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Leisure Landscapes sends a design professional to your home
for a customized design. We'll interview you to determine your
needs and preferences, assess the strengths and weaknesses of
your current landscape and design a landscape solution. This
solution is prepared in our design studio and presented to you
in the form of a color concept drawing and a detailed itemization
of the labor and material necessary to complete the job. To
move the project to the next "install" phase, you sign the contract
and return it with the initial payment, normally half of the
quoted installation price. Once the contract and payment are
received, you are scheduled for the installation.
The design
process starts with drawing a base line, or plot plan of the
current landscape layout. First, we make an overall appraisal
of the site. What is the balance of lawn to garden to living
areas? What are the natural light and shade conditions? What
are logical traffic patterns to enter and traverse the landscape?
Where are the landscape living areas?
From this
assessment a concept drawing of the proposed solution is prepared.
First the living areas are located; the patios, decks and walkways.
Materials-stone, brick, concrete or wood- are selected that
are consistent with the home's design and bridge the indoor
and outdoor spaces. Particular attention is paid to sight lines
from major indoor and outdoor living areas to provide privacy
screening and a backdrop for the ornamental plantings. Next,
the surface area devoted to lawn, gardens and living area is
redrawn to provide the appropriate balance for your site and
style of living. The interface of these three areas is designed
to flow fluidly from one to the other in a way that invites
the eye to enjoy its contours. Planting material is selected
next, starting with the largest and going to the smallest. First
sited are evergreen varieties for screening and backdrop needs.
Next, ornamentals and specialty plants are placed to add interest
and variety to the landscape. Finally, perennial and seasonal
flower beds are located to provide the color excitement that
sets off main focal points of the landscape. The design may
even incorporate special features like stack-stone retaining
walls, fountains, ponds, waterfalls, or statuary.
Once your
landscape plan is determined, your watering distribution system
is designed. Water requirements for the lawn and garden may
best be met with automatic irrigation. The type of sprinkler
heads and their location is determined to provide a balanced
application of water with the most efficient distribution system.
For example, large lawn areas are best handled with rotor-type
heads, while pots on the deck are best irrigated with direct
drip systems. Location of the backflow preventer is sited for
best distribution and located in an area that can be easily
screened. A rain sensor is provided to ensure that the system
doesn't actuate during rainy periods, conserving water. Your
watering bill is further reduced by an advanced Rainbird water
system controller that meters out the water to the exact specifications
for your landscape needs. This portion control ensures that
your landscapes get just what it needs, but no more. We can
even include remote control actuation that allows us to perform
your irrigation system performance inspection without the necessity
of your being home or leaving the garage open! The irrigation
design drawing is provided with your system permit application
and also serves as the installation blueprint and basis for
the system 'As Built' documentation.
Finally,
we can design drama into your landscape with accent lighting.
Fixtures are located to emphasize the architectural details
of your home, softly accent the plants, trees and walkways and
provide additional security for you and your guests. Low-voltage
systems are used to ensure safety for children and pets, as
well as reduce your operating cost. Lighting controllers include
advanced features such as photocell actuation and timer-controlled
cycles.
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