebar entitled “Get the Feed”, and click on one of the icons, heck . . . you can even have it sent to you as an e-mail. Just click on the last line. To those who do subscribe . . . thank you.

Watching the Tube . . . Outdoors

Maureen Jenson, the editor of Home Theater magazine, also sees what she calls “a huge trend” in outdoor viewing, particularly in the area of weather-resistant equipment, which is designed to be left outdoors.

And we’re off . . . it looks like this is a trend that is picking up steam and is not going to be a fad. The quotes are from a NY Times article entitled; The Drive-In Without the Drive, a very catchy and appropriately titled story.
The Drive-in theater without the “Drive-in“. More evidence that Americans are turning inward and finding ways to entertain themselves at home rather than on the road, or far away from home. Gas prices climb, air-travel becomes more and more user-unfriendly, customer service is not that great in hotels. Stay home . . . why not?

I would also venture to guess that most of these folks have some sort of indoor home theater, or a large screen TV. So this becomes a natural progression to move to the outdoors, it’s just another venue for the homeowner to entertain themselves.

This comes back to a remark I made several weeks ago about Americans having too much money-which is not a bad thing. But some of these guys are spending a lot of money on these set-ups. For example:

Greg Jensen, Engineered Environment’s director of engineering, designed a setup in which a 20-foot-wide custom Stewart Filmscreen is hidden beneath a 20-foot teak bench that runs along the side of the pool nearest the beach. . . . . . . The projector, a Digital Projections Mercury 5000HD, drops from the roof of the cabana across from the pool. The cost of the screen was $50,000; the projector was $20,000. Total cost of the Dolby Digital 7.1 theater: $175,000.

Way to go Greg; he’s spending big money and keeping the economy going. There are also several examples of the DIY’ers and their unique problem solving( I liked the guy with the pipes, and his tailor-nice going). There was another line from the article that will send the “Downfall of Gardening” lamenters into a tizzy.

Speak to the integrators and you see a backyard future in which one might never be forced to sit in a tiresome garden and sniff a rose again: . . . .

It would be true, the last thing you want to do is worry about trimming some dumb-ol’ bushes or pulling stupid weeds when you’re setting in the Gazebo and wondering how many more weeks can “Cliffie” stay on Dancing with the Stars.

Obviously this is more prevalent in warmer climates, but that is not going to stop those folks who are outside May-October. In my experience living in a more Northern climate lends to folks appreciating the outdoors even more than those in the South hiding away in their air-conditioning. What does this mean? it means this trend will happen, and will work here, and most likely be very popular.

We Designers are going to have to come up with very clever way to design this space(s). You need seating(covered or not), a place for the screen(how is it housed), speakers(what’s the set-up?), and backdrop and framing for the screen. This will most likely take place on a hard surface area—at the same time leaving space for those who wish to sprawl on a blanket on the lawn.

How does this fit into the rest of the landscape, it will obviously have to be part of a multi-use area. I noticed a few of these were pop-up screens to accommodate those in the pool. What about those who want to watch not in the pool?

This is a challenge I look forward too, I have yet to design/install one of these. Questions have been asked, that’s as far as it gone. if you put in a elaborate system and designed a landscape around it we’d love to hear about it. Send pictures I’ll post ‘em.

So the last question I have is . . . what’s left? Have we now moved everything outside?

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Etc.,

1.) The photo showing the TV on was found at backyardtheater(dot)com, and the thread in the forum where the homeowner talks about this specific set-up. Interesting stuff and he really went into a lot of thought on the project. The backyard-that’s another issue.

2.) The inflatable screen from Open Air Cinema:

A description from their website:

The Backyard Theater Screen BIG 12′ is constructed from a mesh reinforced, PVC with rust free plastic grommets. A vinyl ground cloth is also included to protect the PVC frame from sharp objects on the ground.

The frame inflates in less than 5 minutes with the provided air pump and hose. The 16×9 screen connects to the inflatable frame’s plastic grommets using adjustable straps for flexible screen support. The screen is compatible with all types of projectors including 16×9 Widescreen, 4×3 aspect ratio, front projection and rear projection.

3.) If you are looking for that fabric mentioned in the Times story. I found a supplier for Trapeze. It’s even listed as a projection fabric.

4.) Lastly, how about a plain ol’ weatherproof large screen TV for your outdoor patio?

The tag line from the website; Designed for permanent outdoor residential and commercial installation, SunBriteTV allows you to enjoy TV and video entertainment in the comfort of your own backyard and at other outdoor venues, regardless of the weather!
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5.) The top photo is is from the NY Times by Len Kaufman.

Friday the 13th

“A guru can cook for you, but can’t eat for you” -Baba Hari Dass
“When bankers get together for dinner they discuss art. When artist get together for dinner they discuss money”. -Oscar Wilde
The truest mark of greatness is insatiability”. –Henry Fielding

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“A leaf falls-

fluttering.

The Earth reaches up-

grabbing it“

-written in one of my sketch books.

