Landscape Architect Articles

A Tale of Two Gardens04-06-16 | Feature

A Tale of Two Gardens

When a client moved to a new home in Wheaton, Ill., Grant & Power Landscaping went with them to revamp the front and back yards. A full-service landscape company, they designed and installed both the landscape and the lighting for the two-acre estate. A maintenance program was included in the contract for this client, who also made many additions and adjustments to the landscape over time. Lighting was important to the homeowner, as their home is in a dark area off the main road. The mature trees that were already on site were incorporated into the landscape and lighting design, and were artfully illuminated.

The front yard was designed to be more of a formal garden, with a series of green and white plants including "Annabelle,' "limelight,' "snow queen,' and "unique' hydrangeas. Approximately thirty 20-watt, die-cast aluminum path lights are installed along the property's patios and pathways for safety and aesthetics. These lights also serve to guide guests from the front of the home to the backyard. One of the challenges in lighting this property, beyond the sheer size of it, was laying cable across paths. When a cable needed to go across a paved area, the team from Grant & Power tunneled the wire under the flagstone pavers to prevent creating a tripping hazard. Throughout the property, there are four 900-watt, stainless steel transformers.

Spotlights, including a combination of 20-watt well lights and 35-watt zinc halogen uplights, were primarily used to light the mature trees. Currently, all the lights on the property, including the path lights, are halogen. Over the course of 2016 and 2017, the homeowner is transitioning to LEDs.

Several trees across the property, including this one in the front yard, have 35-watt "Lunar' downlights (Unique Lighting Systems) to light the tree and the formal gardens below. The entire lighting installation took a team of two to three a total of three to four days to complete.

When a current client moved to a much larger estate, they chose to bring their landscape contractor with them. Grant & Power Landscaping was called upon to create a total sanctuary from the homeowners' busy lives, improving the existing landscape and showcasing its distinct beauty.

A Landscape Illuminated
The owners of this two-acre property in Wheaton, Ill., wanted a more formal look for the front yard, while letting Mother Nature take the lead in the back. While the more mature trees and shrubs were kept, the new plants in the front yard landscape, including goatsbeard, pachysandra and peony, were chosen for a succession of white and green flower and foliage colors. The textures of these plants add the finishing touch to the formal appearance. In the back, the bed lines and arrangements of creeping thyme, Shasta daisy, and ferns become noticeably free flowing, following the contours of the property and blending seamlessly into the natural surroundings. Since the home is located in a dark area, away from the main road, lighting the space was critical to the homeowner. The existing lighting system was replaced in the redesign, adding path lights, well lights, and downlights to even out the lighting and to help create a park-like retreat on the property.

Lighting around the rear landscape accents larger structural trees, enhancing the warmth of the surroundings and adding an element of security. Most of the trees were lit solely with a combination of uplights and well lights positioned at their bases to light them from the bottom up. Many of the trees around the home also have "Lunar' downlights from Unique Lighting Systems mounted on them to illuminate the plantings below. The paths and patios around the home are lit with path lights that offer both safety and aesthetics.

The backyard was created to be less formal and more natural than the front yard. Instead of straight lines, the bed edges curve around the property as they would in nature. These areas are planted with "lady Baltimore' hibiscus and a variety of Siberian iris around mature trees already on the property. Several 50-watt aluminum well lights with adjustable housings and lamp brackets shine on the trees in this area.

Installing the Lights
There are approximately 85 light fixtures throughout the property, which were installed in 2011 – the front yard first, followed by the backyard. Four transformers, 900 watts each, are installed on the property.

In the front yard and backyard, in planters and alongside walkways and patios, 20-watt aluminum path lights define the entry, provide security, and direct foot traffic from front to back.

The trees are lit with a combination of uplights, well lights and downlights. The 36 uplights across the property are a combination of 20- and 35-watt fixtures. The smaller of these two, 5" tall, is also used to light the statue and the water feature. The larger of these two is a zinc fixture with an MR-16 lamp, and an optional longer shroud. The 17 well lights are 50 watts each, and have adjustable housings and lamp brackets that allow for a wider range of tilt. Eight "Lunar' downlights, 35 watts, are placed on trees throughout the property to fill out the shadows and to illuminate the gardens below. These brass fixtures have an extended shroud and can be rotated 360 degrees.

Grant & Power installed the lights, cabling, and watertight connections using hand tools. In some cases, cable had to be laid under paved areas, which was the biggest installation challenge, as trenches had to be dug underneath the pavers to lay the cable without doing any damage. The sheer size of the property made it a challenge as well. Even so, the lighting installation took just two to three workers a few days to complete.

Currently, the property is lit with all halogen lights. Over the course of this year and next year, the homeowner will be switching to LEDs. This only requires that the bulbs be changed: all the fixtures will remain the same.

Grant & Power won a regional award from the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association as well as a national award from the National Association of Landscape Professionals, formerly PLANET, for this project.