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Design work |
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Design work |
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My design approach:
A garden is a place where man and nature meet:
It should be a place that honors and enhances the beauty of nature. It also has to fulfill functional requirements for the people who use the garden. And finally, it should be a refuge for the plants, birds, insects and all kind of creatures who chose our gardens as their home.
As I strive to achieve harmony between all of these goals I also follow principles of sustainability.
I always seek a balance between beauty and function. None of them can dominate the other!
My typical materials are natural stone and traditional materials such as brick. I keep the use of concrete and modern man-made materials, such as concrete pavers, at a minimum. After all, gardening is supposed to bring us closer to nature!
In my planting designs I aim at an integration of the landscape into the surroundings. This aesthetic goal also helps the technical side of it, because integration into a specific location also means to adapt the plant choices to the conditions of the site. Integration also means sustainability and reduced maintenance.
My design service developed out of my landscaping and stonemasonry business, where I have gathered construction experience for many years. This hands-on background, especially in stonework, is especially important in finding the best solutions for technical aspects of a landscape plan, and in understanding the details.
The design process:
The design process usually starts with an initial analysis of the needs and conditions of a particular site. Sometimes that could be a systematic site analysis, at other occasions it is sufficient to just take a brief look at the soil, vegetation, or appearance of a house.
After defining basic needs and identifying restrictions it is possible to dedicate various areas of the site to their proper function. Vehicular traffic considerations, pedestrian access to a building, or needs for recreational space are typical questions addressed in this planning stage.
Now it is also time to work on elevations. Drainage and proper grading are essential for the success of any job and have to be targeted at the same time as decisions are made regarding driveways, walkways, patios, retaining walls, and erosion control.
Next the general vegetation types are established, and at this point I also need to consider views that might need to be enhanced, or the need for screening. Defining the different plant species and varieties and their numbers can be a time consuming job. Foliage colors and textures, the height and spacing of all plants, flower colors and flower seasons, and of course all the factors relating to the soil and climate conditions all have to be considered. I developed my own plants database for this purpose, which contains well over 2000 plants suitable for New England, and allows to search for almost 100 characteristics that describe each plant.
My Principles:
I design with natural and traditional materials only. This includes a broad spectrum of natural stones, clean composts and mulches, and beautiful plants. Gardening is about being close to nature, therefore it is a wise move to show the artificial things their limits. I do not use pavers or wall stones that are molded from concrete. However, I do use fired clay brick as a traditional material, especially around historic houses and in urban areas.
Sustainability in landscaping involves careful plant choices. Not only have invasive plants to be avoided, but all plants used have to exactly meet the requirements of the site. They have to be able to live in their spot with little intervention and few maintenance tasks by their owners. Replanting annuals and short-lived kinds of perennials on a large scale is not my thing and should be limited to a few focal points and flower planters. My designs usually contain long-lived plants, especially a wide variety of ornamental shrubs. Many are compact or dwarf varieties, because these don't outgrow their available space and need less pruning and trimming. They usually take longer than other plants to get established and to come to their full beauty, but once grown in and full, they require very little maintenance and keep weeds in bound as well. These plantings become better as they age, instead of declining! Well, I miss out on being called back year after year for all the annual beds to be replanted - however, I do admit that they can be very beautiful, too.
A good deal of my work concerns solutions for problem locations, such as entrance areas that lack function and beauty, or planting locations with dry shade, strongly draining slopes or sterile soils. These are often solved within the frame of a consulting visit or a small, limited design drawing.
Depending on the project and the customers wishes, my designs contain one or several of the following parts:
| - an overall landscape plan, in black& white or color |
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| - an overall landscape plan focusing on technical specifications, needed by the installation crew |
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drawings of details, elevations, drainage installations, etc
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| - plant lists with trees, shrubs and perennials recommended for the site |
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| - planting designs on paper or staking out of plant locations on site |
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| - a text describing the design, and including technical details relevant for the implementation |
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| - in some cases, a detailed site analysis is a useful tool |
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| - upon request I can add a pencil or colored sketch of how the finished project would look like |
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| - however, for most design needs it is sufficient to have one single drawing that specifies the hardscaping and major plant locations, and this is typically accompanied by a plant list and brief written explanations |
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If you would like to get information about design work or consulting visits or to make an appointment with Thomas Berger, please contact us by phone (207-439-7700).
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