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We have removed four layers of asphalt on this Rye, NY property to enable us to install a washed gravel base to construct a porous asphalt driveway which will allow rainfall/stormwater to infiltrate the ground without runoff. This satisfies the Sustainable Site Initiative for Green Infrastructure. After carting and removal of all base material to Queen City Recycling in New Rochelle, we prepped for installation one day and installed the next.

In truth this is an extremely messy business because of the sticky and tacky properties of the binder coat used to adhere the gravel to the actual recycled Porous Pave material. It was necessary to protect the newly installed Belgium block curbing and apron with tape and plastic sheeting. We also used vegetable oil to coat all hand tools, wheelbarrows etc. to prevent sticking. The floats and screed boards were continually cleaned and lubricated throughout the process to insure best results. Heavy rubber gloves, protective suits and rubber boots are recommended. We consider good planning and staging of tools and materials essential to efficiency since the material is expensive. Everything was cleaned with biodeisel in the end.

For more information on Porous Pave Driveways, see Porous Pave Inc.

We do feel the costs are offset by the savings in conventional drainage construction (piping, plumbing, catch basins, cultecs). Aside from the real ecological advantages there is the permitting. It is hard to argue against the viability of the product and process if properly installed and maintained. This is the way of the future now!

Think of the possibilities if we can design with multiple systems including rain gardens, planting buffers, treatment wetlands, no mow zones etc.. The possibilities for reducing and in some cases eliminating expensive and invasive subsurface drainage systems are huge!

Think about the big picture…the integrated approach to sustainable landscape development.

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

The scope of this Yorktown, NY project involved recirculating water from five ponds along with constructing five waterfalls. Our work included hydro-dredging as well as installing a bottom aeration system designed to increase the dissolved oxygen level by inverting the laminar flow. This is a mouthful to describe the simple process of turning the water column over to reduce sludge deposits in the pond bottom. Part of the neat technologies we used featured outboard, high efficiency pumps in conjunction with ball valves and back-flow preventers.

We are always interested in exploring new ways to adapt technologies to our waterfall construction. This project gave us the opportunity to employ two types of irrigation diffusers to create an attractive waterfall/spillway. By reducing and channeling the flow we were able to direct and focus the splash to best effect. This required hand crafting the rock, using hydraulic cement and a variety of couplings and parts. Once again we took advantage of the good weather to make it happen. This was especially true since we spent some of our time on ladders or in the water.

All stone was sourced on site. The shelves for the waterfalls were created by shaping with a masonry saw and hand chisels/hammers. It is always a lot of fun to recreate nature in the landscape. A unique aspect of this project is the use of stormwater for on-site capture and rainwater harvesting.

We thank David Welling from Conservation Technologies (Baltimore, MD) for providing invaluable tech support. The diffusers came from Cooper Mulch (Danbury, CT). Additionally we used Muck Away, supplied by our good friends Fourth Generation Nurseries (Mendon, MA). This added value to the Micro Lift live bacteria, provided by Green Earth Agriculture (Branford,CT). This combination is extraordinarily useful in reducing and controlling algae bloom/growth by increasing and promoting the culturing of beneficial bacteria or bio-film within the waterbody and pond surfaces.

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

In residential design and build projects no two projects are exactly alike. The uniqueness of the topography, disposition of the sun, north/south orientative style of architecture, taste and culture of homeowners, all impart a particular flavor to the place. The opportunities for creative design compositions are truly wonderful. We will examine a couple of projects as models of the design and development process.

Season of Joy and Color – Part I

This project in Brewster, NY, is a landscape renovation, which involved a complete makeover. After implanting a new front entrance foundation, we moved into the backyard. This wide open backyard, which is full sun surrounded on each side by woodland, offers endless possibilities. The beautiful pool and cool decking patio was crying out for a stunningly wild and free poolscape. Ornamental grasses, native perennials and shrubs bring a rich depth of texture and color to the previously brash and harsh pool decking. The benefit of flowering native perennials is that it attracts bird, butterflies and also bees, wasps and other beneficial insects necessary to maintaining a organically, pest free environment.

