<h5>Located in north Raleigh, North Carolina, the Durant Office Center consists of offices for professional services. The owner wanted a customized landscape design that would offer exceptional visual interest while satisfying the City's planting requirements.</h5><p>Included in the design/build is a complete irrigation system to ensure the lawn and plantings are provided for during Raleigh's hot summer months.</p><h6>The plan</h6><p>The original builder's plan for the landscape did not achieve the owner's creative vision for the property. The drawing of the Durant Road office complex shows the placement of willow oaks, which would have dwarfed and hidden the offices from view. We negotiated with the city to substitute styrax for the oak trees because they are on a more human scale.</p><p>A concept sketch of the property establishes the feel for the professional building landscape. The goal is a dance between purpose and beauty.</p><h6>Integrating the sign</h6><p>A sketch of the office building sign by designer Paul Martin shows the proposed placement of foliage. The owners requested an eye-catching arrangement of bright colors and low height.</p><p>The signage bed was integrated with the overall natural areas, typically planted in colorful tropicals for the summer season. With Raleigh's mild winters, cannas, mums and elephant ears are repeat performers year to year. Sweet potato provides a vibrant field of color at very low cost.</p><h6>Sweeping vistas</h6><p>Seasonal color greets customers first thing as they enter the drive. Here coleus backdrop the purple variety of sweet potato. The koi pond lies just behind.</p><p>Sweeping vistas were integral to the design. Crape myrtles add color in the foreground while the well manicured wax myrtle and Nellie R Stevens hedges screen the kennel facilities. Trees are consolidated into sweeping natural areas, with underplantings of George Tabor azaleas and abelia, and the wax myrtle hedge screens the parking lot from the street view.</p><h6>Graduated planting</h6><p>Graduated planting softens the shock of architecture against flat ground: crape myrtles line the sides of the building's front and barberries echo the rose of brick walls. Seasonal colors crown the corners of natural areas, and suddenly the walkways are enlivened.</p><p>The texture and strong color of blue rug juxtapose the brick and barberry, providing a feast for the senses. Six styrax trees are an unusual addition that maintains a smaller scale and provides spring color.</p><h6>A hidden oasis</h6><p>The koi pond is the most rewarding space in the Durant office complex. A luxuriant hideaway, this sensual water feature is enjoyed by owners and visitors alike. Water lily blooms stretch above the lily pads. Along with elephant ears, they add that tropical flare to this ecosystem oasis, just feet away from bustling civilization.</p><p>Evergreens provide year-round color as the seasons change. A sequence of lush beds now greets customers and employees, making the Durant professional building a more enjoyable place to visit and work.</p>

The Durant Office Center

<h5>Imagine the fusion of a country-French garden cottage with an American contemporary-styled ecology house of the 70s. Sound impossible? Well, careful weaving of elements of both work to create a magical secret garden retreat good for repose, herbal remedies and back-to-nature goodness.</h5><h6>The project</h6><p>Jeanne and Ken reside in the contemporary community of Boothe Hill across from the south entrance to Governor's Club in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Both are graduates of UNC (in fact they met there before getting married). They work at SAS Institute: Ken in hardware support, Jeanne in Quality Assurance.</p><p>Their tastes and concern for ecology are reflected in the design of their home. The clean, simple lines work well with the energy efficient in-ground berm construction. Inside, the eggshell walls of the home serve as a great backdrop for their collection of modern art and ceramics.</p><p>Entering the mix is Ken's love of wines. Jeanne's mother was French, and the two have made several trips to the south of France to visit relatives and take in the culture. Some of that culture came back with them; for Ken it was new additions to the wine cellar. For Jeanne, it was an appreciation of the formal gardens, the use of fresh herbs and vegetables in the cuisine, and new flowers and scents such as lavender. The task now was to blend the cultures and create a country-French herb garden safe from the occasional visiting deer.</p><h6>The landscape proposal</h6><p>The basis for the new garden house was essentially a storage shed on the back of the home. The space was so open as to be unusable. The roof and pad, however, were intact and a new structure could be built in between.</p><p>The design proposal included three projects: first the conversion of the storage shed into a garden house. Second, a fence to complete the courtyard feel and keep unwanted visitors out of the garden, and third, the garden itself.</p><h6>The garden house</h6><p>We decided to gut the storage shed, saving only the roof and rafters and turn it into a garden house. Ken and Jeanne had recently added cultured stone to the foundation walls of the main house. Using that architectural cue, we designed the garden house to have a hip wall faced on all sides with the same cultured stone. On that we would erect the posts and beams to form the framework. Horizontal lattice panels would complete the look and provide shade and shelter, yet allow airflow and connection to the garden. A nod to the French influence appears in the doorway knee braces.</p><p>The fencing would be constructed of the same lattice panels used in the garden house, framed out in 1x4s and mounted between 4x4 posts. The one outside corner would be built of block faced with cultured stone to match the hip wall on the garden house.</p><h6>The garden plan and the contract</h6><p>We took Jeanne's basic design and enlarged the center garden to display one of her large ceramic urns. We cut the corners to give it an elongated octagonal shape and resized the remaining beds to provide the walkways and form that echoes back to a more formal manor garden. To complete that Old World influence, we would use cobblestones to define the beds.</p><p>Once the drawings were agreed upon, work began on preparing the cost quotation. The materials included treated lumber, concrete block, cultured stone, mortar, cobblestones and paint. The labor would be significant for the masonry and carpentry work. The total project was quoted at $12,272, and accepted in November, 2002.</p><h6>The installation</h6><p>Work began that Winter. The existing posts were cut loose and repositioned as temporary supports while the masonry work was begun. The perimeter was reinforced with a poured concrete footer. Block was laid round the perimeter to form the hip wall, leaving two entrances on the south and west. Cultured stone was mortared to the wall, inside and out, and the joints mortared between the stones.</p><p>Treated 2x6 boards were fastened to the hip wall as footers and treated 6x6 posts erected on the corners. A new rafter joist was set to support the roof. Once all the posts were in place, the lateral beams were nailed into position. Horizontal lattice panels were window-boxed within the post and beam frame. The west gate presented a special challenge with its entry arch: three 2x8s were joined together and the arch cut out and assembled.</p><h6>The result</h6><p>Cobblestones form the raised garden walls and present a good contrast to the Chapel Hill gravel pathways. The fences and woodwork on the garden house were finished in a deep Kelly green. The beds now carry Adelaide baby carrots, Albinstar leeks, Alpine strawberries, arugula, Belgian giant tomatoes, Cimarron romaine, fennel, snow peas, Sungold cherry tomatoes and Tyee spinach, alongside lavender, rosemary, sage, French tarragon, Genovese basil, Queen Anne's lace and Shasta daisies.</p><p>Turn a backyard eyesore into a garden retreat that yields a bountiful harvest of treats for all the senses. Echinacea and rudbeckia attract butterflies to the foreground while Queen Anne's lace fills the background. Birds enjoy a drink at the bath. From the garden gate to the garden house, this is one project that renovates a little used space into a garden of delights.</p>

