If you are following my blog you may have noticed the dearth of posts since Christmas. I have been taking a class in site engineering from the Landscape Institute at the BAC.
http://www.the-bac.edu/education-programs/the-landscape-institute It is a wonderful program for landscape enthusiasts and professionals.Site engineering has answered so many questions I have had about grading landforms and controlling storm water runoff. I now know how to calculate slopes and design a traverse sloping path.
This is the third course I have taken from the LI and I can't believe how much I have learned. I thought I might share a few pictures of my work:
 |
| Geomorphic Land Form Design |
The object of this design was to design a gathering space that you could reach by two different paths, AND you had to do it all by manipulating contours - no stone paths or hedges or perennial borders, just grass, retaining walls, and rain gardens (areas that catch rainfall and have wetlands planting.) My charge was to come up with a geomorphic solution to the problem; that is to have spaces defined by angled lines and crystalline shapes. There are two paths to the space. One hugs the side of the mound that creates the gathering space and the other path forms a ridge that is surrounded by rain garden. Both paths have a slope of 5% or less in order to be handicapped accessible. A small retaining wall serves as a bench where one may rest and take in the larger view beyond. The slopes of the predominance of land forn is 2:1, which accentuates the shapes of the land. All in all I think you are looking at 20-30 hours worth of work to design, work out all the kinks and build the model. One sheet of cardboard represents on foot of elevation change. the rain garden is represented by dried oregano glued down. This model smells quite a bit like a pizza.
 |
| Design for a Music Center Landscape in Geometric Form |
 |
| Street View |
This next model is one of my favorite designs. I participated in a steering committee in my town that was looking at re-use of National Guard Armory property. One idea was to turn the brick vehicle storage building into a performing arts center. (Just last week I read in the paper that a few local people have applied for a grant to actually accomplish this.) I , however was thinking more about the gathering space in front of the building and how it related to the street. In my design there is a brick terrace, with an allee of honeylocusts (Gleditsia) creating a formal promenade in front of the building. The space is bounded but easily penetrated by staggered rows of formal clipped arborvitae (Thuja). The model is made of dried sedum flowers, dried astilbe, and little pieces of black foam board.
 |
| Proposed Naturalistic Park for Evans Flat |
 |
| Street View |
These two pictures are of a design for a small park along the road where I usually walk my dog. it borders an extensive wetlands at one end, and is now usedby the town as a place to dump snow. There would be a path for walkers and joggers, and native shade trees that tolerate moist soils would be planted. These consist of the magnificent Liquidambar (sweetgum), that has a starshaped leaf and a brilliant red fall color It grows 60-75 feet tall and 40 feet wide. and the Liriodendrope (tulip tree), another large tree with tulip shaped flowers in the late spring, and nice yellow fall color. Added to those trees I would have a grove of Nyssa sylvatica (black tupelo) a beautiful smaller tree with gray bark and red to purple fall color. The yellow plants in the front of the picture represent the Magnolia virginiana, with lemon scented yellow flowers and large dark green leaves. Birch trees with white bark would be placed against the backdrop of hemlocks and pines that have been growing naturally in the wetlands buffer. the white area on my model would be mown grass. i would also have drifts of Clethra (summersweet in the background), a beautiful sweet scented shrub that grows 6-10 feet tall, and blooms in the summer.
So, I hope you have enjoyed reading a little about my projects, and remember March, In like a lion, out like a lion! That is if you live in New Hampshire. Still even here the hounds of spring are advancing. Happy garden dreaming on these snowy days.
