Green Jay Landscape Design

Green Jay Landscape Design

(914) 560-6570

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The Rye City Council will hold a second public hearing on the proposal to convert the lawn to artificial turf [UPDATE: originally scheduled for March 11, the hearing was postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.] Below is a response to the proposal from Green Jay Landscape Design President and Landscape Ecologist Jay Archer.

  We live in a beautiful world!
      A wonderful place!
    If only we could see it.
We would take better care of it.

Consider the need for climate positive landscape environments in a biologically degraded & threatened world.

Today we live in fear of biology. Maybe that’s right. Maybe we should have a little faith…in nature…&  trust in God !

Our bodies, our human health, is completely dependent on clean air & water, bacteria, fungi & the microbiomes supplied by plants, not plastic.

Life comes from the life within the soil beneath our feet to the leaves in the trees above our heads.

Each precious inch of green space is essential to human health. It supplies oxygen, sequesters carbon & cleans the air and water…miraculously…naturally !
While artificial turf is technically not impervious space, it is at best sterile and devoid of life.
It provides no true ecological benefit and value to a threatened and degraded environment.

In implementing it, we eliminate natural processes like photosynthesis & a proper exchange of gases at our peril.

The result of artificial turf may not be anoxic or anaerobic conditions but at best, it is sterile.

What lies below the turf ? I say, “watch out !”. Life will find a way. What life?

How long can superbugs live on plastic without naturally occurring beneficial bacteria to break down pathogens?

The water is not cleaned and filtered biologically. It is mechanically scrubbed and sent away. Where does it go?
The only information available regarding maintenance (from manufacturers/vendors, sorry if I am suspicious), says: regular brushing (with special equipment),  flushing and washing (to where?) and cleaning with anti-bacterial soap. It’s basically an outdoor rug.
What about vacuuming and frequency?
How is this an improvement over mowing?

Everything breaks down over time in the environment & off gases into the atmosphere and our bodies.

Is this an example we want to set for our children?

A world where we not only remove the trees & pave over nature but remove every naturally functioning green space. Am I to live to see it?
What we should cultivate is organic turf that lives and breathes, gives life, cleans the air and water & functions biologically to deliver ecological services & value. It’s safe.
Everything requires maintenance, not just $, but real care.

What is it going to take to see what we’ve become? What’s wrong with us?

Shame on you mayor for your lack of vision and leadership on this most important issue.
Why can we not speak for nature, our nature, our bodies our children’s children?
There is a better, greener, naturally healthy
way to live!
    Thank you,
            Jay Archer

             330 Park Avenue, Rye

Read the letters of other local organizations:
Jay Heritage Center
Pollution & Climate Crisis Concerns 

Good design anticipates future changes in the landscape and site conditions, including ever more powerful storm and rainfall events. Keep in mind, if you don’t maintain what you have (original design), it will change! Not always for the better.

The Problem: Landscape Erosion

In this case, erosion caused slope failure and scouring resulting in significant deposition and accumulation of soil and debris into the bottom of the in-ground gunite swimming pool. (The pool is located at the base of a steep hillside).

The Solution

To remediate the landscape, we installed perimeter gravel drains with filter fabric and revegetated the slope with ground covers, seed and mulch. Natural stone boulders, lose fieldstone and river rock was placed for aesthetic, ornamental effect as well as physical barriers and buffers to redirect the flow.
The result was attractive, functional and cost effective from both a sustainable, resilient design and landscape management view.

Learn more about our Storm Water Management practices.

—

Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer, President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

Sometimes less is more! There is no substitute for living color in the landscape ! Life is short, we should enjoy, cherish and celebrate each precious moment.

Formulating a Design Composition

From the moment I am hired to consult for a new landscape project, I image I am the homeowner living, day to day, on the property I am evaluating. While we all have different interests and taste, we share a sense of wonder and happiness when we see a well ordered, flowering landscape composition. While we may see the same landscape through all four seasons, we tend to spend the most time really appreciating the visual and sensory aspect in the growing season. This is particularly true from late spring to early fall.
For entry gardens,  this give us the chance to kick up the curb appeal with color.

