The Great Gate, Wall and Fence Integration

Mary Bowe, Gasper Landscape Design & Construction

The walkway material is clay brick complemented by Belgian block curbing on this side of the wall, and concrete pavers on the office side. The ground was prepped as atypical dry laid paver walkway as per ICPI standards, The contractor also made the oak door and complemented it with antique wrought iron strap hinge assembly; the assembly was drilled and mortared into the stone.

Stretching across two separate projects, this article offers a look at the fencing and wall choices, and how they can be integrated together to look pleasing while also serving their function. Designed and built by Gasper Landscape Design & Construction of Richboro, Pennsylvania, the two jobs include: The Cowell project, which features a fence designed to keep out deers, while not looking like a barrier; and, the Robert's residence, which integrates masonry work with wooden fencing to match the home's original style.

About one third of the stone blend used for the project actually came out of the ground at the job site. This same rock formation had been used over 200 years previously to build the original farmhouse. The plants shown here include: Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Maid' & 'Blue Stallion', Hydrangea macrophylla 'Forever Pink', Hosta 'Francis Williams', Tricyrtis 'Gilt Edge', Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum', and Tradescantia 'Concord Grape' They are watered using a drip irrigation system.

 


The plant shown here include: Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie', Calibrachoa 'Superbells Lavender', and Bacopa 'Snowflake'. The area for the soil measure between about 14 inches deep by one inch wide. For irrigation, the contractor built a drip irrigation system into the wall itself. The contractor selected plants for high heat and drought tolerance, and they mix OSMACOTE into new soil mix every year. In winter the troughs are filled with fresh cut greens.

The Roberts Residence

Gaspar was commissioned by the homeowners to create a ''privacy wall'' to separate different aspects of their client's life: his home and his business. The client wished for a privacy wall, which would keep stray customers out of his back yard but not make his family feel caged in. After taking into account the clients 200 year-old stone and plaster farmhouse, Gaspar created a combination of wooden fence and masonry walls to integrate seamlessly into the overall look and theme of the existing home and structures.

The contractor decided upon wooden privacy panels, solid enough to allow the client to feel free enough to "run around naked in his back yard." White plaster half walls were combined with stone masonry sections to break down the massiveness of the wall. Several stone plaques were sourced and inset into the masonry, as well as brick details to add interest and further break down the large expanse of surface.

There are three different plaques in the wall, two on the office side of the wall, and one large Venus plaque on the home side of the wall next to the door. In this case antique clay brick used to create the arch over the door was also used to create the frame for the plaques. The plaque is made of reinforced and stained concrete.

The stone walls measure nine feet high, and then an additional three feet with the treillage. The project took several months with one mason and a helper, and one carpenter and a helper. The wood material shown on the fence face is exterior grade tongue & groove, and is secured in place with angle brackets.

A narrow trellis system connects both stone and wooden sections into a cohesive whole. The trellis was complemented with a combination of Wisteria, Clematis and climbing roses to blend it into adjacent gardens. On the business side of the wall the contractor created a garden as a transitional space. Several troughs stuffed with seasonal plantings were created within the walls and fitted with automatic irrigation.

A different mason, working on the façade of a new kitchen addition (also built by Gasper) was given the task of the stonework. They used this second mason because they wanted the stonework to match as best possible on the two structures.

As the stonemason worked, the fence and treillage were constructed at the Gasper tool and storage barn. Once the stonework was completed, the short walls, which were to be topped with wooden panels were given a smooth stucco finish to match what was found on portions of the farmhouse.

The fence is made completely from Cedar wood and measures 175 feet in length. Hydrangea anomala petiolaris, Lonicera sempervirens 'Magnifica', Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus', Rudbeckia hirta 'Indian Summer' adorn the fence, and the low growing blue flowers are Ceratostigma plumbaginoides.

The Cowell Residence

The fence measures seven feet high, and is anchored in the ground with concrete post footings. The fencing construction took several weeks. The fence panels were built offsite during the winter in Gaspar's construction facility. This allowed them to get a jump-start on construction during the slower winter months. When the panels were completed, the fence was erected on site and then stained. After the fence was erected and the backyard closed in, Gasper Landscape Design & Construction moved forward with plantings knowing that deer wouldn't be turning the garden into a salad bar.

The change in fencing materials allowed for the entire back yard to be fenced away from the deer, in a manner, which was both cost and maintenance effective. The shorter lattice fence wraps the back of a Koi pond, defining the garden room and providing support for a collection of climbing roses and clematis.

Offsite construction of the fence allowed Gasper Landscape to build within a convenient timeframe, while still allowing the company to deliver in time for the early spring planting of the garden. It also kept construction mess on the client's property to a minimum.

One carpenter with one assistant built the panels; the same carpenter with an additional assistant erected the cedar fence. The mesh fencing system took additional two or three days for one of our landscape crews to erect.