The art of paving patterns Calpinage is something we don’t talk about here in the United States. Maybe that’s because we don’t have a corresponding word. We could say “paving patterns”, but that just doesn’t sound nearly as cool. Calpinage is the art of laying out hardscape patterns, turning boring alleys and streets into texturallyContinue reading “Calepinage”
Category Archives: Construction
Small patio remodel: concrete work
This patio is the focal point when looking from the house. Formerly cracked old concrete, it will be warm colored flagstone banded with integral color concrete. A fountain on a pedestal will add movement and sound, and the overall effect will bring the Spanish look of the house and existing patio all the way toContinue reading “Small patio remodel: concrete work”
Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art
Long ago, someone planted a tiny, spindly tree. It grew. A puppy chewed off much of the bark. The tree survived. It grew, and grew, and grew until it spread over the pool, the roof, the patio. Its trunk thickened until nobody could see the pool from the house. Sadly, it was time for theContinue reading “Transforming a cherry tree from landscape to furniture & art”
Jardin plaisir… Jardin cauchemar!!!
Non petit computer , tu ne vas pas m’attraper encore! Mais je vais te donner une petite histoire… quand même!!! Le jardin m’a donné du plaisir, avec Blue eyes qui a de nouveaux yeux et la sculpture de Mike pour la rose grimpante ‘Red Fountain’… La voici la fontaine de sang lorsqu’elle allait s’avachir surContinue reading “Jardin plaisir… Jardin cauchemar!!!”
Ready to plant!
After the irrigation and lighting systems are installed, it’s time to plant. Often nurseries don’t have all the required plants, so flags are used to mark the position of plants that will arrive later. All the plants are carried to their approximate position on site and placed, still in their pots. After walking around theContinue reading “Ready to plant!”
Soil compaction
Installing a new landscape often involves the use of heavy equipment. Although this can speed the work and reduce the amount of time the site is a mess, it can also compact soils. This site has heavy clay soil, so the equipment didn’t do the soil any favors. Luckily, there are ways to fix theContinue reading “Soil compaction”
Let there be light
This system uses Light-Emitting Diodes instead of the more traditional halogen incandescent – or halogen – lights. Incandescent lighting will soon be obsolete, due to higher energy use coupled with a short life span for the bulbs, especially in outdoor conditions. Having to replace landscape lighting every month as the bulbs fail is aContinue reading “Let there be light”
Installing the irrigation system
After fine grading has been done, the irrigation system goes in the ground. This system happens to use spray heads – but it could have used one or more types of drip irrigation, or a combination of drip and spray or drip and stream rotors. Systems that shoot water through the air are called broadcast;Continue reading “Installing the irrigation system”
A step forward: new concrete paths
The concrete was installed today, pumped from a truck into the forms set up earlier, then textured. It won’t be walkable for three more days, and it will take three more weeks until anyone can drive on the banding. The concrete arrived pre-mixed in trucks, with color already added to the mix. The wet “mud”Continue reading “A step forward: new concrete paths”
A new garden comes together in Fair Oaks
By spring, this natural-looking landscape should be growing in. The plants are supposedly deer-resistant, although I say, “supposedly” because deer can’t read and don’t always know they’re not going to like something. Many of the plants are natives, so there should be more birds and butterflies adding life. This is a borderline area, more visualContinue reading “A new garden comes together in Fair Oaks”