My entire landscape budget and a lot more for 2010 went to repairing the fountain of my dreams. So fine. But every gardener knows how one improvement project can lead to another. Buck made new steel edger strip for me, so the herniaria surrounding it would be on the same plane as the stone pool coping. All of the herniaria had to be replaced, so why not fix that grade while I had the chance? Given the heavy spring rains, it became apparent that the pool yard did not drain. The grass was drowning-especially in the shadier end of the garden. So why not fix the lot of the problems, and then move on to some place else in the garden? GP Enterprises came with a loader, a sod cutter, a plenty of plastic pipe. Their primary business is in the sale and moving of very large scale plant material, but they do drainage. Ralph would regrade the yard, install drainage pipe in gravel, and drain the water away in a solid pvc pipe to the driveway level garden. Sounds like fun, yes?
I know this sounds about as interesting as a trip to the dentist, but I knew it was time to address the problem. The entire yard was torn up anyway-what harm could a little more commotion do? The grass that came out of that yard had that too wet and rotting smell to it; I had made a good decision. The best part of the story-the water in the pool yard was going to empty into my bed of butterburrs. Butterburrs thrive on water; they are happy in decidedly swampy conditions.
I went back to work after the first few yards of sod were stripped off. I am only a fan of watching the deconstruction phase of landscape in someone else’s yard-not my own. Too much water is frequently a problem in landscapes where the irrigation systems run amok. But some ground just does not drain fast enough to keep plants healthy. Too much water has the potential to rot the root hairs of every living plant. The irony here-no matter how much water you pour to a plant with root rot, there is no absorption going on.
Of course the Corgis thought the dirt was great fun. They ripped around, rolled in it, tracked it onto the pool coping, and into the house. Fortunately this phase was only to last 24 hours.
A perforated drain set in pea gravel was placed at the base of the wall. The nicked irrigation lines and low voltage lighting lines got repaired. I was handwatering my new herniaria, in addition to all of my pots. Having this to deal with in the 95 plus degree heat working outside all day long was exactly like a visit to the dentist. Not visible in this picture-I finally ripped out all the not hardy helleborus angustifolius, and replanted the remaining ferns with European ginger. I am happy about this change.
The drain pipe in place, all that remained outstanding was a finish grade, subtly sloping towards the drive, and the grass. Positive drainage-as in ground pitched such that water would naturally drain to a good spot, is the drainage method of choice. Pipes can get clogged, or are too small to handle a deluge of water. But where there is little pitch, a well done drainage system can be the difference between a landscape that thrives, and a swamp.
I do like my grass; it will take a while for this sod to root sufficiently such that it can be mowed. That green is the best, is it not?
This part of the garden is finally ready for company.
In my business, there are machines that are engineered to do the heavy lifting. Though my crew can handle a lot, there are those projects which could not be done efficiently without the help of machines. Two landscape projects of considerable scope and size need finishing before we loose our working weather. The first phase of this project-the installation of a new driveway. The original drive, set much too low, flooded with every rain. The drivecourt was set some six inches above grade; water draining off the drivecourt was finding its way to the basement of the house. 
Given that a new driveway was a necessity, I suggested an alternate location that would provide a great view of the lake and property, and gracefully deposit guests at the front door. A large tree in very poor condition would come down. As the driveway would come through this area with eight inches of road gravel and decomposed granite, an oversized stump grinder was used to remove the top 14 inches of stump. There is no digging out the stump of a tree this size; nature intended that the forty feet above ground would have a solid foundation. This large four wheeled machine is designed to power a giant blade, that sweeps back and forth over the stump, chewing up and spewing out the bits. 
The original drivecourt, partly hand made brick pavers from the early twentieth century, and asphalt, needed complete removal, so as to lower the grade around the house. This excavator makes two days work of this big job. A front end loader collected the intact bricks, so they could be stacked on pallets for use in the new drive, and later dumped the asphalt into a truck for removal from the property. Was I fascinated by steamshovels as a child-absolutely. 