Curb Appeal with Impact

A simple backdrop of low growing evergreen shrubs layered with long blooming perennials, hydrangea, roses and ground covers does the trick nicely.
This is a welcoming vista that invites your guest and communicates a positive, energetic outlook towards life.
This is a landscape look and style that makes the most of the summers, hot, sunny days.

Learn more about our Ecological Landscape Design Services.

—

Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer & President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

Simple is Best

Even in the rain this simple backyard makeover give us much enjoyment and pleasure.

The appealing aspect indoors or out is one of verdant simplicity.  A small fenced in backyard with a decaying brick patio and sad lawn is transformed into a lovely garden room.

Goodbye Brick!

On this property, the dominant landscape feature was a raised brick terrace or patio. The common red brick gives a busy impression which makes the patio appear smaller than it actually is. The color is also…common and drab.


Resurfacing with full color bluestone in a seemingly random pattern, including large pieces, creates a dramatically more grand effect. This also increases resale value. Not every prospective buyer likes brick. Particularly if it looks old and worn, and in disrepair. Food for though when buying your new home, shopping for real estate or starting a landscape construction and home improvement project of your own.

Landscape Design for Small Spaces

Special features unique to this landscape design include: repurposing the existing brick for a bench landing/platform, natural stone garden pathways / walkways, and the resurfaced bluestone patio for entertaining. A gentle green planting of flowering vines and shrubs accents and softens the nice white pvc fencing.

You need never venture further than the interior living space to enjoy this one of a kind masterpiece. If you do, you will be rewarded with sweet fragrance from honeysuckle and clethra while the flowering sequence continues from azaleas in spring to hydrangea in summer to clematis etc. in fall. We even have berries for the birds in the hollies! Never boring…always soothing and peaceful.

—

Jay Archer

Landscape Ecologist, Designer, President

Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570

 

Take a Look at Your Front Yard

What does it do? Aside from the wild and magically natural beauty of the ecological composition, this front yard is a oasis for wildlife. Abundant with a diverse variety of beneficial life, from healthy soil microbes to birds, butterflies and insects, this little peace of paradise is happiness incarnate.

Productive & Beautiful Landscape Design

This kind of landscaping takes effort, resources and expertise in ecology. The overall effect is stunning! This weedy, do nothing lawn contributed very little to the culture and economy of the community. This nascent, vibrate, rich, living landscape contributes much as a model for the New Frontier in Ecological Landscaping.

Check out the full project details here!

Realizing a Site’s Potential.

Each landscape offers distinct opportunities and challenges.

Like snowflakes, not two client’s or properties are quite the same. Although similarities may present, there are always significant differences characteristic to the individual site and client. As a landscape design professional, horticulturist, naturalist and ecologist, I am interested in the  unusual or distinct aspects of a particular project potential we are involved in.

Formulating a Design Concept

In this case, to enhance the beautiful new deck addition, we  chose to create several theme gardens which are intertwined with each other, focused on health and healing through nature and serenity.
The free standing shadow box lattice panels we designed with a canted tilt act as a screen for the compost pile and utilities behind and a bright backdrop in the shady corner of the backyard. The natural stone, granite bubblers or pillars serve multiple functions. They give depth and strength to the design theme of the Earth’s basic elements of stone, water and wood, soil and plants, they also do a great job attracting birds, who enjoy bathing in the water. The electric service for the pump is concealed and controlled from a switch inside the house.

Designing with Water

The finishing details are essential to the visual artistic quality and feeling. These include carefully chosen sizes, textures, shapes and colored gravel, river rock and Mexican beach pebbles.
This was just the water feature space! Just as much thought and creativity went into the organization of the two semi-circular patio spaces, stepping stone walks, staircase and landing to deck, the subsurface rainwater harvesting and the passive irrigation systems.

Whether standing in the spacious interior space looking out the floor to ceiling windows or entertaining on the custom deck with California cable rail, your eye is drawn to this important quadrant of space.


In  addition to the wonderful ecological benefits which the predominately native plant landscaping provided in attracting a diverse variety of birds, butterflies etc., the composition is intended to produce a gestalt of peace and physical health by connecting the garden of nature with the newly renovated homes architectural success in inviting the outdoors in.

The time of our lives pass so quickly, each precious moment should be savored. This is truly a garden landscape for all seasons of life and nature.

—

Jay Archer

President, Green Jay Landscape Design

914-560-6570