My Pots, in the Winter Snow

The big snow we are getting today called me to action, grabbing the camera kind of action.

Julie likes to refer to the pot on the left as the flying saucer.  Add on the snow and I now believe it looks somewhat alien in appearance.

I’d like to add that the flying saucer brings great visual interest to the landscape in the winter time scene. A simple vertical element reaching up through all that white.

From flying saucer

Great Peril to Myself

So off I went struggling deep into the massive snow,  3.0 ft away from the back door into several inches of snow to get these images for you. It was quite the expedition, but don’t worry I’m okay.

Braving the elements I was able to get several award winning shots of the pots, woodlands, and flora still sticking up through gigantic snowbanks.

From pots, pots, and more pots

To my Left

I forced myself to step out another foot or so and a couple of steps to my left to capture the spirit of the pots as they continued to fill with snow.

In the background are the pots that held tropicals this past season . . . including a very nice banana tree. The red trunk with the large red/green leaves played very well against the aging cedar fence.

I also like how the ‘grape vine‘ on the trellis is capturing snow and creating that scene for us to admire.It’s a small vignette but one that(at a glance) makes it appear that snow is somehow clinging to the fence.

My office window is just to the left of that trellis and it’s a nice view out the window. The fence, the trellis and the woodlands beyond . . . a view that never tires us.

From AH_fall landscape 1108

The Collage

Finally . . . a stunning collage of what’s happening across the back yard on this winter day as the snow continues and the temperatures drop into single digits, I appreciate the winter view we have created to compliment the woodlands backdrop.

The Case of the Basement Bistro

I’ve been around the block.

All the way around the block.

At least I thought I had been all the way around the block . . . until now.

Take a look at his image

Uh, oh, here we go.

See those black holes in the concrete wall in the basement, yep . . . that’s right . . . the bistro. This is where the client plans to host dinner parties and wants something to look at out the windows, and allow for natural light to stream down into the bistro.

It doesn’t look any better from the other side

A look from the other side, it's not any easier.

Add in the fact that there are doors that tie into this setting, plus the transitions involved with that, all in a very small area.

Architects

When I first looked at this site what I really wanted to do was find the architect and put my boot up his . . . I digress.

When I was still there I was thinking that the best way to treat the homeowner’s request is to take that dirt wall and somehow turn that wall into the wall of the bistro.

In other words those glass windows are big enough to look all the way through. That the glass windows are not the wall of the room . . . but a “see-through”.

Sheesh

I’m probably not explaining this as well as I want. Which I am finding frustrating . . . I guess we have to wait for the drawings.

So even though it’s outside . . . it’s inside. Am I crazy, maybe so. I am going to start sketching something up this weekend and I’ll/we’ll see.

The real problem here is how to tie in the door/access on both sides. There is going to be some walkways and those walks are going to require some retaining walls to hold everything in place. Lots of level changes and structural integrity.

Walls, walks, doors, steps, natural light, aesthetics, need for a view, natural light, and a basement bistro,

Man I love this job.

Fireplace Possibility

I am in the middle of a project where the main focus of the backyard will be a large fireplace that we hope to have anchor one end of the patio.

The fireplace will anchor the end of the patio, and serve as the main gathering space for those on the patio, also becoming the main visual focus from the above/adjoining deck.

Wait there’s more. The fireplace will also anchor a rock outcropping . . . or become part of the rock outcropping. Hmm; to anchor, or to become part of ? . . . that is the question.

[ Something this large will be the focal.]

How will all the other elements play off of the fireplace? As this design evolves we’ll figure it out. One thing I see right away . . . the patio would look great as large slabs of stone as opposed to pavers-that’s what my gut is telling me right now.

I’ve Run into a Brick Wall . . .

Of my own choosing. That’s right.

This was my choice.

I needed some strong physical divider between this terrace and the rest of the World. A separator that would not only knock out the view that direction, but would also stop others from peeking in.

To top things this wall screamed aesthetics! . . . I need aesthetics!

A wall to do many things

• A Divider
• A Separator/privacy
• A Definer of space-a clear definer of space
• Aesthetics-the wall is an integral aspect of the backyard terrace, very up close and personal to those that live there and those guest who would be in close proximity.
• Given the site, and the position of the clients, there is/was/will always be a need for classical and timeless design. In other words, this hardscape would fail badly if it was trendy, or constructed of the material of the week.

So it could not just be a brick wall, no it has to be more

[Drawn on a B&W image from my original color photo]

The above rendering was my 4th or 5th sketch of the area. I had drawn the previous sketches on trash, formulated an idea or two and decided to draw directly onto the image copy.

The client will not see this drawing. I am going to do one more in color. Something fairly loose, and flowing yet it will the the story to the client about the possibilities for this patio space.

