2008 Residential Showcase

We received more than 200 quality photographs in response to the residential issue's call for submissions. That made the selections difficult but it's a problem we wouldn't want to trade. In the pages that follow you'll find a collection of residential projects that stretch from Pennsylvania to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. That's close to 6,000 total miles, and we think we've pulled a winning selection that emphasizes the diversity of the American residential landscape.

Custom Landscaping

120 Lihau St.
Kapaa, Hawaii 96746
www.customlandscaping.ws

Hawaiian Environs
Checking out Custom Landscaping's work on the Garden Isle of Kauai makes you want to hop on a plane to the islands. Lush plant material, lots of water and that black, volcanic soil look hard to beat in this collection of residential projects. But remember, this team of landscape professionals puts in plenty of hard work even if they do live in a tropical paradise.

Here's another recently-finished Kauai residence, with fox tail palm trees, date palms, purple spider lilies, hybrid hibiscus, mixed crotons, birds of paradise, bromeliads, copper lighting, moss rocks and peanut ground cover. Note the river rock bordering the driveway placed there so the cars don't run over the plants.

The firm's work at Kauai Hospice was completed on a volunteer basis. The team pulled together to install the landscaping and koi pond, The workers here are planting giant mondo grass in a bedding area along with some temple fire bougainvillea. To protect the soil from unremitting rain, island landscapes need groundcover over every inch of the soil.

Team leader Tai Horka wields a hydroseeding nozzle as he and a coworker lay down seashore paspalum sprigs at Kauai Hospice. The salt-tolerant turf type is a popular choice across the 50th state. Photos courtesy of Tairoy Horka

Horticulture Unlimited, Inc.

3237 N. Richey Blvd.
Tucson, Ariz. 85716
www.horticultureunlimited.com

Serious About Xeriscaping
Tucson-based Horticulture Unlimited may be giving us a glimpse of the future of Southwestern landscaping with this home in Tubac, Ariz. The design by landscape architect Mary Rose Duffield shows how much impact a limited number of trees and shrubs can have. And sure, there's a lawn here, but the adjacent rock gardens limit its total area and emphasize what might be called a pond of green.

A pair of bubbling-rock water features were placed in a center bed area with a bay laurel serving as the focal planting. Both large boulders and the tree were flown in' (see below) using a crane. Pots were filled with annual color and vines were attached to the wall to complete the look.

Photos courtesy of Rosalee H. Gage

 

The homeowner wanted a large lawn to enhance views of the mountains and form a play area for his grandchildren. In the Arizona heat this was not an easy task, but with the correct irrigation, the landscapers accomplished a great look. The flat-roofed Santa Fe-style home created heavy water fall from the few scuppers, so a French drain and a rock splash pad and drainage swales were incorporated in a manner that was appealing and fit with the entire scheme.

Esch Landscaping LLC

7101 Crescent Beach Rd
Pigeon, Mich. 48755
www.eschlandscaping.com

Poolside, Michigan
Looking at the photos of this lavish backyard, it's hard to guess the latitude is near the Canadian border. The expansive hardscapes, bar, pergola and poolside sandbox make one think of luxury homes much farther south. For a few months in summer, at least, this prime spot must seem like its own resort retreat.

Above & Below: pergola and pool. A crew of six to eight workers labored for close to 45 days to install the expansive 3,000-square-foot hardscape at this Michigan home. A Komatsu excavator, New Holland skid steers and a laser level helped grade the site. The pool job was subcontracted out, along with the installation of the outdoor sound system incorporated into the pergolas.

The project's main challenges were the grading for the elevation change and installing the electronic infrastructure. Conduits were put in all of the pillars for lighting, with control switches at the bar area and in the house. The sound system conduits were hidden in the frame of the two pergolas. Photos courtesy of Denny Esch

Landscape Development, Inc.

1210 Distribution Way
Vista, Calif. 92081
www.landscapedevelopment.com

The Spa at Carlsbad
Why go on vacation when your home looks like a world-class resort? That's the question this homeowner in Carlsbad, Calif. is asking after San Diego County-based Landscape Development designed and built this standout home. Look how the rectangle theme repeats using water, hardscape, turf and pergola. All that and a Pacific view what a classic scene!

Above and Below: A moat-shaped water feature seems to make this slab of lawn float in this hilltop backyard. Note the number of amenities squeezed into what is a rather compact space: a glass-paned fence reduces wind and curtains attached to the pergola cool this sitting area (see inset) from afternoon rays.

An olive tree and white plumbago and roses are low-water plants that support the home's Mediterranean theme. The Landscape Development team completed the hardscape, pools, fountains, woodwork, planting and irrigation.

Thoms Bros. Landscaping, Inc.

58600 Ray Center Road
Ray, Mich. 48096
www.thomsbros.com

Country Place Estate
This recently-built home will soon look like it has been part of the Michigan landscape for decades. Bringing in those big pine and spruce trees will pay off big with an established look. And can you say, Bricks? Look how well the hardscape meshes with the brick-built home. Not to mention those wide, Midwestern spaces the only fence on this site is the safety fence around the pool.

Above and Below: A six-man crew worked on the landscape as the home was built over two years. The inset view shows the property as the home neared completion. The crew kept an enclosed 20-ft. trailer on site during the process to secure tool and supplies. A John Deere 260 skid loader helped bring in the boulders and soil that help create this finished view.

The biggest challenge on the job was bringing in these Norway spruce and Austrian pine to create a measure of privacy in the pool area. Overhead power lines created an obstacle that precluded the use of the big tree spade the crew would normally employ for a job like this. Instead, workers labored under the summer sun with shovels to dig holes in the hard, clay soil. Photos courtesy of Steven D. Thoms, MCN, APLD, CLP

Chestnut Hill Nursery

Route 209
Brodheadsville, Pa. 18322
www.chnursery.com

A Forest Hideaway
The team at Chestnut Hill Nursery feels at home in the Pennsylvania woods as these photos demonstrate. Carefully-placed local stone is used around the putting green and streambed. But no one is roughing it around this pool and its gazebo except for the trio of frogs supporting the local bird bath!

Above and Below: This streambed (built with an Aquascape kit) is the perfect complement to the Pocono Mountains (Pennsylvania) landscape. Three frogs depicted nearby in a bird-bath sculpture (inset) obviously enjoy the scene. The team also installed a network of CAST lighting elements (one is visible at right in the upper photo) that keep the party going after dark.

The Chestnut Hill Nursery team created this pondless waterfall that appears to flow into the backyard pool. Also installed, but not visible in this view, are a fire pit and gas grill. Project workers also installed the Versa-Lok retaining wall seen here. Photos courtesy of Tracey Trenery