Later, a pool house was added with our help. Siting the house in relation to the pool and home’s new addition was critical.

This also required adding bluestone treads, steps and a small patio. The hydrangea and ground cover planting surrounding the pool house completed the new pool house addition and gave the impression that it was part of the original design. The large one piece bluestone treads were moved and placed with care by hand to insure no scratches, cracks or imperfections were visible.

As part of this phase, a new foundation and patio/landing was installed around the new home addition.

To further enhance and complete the effect, new native flowering and fruiting shrubs were included for beauty, food (blueberries, sparkle berry, chokecherry) and wildlife interest. The final touch was to add fresh perennials to all parts of the rear landscape.

We can’t wait to see the various colors of bulbs in succession from early to late spring, which in turn will be replaced by summer bloom perennials and wild grasses.

Stay tuned for what’s next…..

Going Wild in Your Backyard – Part 2

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

It all starts with a vision! To imagine the possibilities for beauty…for enhancing your lifestyle… for greater enjoyment of your outdoor living space…start with a plan! We all need help picturing exactly what our home improvement and landscape projects will look like. How will we benefit? What features will make us feel better just because they are attractive to look at or what features will we love so much that we use them all the time? What is on our short list of things we want right away and what are we willing to wait for? In the process of transforming the mediocre to the extraordinary we need to visualize what can be while looking at what is there now. Priorities are important. Communication of wishes and desires are also important.

In the case of this project, developing and intimate, serene space is absolutely important. Screening is important but so are the circulation paths connecting with the home interior, deck and driveway areas. Part of any complete master plan for your landscape should include any expansion of the infrastructural or hardscape surface. This may involve drainage solutions depending on existing conditions and how construction affects or changes drainage. As is often the case here the house sits on a hill, water flows away. Retaining features in the form of retaining walls and more informal natural rip-boulders were used to establish different elevations by terracing to support patios, walks and planting beds. One of the most desirable features of the intimate rear garden was a secluded, intimate hot tub area. A dense privacy screen was required to make our clients supremely comfortable. A fabulous water feature including a waterfall, stream and pond were added to suggest motion and tranquility.

Integrating these features into the design instead of trying to add them individually later is critical to the composition. We do not consider the design process to be complicated. It’s actually a lot of fun! What has been achieved in this landscape design and construction project is nothing short of a masterpiece. The design and installation from beginning to end took less than six months. Starting in the front the existing planting was rearranged, new beds added, including lots of color.

A small bubbler was installed (custom made) by drilling through a natural stone boulder and recirculating water through an irrigation pipe.

A mass planting of waves of evergreen ground cover was planted under the flowering cherry trees along the driveway/slope for added curb appeal as well as erosion control, thereby serving a dual function. A retaining wall was built to accommodate an additional parking area with a gravel surface, to improve drainage. In addition, a decorative gravel area with subsurface piping conveyed water to the rear utilizing gravity.

Now that’s sustainable resource management in action! Similarly we installed a river rock/boulder bio-swale at the bottom of the property which serves a similar function while being an attractive landscape element. A retaining wall in front of the house was needed to raise and support and terrace a foundation planting as the grade declined rapidly on the right side of the property. This was also the case in the rear (as with many home sites we have worked on). Entering the rear yard/garden though a rose arbor you are invited to an awesome secluded space!

Large fieldstone steps take you to the deck on the right, make a left and cross over a stream and waterfall on a stone bridge to the hot tub, straight ahead you arrive at the patio/terrace overlooking the fish pond. Everywhere surrounded by beauty! It all starts with a plan and vision with Landscapes for a Better Living!

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

This project is a classic case of overgrown, tired landscaping which does not reflect the client/homeowners taste, style and sensibility. As shown by the before and after photos, the front (and rear as well) landscape is dominated by unattractive, unhealthy trees and shrubs.

This existing condition presents not only a depressingly dark feeling and aspect to the property but also contributes to an unhealthy air stagnation problem which is not optimum for human health or for that matter the wood siding etc.

As part of this phase of home improvement the house was power washed to remove mold and mildew (same with walks and patios). The presence of green mold was once again an indication of poor air circulation. The next logical step was to paint the house. Discussions regarding color change took place with the client and painter. All vegetation was removed surrounding the house to allow the painting to be completed in a timely way.