The Martin-Howell Home

<h5>This project is one of our favorites. Not only does it combine all of the elements available to the landscaper, it is a study in interaction between the designer/builder and the customer. The result is a product which exceeds the expectations of both.</h5><h6>The plan</h6><p>The Boudreauxs live in the upscale community of Wessex in Cary, North Carolina. Theresa is an artist; Dan is his company's Senior Corporate Auditor for EDP Systems. They are both active in the art community, and own The Art Connection.</p><p>The project began as an extension off previous projects. We had built a large concrete and brick patio. Another contractor had enclosed the screen porch and built a landing to it. The Boudreauxs wished to tie the two together and provide an easier access down the 35 degree slope to their patio. They also wished to upgrade the plantings and approach to their front door.</p><p>The plan began with an extension of stairs to an arbored landing with a step down to a concrete walkway to the patio. The existing patio wall was to be expanded with a wing column and light fixture to announce entry into the patio area. Other features of the plan included a pond transecting the entry walkway and additional plantings to make the approach a little more lush.</p><h6>First revision</h6><p>The Boudreauxs liked all the elements of the plan. First, it provided the access and connection of the stairway and lawn area to the deck. The arbor landing provided a nice focal point and transition element. But instead of putting the pond in the front yard, could we put it here in the back? And replace the walkway with a bridge? New concept drawings were prepared to incorporate these changes.</p><h6>The contract</h6><p>With a modified set of concept drawings, the proposal was revised and the new estimates prepared. The Entry Arbor was modified to include the new bridge and the walk was eliminated. Lighting was added to the brick column by the stair. Irrigation lines and heads would be moved to accommodate the pond and a special refill line installed to automatically add water when that zone was activated. The deck stairs, arbor, bridge and brick wall would be completed for $3,472.90 and the pond, plants and mulch would be completed for $5,792.41. The total of $9,265.31 would be paid 50% on contract signing and the balance on completion. The Boudreauxs agreed and work began in November, 2001.</p><h6>Second revision</h6><p>Work began with the construction of the stair and rail connecting the porch outside the screen deck to the new arbor. Care was taken to copy the same design elements of the existing structures. The posts had just gone up to the arbor when Theresa called. "We have a problem," she said. "When you come down the stairs, there is this pole right in front of you." I went to the job site and sure enough, the trapezoidal shape of the original design placed the post in the wrong space. I huddled with Theresa and the crew and drew up a revision. We would expand the platform to a square shape and redo the roofline to a gazebo-like structure. All agreed and the modifications were executed with a much improved design.</p><h6>The pond</h6><p>Since it was December, the weather was wet and conditions were not ideal for installing the pond. The clay was now a bog and the going was muddy and slow. But through it all, the lines for wiring the new lights and pond pump were laid, the irrigation lines relocated, and the new pond dug out. Footers were poured for the new wall extension and the brick laid for the connecting wall and light column.</p><p>The pond liner was laid and connected to a custom pump basin built to take a larger pump and filters. The waterfall assembly, too, was a custom construction. Once the basic infrastructure was installed, the bottom and sides of the pond were lined with river rock and the pond was filled. Next, attention focused on building the stream bed and waterfall, taking care that the appearance was natural and conforming to the contour of the land.</p><h6>The lights and the plants</h6><p>A carriage lamp fixture was selected by the Boudreauxs to cap the new entry column to compliment the three-light fixture installed at the head of the stair. Around the pond a low-voltage lighting system was installed to uplight the waterfall and an underwater fixture was placed under the bridge.</p><p>Blended topsoil was brought in and the area around the pond was planted in juniper, hosta, liriope, mondo grass and azalea. Water iris and water lilies were placed in the pond to further naturalize the setting and provide a home for the new gold fish. At the other end of the house, Italian Cypress were brought in to give importance to the south front corner and a cutleaf Japanese Maple "Seiryu" was added to the front entry walk along with a hedge of abelia "Edward Goucher".</p><h6>The finishing touches</h6><p>Once the new wood had sufficiently aged, the wood structures were painted and the deck work stained to match the existing structure. An ornamental fountain fish, commissioned by the owners, was added to the far end of the pond. As a final personal touch, black bamboo from the Boudreauxs' own stand was used as the rail over the decidedly oriental bridge.</p><p>The resulting product is the culmination of the fusion of ideas and styles that work together harmoniously for a classic look and enchanting entry into the Boudreauxs' private world.</p>