That’s why I am done writing now, it’s almost 1:00am and time to go back to work.

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Addendum: As a Designer I have found my most creative hours are between 10:00pm and 2:00am, that’s when I draw my absolute best stuff.

This is probably a very good reason why I have failed miserably working for someone else-they do not seem to understand these hours.

Owners like to see their Designers chained to their desk; 7:00am sharp, and ready to go out in the field at a moments notice and solve emergencies. Heck I’m still sleeping or am stumbling around after my 5 or 6 hours of sleep.

So it’s good between 7:00 and 10:00pm and awesome between 10:00pm and 2:00am.

If you’re a designer, or work in another field where creativity is important, what are you’re best hours, and add in if you are self-employed or not. leave a comment, or drop me an e-mail.

I gotta go-time’s a wastin’.

Cast Iron Pots; Another Thought

I just want to clarify the size of those 3 pots that I had written about in the previous 2 posts.

Two Previous Post

The 1st post dealt with my finding these pots and a list of ideas on how they might even be used. The 2nd post was a synopsis of the 1st and the added bonus of ideas added by some of my readers.

Based on a few remarks I wasn’t sure that everyone understood the sizes of these pots. So lets try to clear this up, and I think there’s a quick and easy way to do this.

Take a look at this photo showing the size differential below. Some readers thought they were the size of the tiny little pot in the center of the big three. My pots are much bigger:

[Check out the size of the little one for a comparison. ]

There were several comments/remarks but this was the comment that threw me a little:

How would I use them ? Perhaps as a rustic bird feeder, hung on a wrought iron or copper shepard’s hook .

I would guess that would be possible with the little tiny one but these other 3 are too big for that; almost 24 inches across and close to a foot deep.

I’m still looking for ideas to use these for, and at some point will post the entire list of ideas on using them.

Send me your ideas.

Cast Iron Pots; Revisited

Last week I posted about these iron pots that I had picked up at the local auction.

[The pots in question. ]

In the comment’s section Jonathan asked about the sizes of these pots this was my reply:

I’d say they’re somewhere between 30″-36″ in diameter and a good 18″ deep. They are some good size pots, and certainly, very heavy!

Jonathan also remarked on my list of possible things to do with these pots. I had kind of brain stormed my way through this list and just fired away. Looking back I believe I was looking for some feedback, or remarks . . . or something! Anyway . . .

Here’s my list:

1. Obviously they could be used for annual plantings.
2. How about for some type of perennials?
3. The other obvious one is some sort of combination, or throw in some tropicals.
4. Do the pots belong on hardscape?
5. What about buries in garden beds?
6. Maybe some weird shrub(s) pruned in some weird or unique way.
7. Trees; small of course, a bonsai of some sort.
8. In a formal planting, at attention on opposite sides of a prominent entry to a formal area.
9. Turn one of the pots into a water garden.
10. Tomatoes?
11. Place all 3 together in some sort of sculptural element.
12. Rubbed down with a sandstone block to bring out a different look/paint?
13. Use one or more pots with some other object to create . . . . . ? ? ?

Then Jonathan answered with his list. It looks like he spent a little time on this list and deserved further thought, discussion, examination. Nice job Jonathan.

Some great ideas:

1. These pots could be used to create a spilling/cascading water feature. water could spill from one pot to another.
2. One pot could be hung by its bail over a “fire” of red and orange blossoms. Cascading flowering plants could be planted depicting a pot boiling over.
3. Small fish could be allowed to roam into the abysses of the pot.
4. An ideal location for their use would be in a Kitchen garden.
5. They could be inverted and water cascading over them to act as an umbrella for a ceramic toad.
6. I would use one pot to create a fire pit for our patio.
7. I would use another pot on our shop loading dock. It’s an old grain warehouse and a pot like these would look grand painted black with seasonal annuals.

That’s a great list, with some very interesting ideas for their uses. Which leads me to ask the question to my readers.

What say you? How would you use these pots?

This might be worth a Squidoo lens. A place to keep record of all the ideas. I really haven’t asked a lot of my readership, but I am now. So . . . put on your thinking caps and let’s hear it.

If you had these pots how would you use them? Or; if you were able to design them nto a client’s property how would you use them?

“It’s all about high style and low maintenance,”

So I am searching along looking for info on outdoor living rooms and I run across this story in InsideBayArea.com that is about this very subject. This is a early paragraph:

We want to hang out in our backyards, and those molded plastic chairs aren’t going to cut it anymore. We want comfort — big, comfy cushions. We want style — furniture that wouldn’t look amiss indoors. And we aren’t alone.

Comfort; not just any comfort, but-big comfy cushion comfort. Plus . . . it better be stylish. I got no problem with that.

The outdoor living room with everything that is inside-is now going outside, everything. I got no problem with that.