At some point concrete was added to the existing drive. As the house is a long distance from the street, any guest parking had to be provided for on the property. As a driveway is not something one takes out on a whim, and redoes, if there is a need for more parking, the add on was just that-an add on. This machine cuts concrete; as the blade turns, a spray of water keeps the blade from overheating. I understand little about how machines work, but how this works made a monumental job possible. 
In conjunction with a new driveway, an asphalt go-cart track. I will admit, this is my first. I had my clients drive the proposed drive and cart path many times. Once any driving surface is done, its not easy to make changes. Over a period of four days, we tuned up the final design. This machine, rolling back and forth over the freshly laid asphalt, is solely intended to compact the oily mixture into a tough and durable surface. You can tell from all the steam we are in a race aginst the cold weather. Asphalt plants typically close the end of October; our late fall weather has been unseasonably warm.
The particulate asphalt is hot, and set with this machine. I have no idea what drove the design, but it enables the two operators to lay out a layer of asphalt in the desired width, at a consistent thickness. Bush Brothers Asphalt is just that-five brothers who quote, install and finish driveways, parking lots, roads-and in this case, a driving course.
Buck builds things from steel; much of what he builds is impossibly unwieldy and heavy. He has another pair of hands that enables him to position and move material, how, where and when he needs it. A bridge crane, affixed to an overhead track, can pick up 5 tons worth of any material he needs moved at a time. A control gauge at the floor level enables him to move materials up and down-and finally out. His eyes are always on the object he is moving, not on those buttons. An object of great size and weight he moves with great attention and respect. Machine operators are as much a marvel as the machines themselves.
This lovely home in a local neighborhood was in sore need of updating, and needed additional space to house a young family with children. The addition was in progress the first time I saw the house. On this miserably wet and cold March day, the prospects for the outdoors did not look promising. Contractors had driven machines over every inch of land they owned. Water was sitting on the surface of the soil everywhere. It seemed like every move my clients made uncovered a new problem requiring attention. When a house is under major renovation, the landscape is last in line-as it needs to be. 
It wouldn’t be possible to install a landscape at this point. Some years ago the New York Times ran a feature about landscape costs-the thrust of which was that it can, and frequently does take as much money to build and furnish a landscape as a house. I don’t know that I would go that far, but a landscape is a considerable investment. Though property values have been under siege in our area of late, it is still true that for most people, their home will be the biggest investment they ever make-for better, or for worse. Thus I have no problem recommending to a young family that they invest such that fifteen years later, should they decide to move, a landscape that is in place will make that home they want to sell look settled, finished- irresistible. 
Some very important investments in a landscape are not fun. This property was the lowest property in the neighborhood, and water would stand and not drain for weeks after a heavy rain. The regrading and drainage work necessary to correct this problem was very expensive, and not so satisfying. It was about as much fun as buying a new hot water heater. I have seen many landscapes, installed both by home owners, and professional landscape contractors, where drainage issues were not addressed. The plant material is struggling, dying or dead from the lack of an investment in the drainage. For the sake of the future, some things cannot be skipped over.
These clients knew they wanted stone for their terrace and walkways. Bluestone is a gorgeous natural stone that gives a space a solid and serious look. They also wanted their stone wet set in mortar. Mortaring stone to a concrete substrate insures a level surface that presumably does not move, or require maintenance. I say this with one caveat; the winters in Michigan will heave up just about anything. I made sure the installation was expert.
Their decision was to stage the installation of the landscape such that they could have their mortared stone. The first year, their yard consisted of stone, and lawn. Year two saw the boxwood installed in the rear, and the yews in the front. This year, some of the garden. Next year, the yews designed to back up the boxwood here, and maybe an arbor. I do admire their willingness to wait, in order to have the landscape they wanted. Get a plan, pick a part to install you can handle, do it, and proceed again when time and money permits. This seems like such a logical and good way to proceed. 
The front porch, originally only inches wider than the front door, was redone. The new porch absorbed an awkward space between the original stoop, and the adjacent bay window. Four years later, with the exception of one stone that is shaling probably from salt damage, the stonework is beautifully intact.
The front walkways from the drive and streetside meet in a circular stone landing midway to the door. Perhaps there will be a sundial someday, or a sculpture, or a high school graduation picture being taken.
