Going Native In Fallbrook

By David Silver, AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc.

This Fallbrook, California home challenged AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc. to create the ultimate native plant project. For lighting in the front courtyard, the contractor installed Unique Guardian spots, FX Luminaire DM path lights, as well as FX Stella Minuto and rope lights to surround the courtyard.

AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc. turns a water-hungry landscape in Fallbrook, California, into a model of water-wise landscaping. Complete with both native plants, elegant hardscape and succulents, this project demonstrates that going native can make for an environmentally friendly homestead that is functional, low-maintenance and beautiful.

The new lighting system consists of four ''Unique'' transformers, which were all installed with a sequencer. Unique Guardian copper spotlights were used to up-light the trees and larger plant material. Path lights with 48-inch stems were installed to highlight the decomposed granite walking paths, and Luminaire DM path lights were added as well. Soft spots illuminate the area walls, and down lights were hidden under the patio cover.

This pool-side planter area features agave, sedum, euphorbia and aenonium. Aloe, senecio and other succulents were planted as well; all the plant material is fed by a drip irrigation system.

 


Designed by the contractor, the fountain was built by the company's in-house masonry crew. Its construction consists of a CMU block shell, Travertine tile, and a concrete basis waterproofed using Throughseal; it is run by an Oase submersible water pump, which gets it power from a custom-installed electrical line. For lighting, they installed an underwater low-voltage light.

When AAA Landscape Specialists, Inc. met with the homeowner, the client asked that their water-thirty, high-maintenance landscape be converted to a more water-efficient, low-maintenance one. Prior to the project's start, the landscape consisted mainly of turf grass. The homeowners indicated their desire to use both natives and succulent plant material.

To begin, the contractor removed more than 2,000 square feet of lawn and 600 square feet of existing concrete.

Workers spent more than 60 man-hours removing the home's existing plant materials. Then, in anticipation of the new landscape, they installed 1,000 feet of irrigation lateral lines and 2,000 feet of
drip line.

The company completely renovated the stonework around the existing swimming pool with 3,000 PSI Integral Color concrete colored with ''Davis'' Sand Diego Buff. The accents are Cameron Flagstone. The driveway received matching treatment. The plant materials used throughout the project are a variety of succulents including: Sedum spurium, senecio serpens, blue chalksticks, and othonna capensis ''Little Pickles'' just to name a few

The home's front yard was treated to a bed of tree aloe, agave americana, sedum, euphorbia and aenonium plant material. Like the rest of the project, the area receives its water from a drip irrigation system. Workers thoroughly amended the soil before planting with mulch and potting soil.

Installation and Materials

The project was broken down into two main installation phases, which took a total of eight weeks to complete. During the course of the project, they installed more than 12 tons of decomposed granite material.

In addition to the large patio area, AAA Landscape Specialists upgraded all the hardscape around the pool. For this, they poured in 3,000 PSI Integral Color concrete with ''Davis'' San Diego Buff color. For the final touches, Camaron Flagstone accents were added. For the truly personal touch, workers installed artwork created by the owner's grandchildren on 4 x 4-foot redwood posts.

All the succulent landscape is irrigated by a drip system supported by a secondary system of Hunter MP Rotators for the ground cover areas. The plants in this area include: Weeping peppermint, grivellia, helicyrsim, dipladenia and geraniums.

Workers placed four 48-inch box trees using a 28-ton crane. Two of the trees were Rhus lancea and two were California Live Oak. They also planted a 36-inch box Palo Verde. The tree in the courtyard is a 36-inch Peppermint Willow.

The contractor installed three tons of Cameron Flagstone on ''California Gold'' decomposed granite. The flagstone was installed on a concrete mortar base for stability. To accent the hardscape flagstone, they used 1?EUR??,,????'?????<

Lighting the Way

The project received a completely new lighting system, which consists of four ''Unique'' transformers; the transformers were all installed with a sequencer. The contractor installed copper spotlights to up-light the trees and larger plant material in the backyard. For path lights, they employed 48-inch stem lights to illuminate the decomposed granite walking paths.

Soft spots are used to wash area walls, and down lights were installed under the patio cover. In keeping with the project's resource-efficient motif, the company had all the fixtures converted to LED using ''Brilliance LED'' replacement bulbs. To get power to all the new lighting, the contractor ran 2,500 feet of 10- and 12-gauge direct burial wire.

Awards Season

The project was not only well received by the project's homeowners, but was also recognized by the California Landscape Contractors Association. It received two awards:

• The CLCA's Landscape Beautification Achievement Award (Large California-Friendly Landscape Construction).
• The Landscape Beautification Achievement Award (California-Friendly Irrigation/WaterSmart Irrigation).