Beds, TV’s and the old stand-by Hammocks . . . uh, Hammocks . . . now there’s a problem:

. . . Taking a snooze in a hammock might be indulgent, but it’s not lap-of-luxury indulgent. Unless, of course, that nap is in Henry Hall Design’s four-person Cocoon hammock, with its stylish four-sided wood frame, padded hammock and $19,500 price tag.

A $20,000 dollar hammock, that better be one hell of a hammock.

[One hell of a Hammock]

This hammock can be had at Henry Hall designs. The company has some other cutting edge material also on the website. I really do like the Pure Club Chair they show on the site;

[It looks pretty comfortable, I'll take one.]

Anyway, no matter how you cut it $20.000 grand is a lot of money, I would hope for that kind of dough the hammock would play music, and bring me a drink or two, or three. As we say though . . . everything is relative.Back to the article, there is a mention that some folks are stying closer to home and entertaining more. It struck me as kind of funny to read that because in the paragraph above they were talking about a $20,000 hammock . . . sorry, price of gas doesn’t matter.

Something else struck me as odd in the story:

“People are willing to make that investment because it’s no longer white, flimsy plastic stuff. It’s permanent furniture that is going to last for five to 10 years if we take care of it.”

Permanent . . . gonna last 5 or 10 years . . . so 5 or 10 years is now the new permanent? Wow . . . I must be getting old. If that’s the mindset I’m disappointed.

When working with clients in this range there was a line here worth stealing/using/remembering when thinking about how furniture is now used outdoors:

For the most part, this furniture wouldn’t look that out of place if it were simply moved indoors.

Outside-In, Inside-Out . . if it works one way is it suitable enough to work the other. This is now the mindset. Plus “ “It’s all about high style and low maintenance,”“

An alert for you gardeners out there . . . plants are mentioned nowhere in the story.
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• Home Infatuation was mentioned in the story, here’s a direct link to their site. While there check out this page and get back to me with what you think.
• I somehow managed to stumble onto the Design page for NOTCOT.com some interesting stuff to look at this click will send you to the design page-where they are taking a cutting edge look at all things design. Right now on the front page they are posting about some shot-up polo’s.
• Finally . . while thinking about hammocks I decide to Google image of hammocks, I found this, and being a red-blooded American male, I thought to myself . . . now that’s a hammock!

[Courtesy of starstore.com]

Sandstone Thoughts, continued

posted, 12/00/06
The steps from a wider angle:

On 12/7 I posted a close-up of the stone steps, showing some of the detail. I was after a look of strong yet informal steps that led out on to the lawn.

These steps are the only way to get from the parking court and upper terrace to that front lawn. The large barnstone on the left was needed to hold up the planting bed. This bed was designed in to screen the view of the cars from the street. and create a buffer of green between the view and the asphalt.

The bed swirls on the right before working back into another small wall that took advantage of stone found on the property. This wall was built to hold up the planting bed and upper terrace walkway and patio.

The view from here show the upper terrace. This is a flat stone called Maryland chocolate set on a bed of limestone dust and screenings. The steps are at the far end of this patio between the Crabapple trees. If I remember correctly these are “Sugar Tyme‘ Crabs.

I would like to point out these pictures were taking last summer, the Summer of 2006, and this job was installed in the Spring of 2000. The patio has held up quite well, and most of the plants are still in the same place we planted them 16 years ago.

I had an opportunity to chat with one of the homeowners. She had pulled in when I was shooting these pictures. We talked about several things and she mentioned how happy they had been with everything all these years. I had to tell her they had done a great job with the upkeep and that everything still looked great.

This view shows a better look at the short wall that holds up the small bed and terrace. The beds; after 16 years, look fairly tidy.

Stone and Paver Walkway, Answers to Questions

posted, 12/04/06
This continues the story from Sundays post on The Appreciation of Stone. I’ve been asked a few questions and will attempt to answer them here:

• The stone and brick are not the same depth. The stone was placed 1st and the pavers were poured around the stone.
• The stone is a waste product from Briar Hill Quarries near Glenmount, Ohio. They use to refer to this product as: 3″ offset. Briar Hill has changed the way they cut blocks of stone and they don’t have much of this product on hand now.
• The wall stone is also a Briar Hill product. They sell several different sizes of this wall stone. It can be used as a freestanding wall, or a retention wall. Seen here it makes beautiful risers for outdoor steps.
• This was in South Carolina about 30 miles above Columbia. Yes, that means we shipped a semi-load of stone down to install the walkway.
• This photo, and Sundays were taken about 2 yrs after the job was installed.
• The slab-bench photo was taken right at the end of initial installation.
• Yep, the pavers are brand new, and very architectural in style (clean edges and lines). Complete opposite of the rough and tumble sandstone. I was looking to mix opposites together to create strong visual interest.
• The entire length was over 120 feet and did vary width wise 5 to 8 feet with that landing.
• The landing was built to display art and as a visual resting spot, It was not built to hold furniture, or to become a patio. After two years it was still that way.
• The original request was to create a visual entertaining walkway from the parking court at the front of the house to the pool house on the other side of the service drive. You can see the opening to the pool area at the end of the walkway in that small patch of light in the dark area (top center).
• I’m still looking for the drawings for this project. I have the original concept drawings, and they are buried away somewhere.