Rescue Rick . . . to the rescue

No it’s not me, it’s another Rick, and I don’t know what to believe when looking at this site, take this line for

I want to create awareness regarding the frequency and severity of lawn mower s. I am the only yard safety advocate acting as an individual in the world. Indeed, I am the first yard safety super hero(my emphasis) in the history of the world.

What lead to RR’s safety advocacy? Here’s his explanation:

In September 2003, I had a serious lawn mower , resulting in the partial amputation of my left foot. I was sent;by life-flight helicopter from my local hospital in the Sharon Regional Health System to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh;where I had a series of extensive surgical operations.

The last quote seems serious enough that you would want to take him seriously ot that this is not some sort of prank page, but then there is this line:

There are over a trillion blades of grass in about 10,000 varieties around the world. I do not want one individual to get hurt while cutting even one blade of grass.

Trillion, did the dude just say one trillion? Where does this come from? 10,000 varieties of grass to cut. I don’t know, that seems a little high to me, does it to you? Then there is this (typo?):

Each year, there are over 100,000 lawn mower s.

Accidents, dismemberments, purchases, wrecks? . . . 100,000 what? I’m guessing he meant to say accidents but I hesitate to finish sentences for Rescue Rick. RR has proposals for legislation, equipment list(including “Wear a helmet with face shield”), safety list, tips, operations, blog sites, even a Myspace page, and; oh yeah, photo’s of a left foot with no big toe.

Rescue Rick also has a merchandise shop and we went for the whole hog at Cafe Press, he’s got everything under the sun with Rescue Rick on it. I guess all I can say is . . . Rescue Rick to the Rescue.

How do I find this stuff?

Powered by ScribeFire.

Brick Driveway Detail

A couple of days ago I posted on Appreciation of Stone #26, and left a link to where there were more images in my Fotki folder for this job. There was a comment about the brick detail for the drive and after reading that I decided to delve into that aspect of the job a little closer.

[Parking Court during construction of project.]
The normal design/install for the edge would be to double band the soldiers*, lay in the field and then add restraint, or restraint then field-it’s a personal choice. Anyway back to the soldiers.

We were looking for something a little different here for a few valid reasons:

• A way to alert the driver they were near the edge of the paving, especially helpful for those backing in.
• The alert would save folks from running into the boxwood hedge in the parking court.
• The creation of that shadow line, a small thing . . . but those small details add up.
• Aesthetically the raised course of soldiers adds that little something.
• Plus; I found out, it channels run-off to the drains.

Detail of the edge, and a look at detail where drive meets parking court. Gives you a pretty good idea of the work the contractor and his guys did to create something that really had some great visual interest. Something to look back at and say, “yeah, we did that“.

This house can best be described as a “Legacy House“, it’s a term I picked up a couple of years ago at a Stone Foundation Symposium. A somewhat famous architect was describing this $10million dollar house he was building and talking about how it would last a couple of hundred years, as opposed to most commercial structures which have a planned obsolescence of 25 years or so.

This phrase “Legacy House” has always stuck with me. So whenever I work on anything like this house I hope to put forth great effort in using good materials, well-designed, and correctly installed as my part of the project.

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*Soldiers: Soldier(s);[soldier course(s)] is a term(s) used to describe the outside banding for a paving project; whether it be brick, stone, or concrete[pavers, poured slab]. So the Soldier course(s) would hold the field(the large paved space inside the soldiers) together. This field can be laid in several different types of patterns. But that is another post.

Bad marketing #1

Looking to add a fireplace to your patio? I don’t think this site is going to sell many . . . .

Or it may be just an excuse to grab the url for fireplace-design and hope to sell ads.

Thanks Stuart,

Landscaping is an art form. If you don’t believe me, check out Rick Anderson’s awesome blog.

I appreciate those kind words from Stuart Robinson over at his blog Gardening Tips-n-Ideas. The remark was tied into a post about 7 big design mistakes(not mine-thankfully). These are usually mistakes homeowners make, but . . .

#6 on skinny sidewalks . . . it’s been my experience that most builders don’t offer this as an option, but they just slap it in there. By all means if you can negotiate this ahead of time (length, width, shape) . . . do. Especially if that sidewalk to the front door is going to be used. Speaking of that sidewalk to the front door.

How many of you have worked(or live) in neighborhoods where the front door is never, and I mean never used? I find those neighborhoods kind of creepy, or soulless-very strange places. All that space-no people.

#7 House hugging plants and their bad beds.I have another term for that . . . velcro plants, ’cause there sticking to the house, feel free to use it, I stole the phrase from someone else, I forget who but I thought it was brilliant. A lot of times this is also part of the builders package. Builders package is a term I use for the landscaping that comes with the new house. I like to say 12 shrubs with mulch, 2 trees, and a front yard(seeded-sometimes sodded!) supplied by the lowest bidder.

New homeowners are better served re-negotiating this. Take the money, hire a real professional-not some guy who just took the severance package at the local Ford or GM plant . . . and put in some real landscaping with a real walk to the front door.

The post is a good read and I like the perspective of someone from down under. The pic in the post is pretty clever also.