Shepard Design Landscape Architecture

Winter is a good time to check your trees

Shepard Design — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:00:32 +0000

With winter upon us, it is a good time to do a little trimming in the garden. During the rainy and windy times of a storm, tree branches can break due to added weight of moisture and heavy winds. You can certainley prevent this kind of damage by selectively pruning and removing some of the foliage. The added benefit of pruning can allow more light into the garden, enabling plants beneath trees to grow better. Perhaps you have a tree that is so large that it is impairing your garden’s growth and beauty or it is very messy. You may need to consider judicious pruning or just having it removed. A trained tree specialist will be able to give you professional advice.

My New QR code

Shepard Design — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:31:00 +0000

Check this out, got my own QR code today at: http://qrcode.kaywa.com/

Ten Ways to Save Water (Series)

Shepard Design — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:12:58 +0000

Water is the lifeblood of all plants, including turfgrass. But many homeowners aren’t aware that watering their lawns too much can be as damaging as not watering enough. These ten plant friendly tips will help you save water in your landscape.

1. Choose the right plant for the right place

All plants must get the right amount of sun, water, and nutrients to thrive—even natives.

Select plants suited for your area
Place plants in the landscape where site conditions match their needs
Group plants with similar water needs together
The right grouping will prevent overwatering some while under watering others – a recipe for disease
Start with low water requiring plants, caution = even low water requiring plants and natives will need regular irrigation for the first two summers to get established, after that you can reduce the water up to 50% for low water use plants and 90% for Natives

Tip: Get ahead of the pack and call a local Designer now.

Shepard Design — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:09:42 +0000

Fire Pit with Built-in Seating

While you’re inside your warm house reading a book or surfing the web be aware that the winter is a great time to start thinking about your spring garden makeover.

During the winter months in Marin and the Bay Area, some Designers can be slow and it is a good time to contact them to start designing your new garden. It also gives you a chance to research some fun ideas and plants to be incorporated into the Landscape Architectural Design plan.

If you wait until warm spring days when everyone else will be calling to start their garden and the Designers will be swamped you will have your design finished and will be ahead of the pack and call a local Designer now.

AJ Shepard, owner Shepard Design Landscape Architecture

The 5 elements of Landscape Design

Shepard Design — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:46:27 +0000

The 5 elements of Landscape Design include:

• Color – It is important to use a complementing color scheme throughout the yard. Sometimes Contrast can create some interest and excitement.

: Outdoor Room

• Direction or Line – Linear patterns are used to direct physical movement and to draw attention to areas in your garden.

• Form – Form can be expressed through built objects or trees and shrubs of various shapes and sizes which create natural patterns.

• Texture – Paving and building materials along with plants with varying textures can add to the atmosphere of your outdoor area.

• Scale – Your outdoor design should balance the size of the buildings or established plants it surrounds, while maintaining a comfortable human environment for the individuals who will use the area.

Asian Inspired

artkade — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 19:08:19 +0000

The Asian Style uses water, rocks and evergreens with a variety of plants to create distinctive perspectives. You might also consider adding a traditional Japanese Zen garden.

Meditation Garden
Fragrant plants contribute to meditation. Garden colors determine moods. Plants affect your physical and mental well-being. I have used plants with success in meditation designed gardens. Water and stillness are big elements in a meditation garden. The simpler the better, do not use to many different plant colors or textures.

Contemporary

artkade — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 05:50:24 +0000

Contemporary landscape design is a relatively new garden style that complements modern architecture and is just as unique as the structures it surrounds. Near the end of the 1950′s, new styles in architecture brought about a more modern style of landscape to match it. Vivid colors and abstract patterns, combined with unique uses of lighting, textures and space create an outdoor space that magnifies the beauty of nature with the sophistication of modern living. The most important thing to remember if you are planning a contemporary landscape for your modern home is to create clean lines that complement the architectural style of your home.

Drought Tolerant

artkade — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:40:11 +0000

Xeriscape Gardens
As much as 50 percent of household water is used for the yard or garden. This landscape specialty includes lots of low-water plants and flowers, as well as design ideas to reduce water evaporation.

Grass and Succulent Gardens, Desert Style
This type of landscaping is becoming trendy throughout the United States, because it’s considered more environmental friendly. It also requires less maintenance and less watering while still providing your home with a pleasant, natural surrounding. Desert style landscaping starts with selecting hardy plants that are native to the climate you’re planting in. By selecting native plants for your area, it’s not uncommon to have an entire landscaped yard that doesn’t need supplemental irrigation, fertilizer or pest control.

Mediterranean

artkade — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 04:56:54 +0000

People love Italian designs it be the twisted olives, meadows filled with beautiful wild flowers, azure skies and fine covered pergolas dangling with delicious grapes? We use Italian design here and call it Wine Country landscapes. Wine country or Italian country is charming! Bring a bit of Italy home in a Tuscan landscaping idea. Create a Italian mood in your home and garden. Paint your home in earthy tones. Dry, earthy shades of ochre, dusky pink and muted gold blends in with the rustic farmhouse types. Tuscan furniture is normally café styled.

Sub Tropical

artkade — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 04:33:52 +0000

Tropical landscape design is fun, vibrant, and lush outdoor space that complements a variety of architectural styles. Exotic, tropical style gardens provide a relaxing escape from the busy everyday routine but many homeowners choose not to implement this design because they worry about maintaining tropical vegetation, especially those in cooler climates. A well designed tropical garden can be very beautiful. Typically made up of plants with very large leaves and flowers with intense color. Lush foliage builds in height towards the back of the garden creating a dense planting area.