I think that’s everything that was asked of me. I enjoyed the project very much the client was actually very easy to work for, and they enjoyed the final product. Most of the plantings were installed at the initial phase, we went for perennials and a few shrubs that would adapt to beds without irrigation.

The only questions I don’t want to get in here are the cost of the install. I hope the questioner will understand. Yes I do charge an hourly rate but when working away from the home base area I have daily and weekly rates along with expenses.

Thanks for all the interest, and questions. I’ll keep looking for the drawings . .

A Front Entry Fountain (3)

posted, 11/20/06
Color rendering: markers, colored pencils on yellow trace
This rendering is another take on what we had discussed last week. Especially the talk about where does the fountain belong, or not belong.

This rendering shows the fountain a little further up the sidewalk with a pergola area further behind and to the right. Do they belong together? I’m not sure, but do Tom and Katie belong together? Not sure there but we are all giving it a shot.

It is important to remember in a conceptual that it is just that . . . . a conceptual. If you are going to critique something, or tear it apart, or move something around-now is the time. The client wanted to see if a pergola/gazebo would work, and where I would suggest it. My take is the structure belongs off to the right and back from the sidewalk.

Back to last week, I’m not any more sure about this idea than the other rendering I had up last week. I’ll be real curious how the homeowners react to suggestions. I am pretty sure either solution was beyond their scope of visualization . . . this is not a bad thing or a offhand remark, it’s just how these concepts work out.

When clients ask for paving, walkways, structure, classical fountains, driveways, and parking courts . . . it gets complicated. Heck, that’s why I get called in.

A unobstructed view of existing front door
Well here it is. The entry is big, it’s massive, it’s imposing and it goes absolutely, positively nowhere . . .

The Importance of Hardscape Design (3)

posted, 11/04/06
The journey continues, from Yesterday
Coming off of the Paver patio the walk through the garden continues on the sandstone walkway. To a bridge made of antique curbstone. Pond is on far right. Fire ring area is across the bridge and double waterfalls are on the left.

That mound is artificial. It was built for falls and streams and to add sense of enclosure to the seating area. More on this later.

Hot Tub . . . where does it go?

posted, 09/26/06
This is the existing landscape

I was asked to come up with an idea for a designed space where the seating area was extended out onto the existing lawn, a perennial/cutting garden above the wall, and find a place for a hot-tub.

It made sense to tie the hot-tub into the deck space so there would be good solid footing to get to the tub from the house, and at the same time keep it fairly close to the house and yet be in its own space. While not infringing the patio/entertaining space.

My Version of New Landscape

Designing hot-tubs into these spaces, heck designing hot-tubs into almost any backyard . . . is tough. They are big clunky boxes, even the best designed ones are big clunky boxes. Add in the logistical requirements needed to run hot-tubs. The electrical, plumbing, servicing, etc.

Whats even worse is most designers don’t even try to add in the hot-tub in a harmonious way. Homeowners . . . forget about it, just drop the box on the patio.

The real problem is that this is usually considered something needed for a private space, but almost always is sited in the most public of spaces, sometimes right next to the picnic table or grill . . . how romantic!!! Which is the context in which most homeowners ask me to find a space for the hot-tub . . . a clam, quiet, romantic place for the husband-wife.

Where space considerations are a factor usually the best we can do is place the tub in a corner of the patio. The corner chosen should be the one where there will be the least amount of traffic or commotion. Away form the back and forth of people. Hopefully the patio will be large enough to allow for furniture and other stuff to be placed on the opposite end. Add to that landscaping that will compliment the space, and compliment the mood of the space.

A Conceptual Plan View of the Landscape Design

This is a plan view drawing of the same space shown in the rendering above. These conceptual drawings work together to tell the story of where this space could go.

I have spoken about this before, the plan-view drawing is how most designers/contractors present their solutions to homeowners-it doesn’t work. Most Americans can’t read a road map, and most people are not good at visualization. The plan-view drawing helps solve neither of these issues. Where the rendering does solve those problems.

The solution is right in front of them, it’s like the story of a picture is worth a 1,000 words. Well then, what’s a rendering worth? To the homeowner? To the contractor?

The rendering shows the potential of the space, and the plan-view drawing shows the scale of the impacted space. Together they present the entire story of the space’s potential.