Projects–a Labor of Love
for Dallas Landscaper

by Gregory V. Harris, regional editor

The front of the Wagner residence features an assortment of flowers, including tulips, which provides a small glimpse of the appearance of the backyard garden.

Rod Russell-Ides believes in completing one project at a time, as opposed to numerous projects in the works simultaneously.

“I believe better workmanship results by doing one at a time,” he said. “It’s a formula that I run by.”

That formula has led to a successful business for Russell-Ides, owner of Dallas-based The Gardens of Rod Russell-Ides. The 11-year-old business has designed and built some of the more spectacular gardens for custom residential properties in Dallas.

The company’s first project, the Wagner garden, was the design of a magnificent garden for a homeowner living in Dallas’ historic Bishop’s Row neighborhood. A home next door to this resident was being used to manufacture illegal drugs. A methamphetamine lab in the home blew up, destroying the home and sending debris as far away as six blocks. After purchasing the now vacant lot, the homeowner contacted Russell-Ides to design and build a garden on site. The several-hundred thousand dollar garden project was part of a $1.3 million remodeling of the home.

 

Rod Russell-Ides’ interest in sculpture design is evident with the inclusion of this piece, The Book of Ancient Blessings, located in the main garden. This sculpture features lighting designed to make the piece glow and cast light throughout the garden.

“He wanted to incorporate the whole lot as a garden,” Russell-Ides said.

The destroyed home had been roughly 4,500 square-feet, with the now vacant lot measuring approximately 200-feet by 110-feet.

“When I was hired, we walked the property, and the homeowner’s main consideration was a garden that was incorporated to not look like an add-on to the existing property,” Russell-Ides said. “It was important that this garden had to be designed as a tapestry rather than as an add-on.”

One of the first things Russell-Ides did to build the tapestry was install grass steps that led from the existing property to the new project. More than 400 yards of soil was brought on site for the new garden for grading because the lot had a slope in the landscape, visible from the homeowner’s bedroom.

The project included refurbishing a swimming pool. Concrete walkways were added around the pool and a hot tub and spa installed.

“We graded it somewhat like a billiard table, with a hump in the middle,” he said. “We spent three-and-a-half weeks on the grading, because laying down grass is somewhat like painting?EUR??,,????'??+the job is only as good as the prep work.”

After grading and installation were completed, the garden was brought to life with the planting of many varieties of flowers.

Russell-Ides said the landscape features more than 500 azaleas, 13,000 tulips, caladiums, 1,000 day lilies and forest pansies, all flowing seamlessly into the homeowner’s existing garden. In addition to the new look of the property, the project received a new name, Lionheart.

“All of my bigger projects are named,” he said. “The homeowner is a world traveler, and this design gives a feel of his traveling life.”

The garden includes two sculptures. The Book of Ancient Blessings is located in the main garden. This sculpture features lighting designed to make the piece “glow” and cast light throughout the garden.

“I prefer this type of lighting as opposed to something like a spotlight,” Russell-Ides explained. “It is much better to feature light that is mystical in appearance.”

The swimming pool meets naturally with the lawn and garden areas of the Wagner home. The Book of Ancient Blessings sculpture incorporates monoliths and ball-like structures.

A second sculpture, an angel piece, was placed in the side garden. The side garden also features fossil forms and a koi pond.

The installation of the side garden proved to be a difficult task for Russell-Ides. The side garden is located on the lot where the destroyed home sat, and the foundation for this home had to be removed before the garden was built.

“We had to use an excavator with a hammer attached to knock out that foundation,” he said. “That home was built in the 1920s, and the foundation was pretty solid.”

Once the foundation was removed and the side garden constructed, neighboring views had to be taken into account. Although Bishop’s Row is a historic neighborhood, modern day Dallas is in close proximity as an office complex and fast food restaurants are nearby.

“From the living room, you could see the golden arches of McDonald’s,” Russell-Ides said. “There is a saying, ‘if you can see it, you own it,’ and for as much money as the homeowner spent on this project, he didn’t want to see the McDonald’s.”

The garden flowers include 500 azaleas, 13,000 tulips, caladiums, 1,000 day lilies, and forest pansies.

To enhance the view, October glory red maple trees were imported from Nebraska. Russell-Ides “attached” the side garden to the main project by using stamped and stained concrete for steps to serve as a transition point. Concrete was added around the swimming pool, which had been remodeled and made one-third larger, and a hot tub and spa were installed, providing the homeowner with a relaxing garden retreat.

“Everything has developed beautifully on this project,” Russell-Ides said.

Russell-Ides had a crew of four men for the Wagner project, with the job taking roughly seven months to complete. In addition to the aforementioned excavator, a Bobcat was kept on site full-time. These pieces of equipment were leased for the Wagner project, and Russell?EUR??,,????'???Ides said he leases all of the necessary equipment based on the needs of the project.

Despite having a small core group of crew members, Russell-Ides said this does not limit the size of projects that his company has undertaken.

“I have trained this crew, so they know what to do and they know what I expect from them,” he explained. “These guys are the ones who do the hands-on work, the real implementation of the project. When I need to bring in the ‘bunkhouse boys,’ guys to do some of basic work, I can dip into the Dallas labor pool.”

The side garden features a second sculpture, an angel piece, fossil forms and a koi pond. The installation of the side garden proved difficult, as the garden is located on the lot where the destroyed home sat. The 1920s era foundation had to be removed before the garden was built.

In addition to employing a core group of workers, Russell-Ides can be found at the project site throughout the duration of construction.

“I am more hands-on in my approach,” he said. “I can’t tell people what to do. I need to be there to do the project with them.”

All of the plant materials for these projects are purchased by Russell-Ides close to the time that they are scheduled to be planted, avoiding the expense of warehouse storage.

“The local nurseries see our trucks and know the quality of plant materials that we want and will accept,” he said.

Russell-Ides said although his crews only work on one project at a time, he is usually in the design process with a second client while the first project is being completed.

The Bishop’s Row neighborhood of Dallas sits in close proximity to several office buildings. To block the view of the buildings, October glory red maple trees were imported from Nebraska.

“Depending on the size of the project, we usually do two or three projects a year.”

Russell-Ides said he only does custom residential projects, adding that he brings a unique vision to his work.

“I was a composer, but I lost my hearing, so I started doing gardens,” he explained. “I design these gardens musically; these projects have to have a certain flow to them.”

The key to success, Russell-Ides notes, is not in the number of projects that are completed in a year, but the quality of work that is done.

“My motto is to exceed the client’s expectations,” he said. “My clients have developed a trust with me. If I feel that I cannot gain that trust, I don’t take the job. When I’m pleased, I pretty much know that they’ll be pleased.”