2005 TEIL Silver Award – Residential installation over $50,000

Difficult doesn’t even begin to describe this project. The homeowners, wonderful clients for many years, decided to build their dream home in an exclusive neighborhood. A lifetime collection of art, statuary, unusual stones, street bricks from the early years of Ft. Worth – many items of sentimental and artistic value were to be incorporated into the design. Although a landscape design had to be submitted to the architectural committee, the owners required that the installation process be fluid and evolve as the construction of the house evolved. The complete installation actually took several years, finishing in 2004.

Some of the structure was actually built into the hill without retaining walls. The leveling cut into the hill revealed a spring that was previously surfacing several hundred feet lower, but was now running 24 hours a day across the pad. Additionally, we began having record rains throughout the next several months. The first of several extensive drainage systems was installed in a horseshoe shape around the lot.

Where retaining walls were required, the client insisted that her walls be unique. Our preference would have been to embed the hill with boulders and plantings, but the elevations and structural engineering necessitated a vertical wall with extensive drainage pipe and aggregate backfill behind it. The compromise was to construct a boulder face for the wall interspersed with plantings, a waterfall, and transition the boulders into the stone work on the exterior of the house. Boulders were also used for the minor walls in the front. Some of the stone was utilized from the site excavation. Most stone was set on footings and mortared with hidden joints.

As the lot above ours was developed extensive flooding occurred on our lot from runoff. In a unique agreement, we negotiated a surface catch area on their property with the pipes installed across our property, saving money and eliminating lawsuits.

The subsoil left at grade after site excavation was caliche and the layout of the house and two garages left virtually no way for water to exit the back yard. Again, we installed extensive French and surface drain systems. All bed and turf areas in the flat areas were then amended heavily with expanded shale and organic compost. Prior to our work, the back yard would pool with standing water for literally weeks after a rain. The percolation rate is excellent now and no pooling occurs.

We then transported statuary, pottery, and bricks to the site, and even some favorite plants were transplanted. The client’s eclectic tastes and desire to incorporate things such as the old street bricks led to creative blending of disparate elements. A large number of perennials were used, and privacy screening was accomplished through the use of large holly and wax myrtles. No fencing was used.

Over 65 lighting fixtures were installed in the landscape, including moon lighting, path fixtures, underwater pond lights, and a refurbished 1920’s street light. Unique wrought iron artistry graces stone stairways, and the meadow between the street and the house was seeded with wildflowers rather than being turned into just another expanse of lawn. A bird sanctuary was created just outside the dining room windows, and this has become the homeowner’s favorite place. The other view from the dining area is the 7 foot waterfall and extensive plantings.

Our crews performed all of the work with the exception of the concrete and some of the tree trimming. The builder also provided the initial drain system to which we added several hundred feet of lateral systems and extended to the creek. Throughout the process, constant changes and decisions had to be coordinated with the homeowner, architect, builder, and engineer, with the goal of creating a unique and beautiful space for an exceptional and demanding client.

Click on any image to enlarge....
Frontal view before landscaping. Note extensive limestone soils and rubble.	Frontal view from diveway, end of first season. An interesting note is the 18-20 ft tall crape myrtles. They were rescued and transplanted from another home in the neighborhood that was undergoing renovation.	View of the future driveway and hill where steps would be built.
End of driveway before construction of steps. The boulder wall was constructed from boulders excavated on site.	Completed steps with decorative wrought iron and lights built into wall.	Construction of boulder wall in back yard. Unstable slope first had to be retained with engineered concrete.
Completed wall and patio. Note lack of slope in back yard and expanded shale on surface awaiting tilling.	Boulder wall planted.	Another view of waterfall. Note fig ivy starting to cover.
View of back yard from upper terrace standing next to waterfall. Note lush St. Augustine and healthy plantings, including Clematis on trellis with The Fairy climbing rose.	View of upper terrace. Note gentle stream above waterfall.	View of future bird garden and entry into back yard.
Bird garden after planting viewed from back yard. Note numerous feeders, different levels of plantings for habitat. Yaupon holly, Nandina, wax myrtle and dwarf wax myrtle provide varied structure and forage for birds. Salvias, fennel, and other perennials provide forage for humming birds and butterflies.	A bubbling boulder provides a water source for birds.	Patch of native wildflowers in meadow approaching bridge.
One of the unique art pieces – A Roadrunner gallops through Mexican Feather grass.	An area designated for some of the client’s statuary.	The area planted with sedum, liriope, and aspidistra.
A unique path combining old Street brick, Arkansas flagstone, and decomposed granite.	Site Plan