While the house was being painted all the other landscape work went forward uninterrupted. This insured the least disruption of day to day living for our clients. With many of these landscape design and renovation projects we needed to start off with a proper site analysis of existing conditions including the health and value of the trees. In this case several small trees were removed in addition to pruning the larger more mature trees and removing almost all the overgrown shrubs. We were able to repurpose and transplant some of the larger more valuable and useful shrubs for better function and effect in the new landscape.

Couple of things to think about; check with your town regarding tree ordinances for pruning and removals, call 1-800-Dig to have the utilities marked. In this case a decommissioned oil tank was located under the front walk/masonry landing!

Changing the light conditions and air flow was the first giant step to creating a healthier, green landscape environment. If your goal and intention is to create the best possible environment, don’t take baby steps! Take giant steps and transform your landscape to a Go Green model! A large family event was planned for later in the season which provided a deadline. A strict timeline was established including planting, stonework, irrigation and lawn renovation. Each phase needed to be followed seamlessly. The design composition featured improving an existing pond/water feature and would also be informed by an eastern cultural influence. This involved the strategic placement of stone boulders, river rock for mulch etc.. We even managed to cover a stump where we removed a larger tree with a boulder grouping as part of the design.

There was a tight coordination of effort between our teams and created an opportunity for training by working with our best working foreman and project managers. The overall theme is to produce bright clean curvilinear lines and organic shapes to convey a naturally serene atmosphere. The natural setting greatly contributed to this feel. There is a stream running through the back end of the property. There is also small woodland borders on three sides. It also helped that there is interesting topography even though that caused challenges in terms of grade alterations and locating a reasonably level area for the entertainment/event. The visual transformation consisted of replacing much of the overgrown shrub planting with a sequence of flowering perennials, low growing, long blooming, summer flowering shrubs plus a progression of spring flowering bulbs supported by a structure of low growing native and ornamental grasses.

By expanding and increasing the bio-diversity of plant life we also increased the diversity of insect and animal life. This sets the stage for sustainable organic landscape management. All landscapes require maintenance! The human body is the best example of a maintenance/management system. We require watering, feeding, pruning, weeding etc.! If we design a landscape with consideration as to how it functions, what our expectations are and what will be required to maintain it, we will be more likely to be happy and fulfilled by our efforts. The return in our investment realized, whether in terms of enjoyment or increased property values, depends on the resources used to produce it. We should be mindful that our time on this earth is short. We should enjoy every part of it including the home landscape environment we spend time in as much as humanly possible. We should also leave our living landscape environment better than we received it for our children and future generations. If we all do it our communities will be a much better place to live!

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

Managing storm water in our landscapes is critical to sustainability. There are many ways to manage rainwater in our landscape.

1. We designed and constructed this gravel courtyard (Bronxville, NY) with an active water feature (a recirculating stone bubbler/fountain) as a focal point of this very natural landscape design utilizing existing stone repurposed to create a patterned walkway and patio/surround in a shady lower terrance.

Water naturally collects at this low spot in the landscape a previously caused stagnant pooling and mold and mildew. This creative design solution solved the drainage problem by improving infiltration, air quality (we also removed select vegetation, trees and shrubs) and by improving the circulation of air and water while increasing foot traffic by creating journey points with a sense of destination. This became a very popular garden serenity spot for our clients.

2) This is an example of the benefits of site visits in the rain. We are always busy on rainy days taking inventory of poorly drained area as well as flow paths.

3) When constructing hardscapes such as patios, retaining walls and the like (as in this case in Larchmont, NY), you may be required by building code to install sub-grade dry wells.

This may require architectural drawings and engineering as a component of the landscape project. It is always good to have a pre-permit interview with the building inspector or town engineer on site if possible early in the design development process. Resources we like for storm water and drainage supplies and materials are….. Conservation Technologies, Cultec, Stormchamberand NDS . These companies may provide technical support and engineering.

Jay Archer, President

914-560-6570

jay@greenjaylandscapedesign.com

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