The Boudreaux Residence

<h5>This magnificent Wessex home of the Douglass-Godshalk family always turns heads. The formality of the architectural style demands a highly manicured landscape. And the owners demanded a company that can maintain their horticultural collection in top form.</h5><h6>The plan</h6><p>A sketch of the Douglass-Godshalk residence shows the extensive areas of vegetation under cultivation. The property sports three types of lawns (fescue, St. Augustine, and zoysia), a rose garden and formal hedges and topiaries and natural woodlands.</p><p>Copies of the plan identifying planting material are used by the homeowners and crew to identify special maintenance needs. A formal look in the landscape requires constant manicuring and close attention to detail. The Douglass-Godshalk property has its charms and challenges through all seasons.</p><h6>Shaking off winter's chill</h6><p>The double-shredded hardwood mulch and pinestraw look as fresh as ever, as Spring creeps around the corner. With delicate pansies, bright green lawn, and stout evergreens, the Douglass landscape looks like a million bucks.</p><p>Spring is in the air. With some warming weather, the pansies start perking up. Even the crape myrtles are beginning to show color as the leaf buds begin to grow. Tulips seem to bring an excitement that Spring is here. These flame red Dutch imports add just the right punch to the spring floral display.</p><h6>We did promise you a rose garden</h6><p>Roses have garnered a reputation for being difficult to grow. In fact, there are some companies whose business is exclusively rose culture. We have maintained these gardens successfully for three years, with best horticultural practices for fungicide applications and insect control.</p><h6>Summer time</h6><p>Summer is good to the Douglass-Godshalk home. Rich pink vincas add seasonal color as the evergreens stand strong and healthy, ready to dominate this winter. The midday sun stretches shadows across the drive and walk. Spiked edges of the fan palm introduce a new texture to the landscape, and regular pruning ensures all the old fronds are taken away.</p><p>St. Augustine grass in the back lawn remains lush even in deep shade, and contrasts with the encore display of azaleas and sedum in the garden. In the fall, the perennials are cut back and all the woody stalks removed to clear the way for spring growth.</p><h6>Late summer</h6><p>A cheerful mandevilla greets visitors on the way to the Douglass-Godshalk front door. Seasonal additions such as these add punch and variety to the landscape. The classic design of the screened porch is contrasted by the plants and the woods beyond that take on a more natural form. Ligustrum and hosta soften the foundation wall while dogwood branches project into the foreground.</p><p>The view from across the street is lush, even in late summer. The fuchsia of the Carolina Beauty crape myrtles is picked up by mandevilla and contrasted by the lime of ornamental sweet potatoes.</p><h6>Sheer delight</h6><p>Periodic shearing of the abelia and Carissa holly hedges present a well manicured appearance. The Burford hollies are maintained in tree form while the topiary junipers at the entrance receive regular trimming to maintain their corkscrew style.</p><p>With the bright colors of deciduous trees and seasonal plantings, who needs yard art? The art is in the well-manicured landscape surrounding the Douglass residence. With woods on three sides, clearing fallen leaves each week is a big fall task.</p>

Properties we have designed, built and kept

The Durant Office Center

The Martin-Howell Home

The Boudreaux Residence

The Godshalk Residence

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