The Glory of Plants!

Vibrant, Inspirimg Plants!!!

Welcome them into your life, your landscape!

Don't be afraid - Be Bold!!

Do something unique!!!

But just do something different!

The Wonder of Water!

There is nothing quite so compelling as water in a landscape, whether it is a cascading mountain waterfall or a serene natural pond or even a bubbling fountain. Water adds a reviving, refreshing and reinvigorating element to life! Peaceful, calming and soothing all describe the effect of water. One person who added water to their landscaping said that say the water added a whole new and pleasurable dimension to their home! Why go to the mountains when all you need to do is to go to the backyard?!

Waterfalls Without Ponds! The drama of a waterfall without the liability or maintenance of a pond!

Want Fish?!

Bubbling fountains in a commercial setting promotes a welcome message!

Then there is blending tropical with woodland – palms with Japanese maples… It’s simply a matter of being creative…

So, be creative with introducing water into your landscape!

Creating a Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way: Part 2

Creating the destination for your Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way can include other types of patios, including paver and stone patios. Paver patios offer several type of styles and colors that enabling the homeowner to be creative to customize the patio to their preference.

Then there is the rugged flagstone patio...

Some prefer to combine groundcover plants with the stones...

…while others prefer a more formal look…

Knowing all the different options that are available to the homeowner empowers them to choose a patio that will be the cornerstone element of their Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way! Selecting an experienced landscape designer is an extremely important step in discovering these possibilities!

Creating a Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way: Part 1

One of the most basic initial elements of developing a Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way is the destination space for your Get-A-Way. Factors to be considered about the destination include the best area for your Get-A-Way, what type of living space should be developed, the best plants for the space and the type of path to access the space.

First of all, there are several things to think about when selecting the best location for your Backyard Get-A-Way. One important thing about selecting the space is finding the area that "feels" good and relaxing. To do this, go into the area to be developed as the Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way and get a sense of what space feels the best by providing the most shade, privacy and views.

Once the Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way destination area has been selected, thought should be given to what type of patio to build. There are several different patios that can be chosen, from the most basic Pea Gravel Woodland Patio to the more elaborate Field Stone Patio.

A Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is an extremely inexpensive and easy to construct patio. Building the Pea Gravel Woodland Patio requires clearing and leveling the patio area. Prior to constructing the patio, make sure that proper precautionary steps are taken to prevent damaging underground utilities. Contact your utility companies to determine if there is a utility locate service that can be contacted to locate the major utilities at your property. This usually is a free service. Prevent damaging the utilities they locate and the ones they do not locate, including but not limited to septic tanks and septic drainage field lines, irrigation wires and lines, outdoor lighting wires, etc.

Once the area is cleared and leveled spread a very thin layer of pea gravel directly on the soil. Do not use a filter fabric under the pea gravel which would prevent the pea gravel from packing into the soil. Applying more than about an inch of pea gravel should be avoided to establish a firm patio surface.

To calculate how much pea gravel to use for the Pea Gravel Woodland Patio, determine the square feet of the patio (length x width). Multiply the square feet by .083 (this equals 1” of depth), which totals the cubic feet of the pea gravel needed. Divide this number by 27, to give the total cubic yards, and multiply this last number by 1.5, which gives the total amount of tons necessary for the patio.

For example, if the area of your Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is approximately 12’ x 15’, the calculation for the amount of pea gravel needed for your patio is as follows:

12 x 15 x .083 = 14.94 total cubic feet
14.94 / 27 = .55 total cubic yards
.55 x 1.5 = .83 total tons – the total amount of tons of pea gravel needed is actually less than a ton

Go online and find stone yards that sell pea gravel and visit the stone yards to find the one that has the type of stone you want for your Pea Gravel Woodland Patio. The type of pea gravel that you are looking for is small gravel that is approximately 1/4” x 1/2” in size. Price, shipping arrangements and delivery cost should be factored into your decision. One thing that can be extremely helpful in shipping the pea gravel is stone bags that the pea gravel could be shipped in. They add a little cost to the purchase but save clean up and labor to get the pea gravel to its destination. By using the bags the pea gravel could be unloaded by the stone yards delivery driver and dropped by the delivery truck’s loader where your Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is being built!

A stone yard I recommend in metro Atlanta is Stone Forest. Located at 2501 South Main Street in Kennesaw, 30144, Stone Forest has a great selection of stone and other products for do-it-yourselfers as well as landscape contractors! Stone Forest carries a pea gravel called Garden Path Gravel that is ideal for Pea Gravel Woodland Patios. Their kind, helpful and professional representatives can be contacted at (770)590-1700, or online at www.stoneforest.net. Just tell them that George Allin suggested you contact them!

Initially when the Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is installed, the patio surface will feel loose. However, over time the pea gravel will pack in for a firm surface and provide a great looking woodland patio! One factor to consider when you are deciding on whether or not to build a Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is that the pea gravel is uncomfortable for bare feet. Nevertheless, a Pea Gravel Woodland Patio is a great patio for any Woodland Backyard Get-A-Way!

Two landscape contractors I recommend that can be contacted for building your Pea Gravel Woodland Patio or any other type of patio or landscaping are:

Vivid Lawns
Josh Allin
(404) 452-0866
www.VividLawns.com

Allin Lawn Care
Joel Allin
(404) 421-8169
www.AllinLawnCare.com

Josh and Joel are extremely creative and innovative, even though they are both sons of mine! Just tell them that Sketch-A-Scape suggested you call!

Coming next…other types of Woodland Patios…

The Tropics in Atlanta!

Many are unaware that they can enjoy a Tropical Landscape of their own in metro Atlanta! While they are captivated by the tropical look of palm trees in Florida they simply may not know that there are certain palm trees that thrive in Atlanta.

Windmill Palms are extremely hardy palms that do extremely well in Atlanta. Adding multiple Windmill Palms along with Knock Out Roses, Threadleaf Cypress, a yellow evergreen shrub and colorful annual beds can transform any Atlanta landscape into a Tropical Paradise! Sabal Palms are not quite as hardy as Windmill Palms but still provide a tropical staple plant in metro Atlanta! Another palm to be considered in as an understory palm in an Atlanta tropical garden would be the Sago Palm. Not as hardy as the Windmill or Sabal Palms, the Sago Palm is a beautiful foliage palm that can withstand many of Atlanta’s winters.

The important thing is this – if you want the tropics at your home in Atlanta you can have it! If we can help with questions about Tropical Landscaping in Atlanta please feel free to call.

A festive, cheerful welcome home with a weeping, green Japanese maple, colorful violas and the brilliance of red tulips!

Oh Yeah - Landscape Design!

See... www.Sketch-A-Scape.com

A majestic Deodar Cedar complimented with Otto Luyken Laurel and colorful annual flowers!

Some may say, "Those beautiful plants make such a dramatic presentation of the front of that house!"

Well, that may be true! However, the Landscape Design, actually, was everything!