Grand Entrance

By Scott J. Wallace, Bertog Landscape Company

Square pieces of bluestone were cut to form the meandering walk. Workers used a Stihl hand-held concrete saw to create the walkway in one day. The challenge of creating this curve was further complicated by the presence of the large Honey-locust tree and the Village?EUR??,,????'???s ordinance, which states that no equipment or construction can be done within the drip line of a tree.

When the owners of this colonial-style revival home in Winnetka, Illinois first approached the Bertog Landscape Company, they were looking for an outdoor living area designed for entertaining, as well as to redesign the walkways and driveways to de-emphasize the home's service entrance and to focus attention on the more grand front entrance. The homeowners' vision also included entertainment area for casual gatherings, as well as simple plant combinations that did not require heavy maintenance.

The project seemed straightforward enough to Bertog, and so the process began. As is often the case with construction projects, not all of the project's hidden obstacles were revealed until excavation and pre-site inspection commenced.

The tree preservation measures began early in the fall so the old home's demolition and construction of the new one could begin before the winter frost arrived. Two larger trees needed to be spaded to other areas of the property so they did not interfere with the footprint of the new home. The project took two years to complete during construction.

During the initial inspection, ''The Village'' required an extensive underground drainage system to be put in place to retain water. This changed the scope of work and became the focus of the preliminary construction before the actual landscape plan could truly be implemented.

The project supervisors and crews had to engineer the grades and elevations to ensure that the surface water drained to the various catch basins located throughout the property. They dug five separate water catchment basins around the property, all of which were plumbed to send overflow into the community's storm water system. The contractor had to remove tons of heavy clay soils around the entire foundation that was left by the excavator; this was done to create zones to support proper drainage.

The contractor created a central planting bed using larger lilacs to screen the service drive from the front door. As a result, visitors are drawn towards the elaborate front door by a mix of annual color and perennials along the curved walkway, also pictured above.

 


Taking two years to complete, this Bertog Landscape Company project included a massive excavation and drainage system redesign, and ended up with an elegant walkway entrance, 2,000 square-foot driveway and a well-integrated low-maintenance landscape. The contractor also installed 2,100 square yards of sod and a new irrigation system.

A mix of non-invasive evergreens, perennials, and groundcover were utilized to create a simple color pallet that promises easy maintenance.

Making A Great Entrance

The client's main concern was how the guests would enter the home. The goal was to route visitors to the elaborate front-door entrance rather than the more accessible service entrance. A central planting bed was created using larger specimen ornamentals to screen the service entrance area. On the way up to the main entrance, a mix of annual color and perennials was combined along the walkway. The contractor chose low-maintenance evergreens, groundcovers, and perennials per the client's request.

A large Honeylocust tree and the tree preservation ordinances of the Village complicated the creation of the bluestone path. The ordinance stated that nothing could be built under a tree's drip line. The winding bluestone path was formed using square bluestone pieces cut to form an irregular shape and allow the walkway to conform to its desired shape. A bluestone patio was envisioned as an elevated patio with a random pattern of larger and smaller pieces that created the irregular pattern.

The structure required concrete footings below the frost line then a natural-stone wall was constructed and mortared around the perimeter.

The contractor removed more than 60 cubic yards of unsuitable soil using a New Holland Skid Steer with a ''tooth'' bucket. Workers removed 12 inches of heavy clay soil around the entire foundation. Then they supplemented the excavated area with a planting mix of topsoil, compost and sand.

The contractor had to square the driveway to the home's foundation and soften the straight-line look of the banded area. The driveway base was excavated to a depth of 16 inches. The curb at the driveway entrance was saw-cut for an easier transition from the street to the driveway.

The Project

Once completed, the driveway itself measured out a 2,000 square feet. In the driveway's construction, workers used more than 60 yards of Grade-9 gravel and three cubic yards of sand for screening. For the final touches, they installed 800 square feet of Brussels block paver, and 1,200 square feet of asphalt. It took one foreman, one assistant foreman and 10 laborers, eight days to complete, including excavation.

The project took two years to complete, and employed 15 workers at its busiest. The project was also a boom for subcontractors, as trades such as asphalt specialists, irrigation installers, lighting installers, hardscape professionals and carpenters were all employed. Kelly Green designed and built the A.C. and generator screen fencing, which was custom-designed, installed, and painted by Kelly Green.

Bertog built the bluestone terrace in an irregular mortared pattern. A veneered surface on the stone face was integrated to match the stone on the house. The irregular bluestone path helped tie-in the irregular patterns around the house, while staging the transition for the formal patio.

Before laying the bluestone hardscape, the contractor installed concrete footings below the frost-line. They then built a natural stone wall around the perimeter. Before any stone was laid, they removed all the unsuitable gravel and debris from the area and incorporated 2-3-inch lifts of aggregate gravel for proper compaction. The designers worked closely with the client and supervisors in choosing a random pattern that utilized larger pieces of bluestone. The bluestone patio was dry-laid. The smallest size bluestone used was 12 x 18 inches.

Materials

For the softscape, Bertog used more than 1,500 square feet of sod, 140 square yards of soil, 80 boxwood shrubs, 48 Arbs, three spruce trees, 40 hydrangeas, a single Japanese maple, hundreds of perennials, and groundcover plant material.

The hardscape portion of the project used 1,430 square feet of full-range bluestone, 430 square feet of irregular bluestone steppers, and 108 square feet of rock-faced treads. For lighting, the contractor installed 200 Cast 20-watt directional lights.

In the end, it was a successful project that combined the client's vision with the artistry and value of the landscape contractor.