Monthly Archives: December 2011

Begin the New Year with a New Landscape Design Plan

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The New Year will be here in just a few days and if you’re currently reflecting and making plans for 2012 we want to remind you of your landscape. Just as you are deciding to make changes to various areas and life as well as your home, we urge you to do the same to your landscape.

The design of your landscape is extremely important seeing as though it is the very first impression people receive when visiting your home. It is also an extension of your living space, which means it should be designed and constructed to the same caliber of your home. As a design/build firm we pride ourselves on having expertise in both disciplines, allowing us to fully meet the needs of all of our clients.

If you would like to begin the New Year with plans on creating a new landscape design be sure to contact Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060 and let us extend your living space into a place you can grow and call your own.

Low Maintenance Indoor Plants to Add to Your Home

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Do you miss tending to the plants in your landscape? If so you may want to consider taking on the care for a few indoor plants. They will help brighten up your home and fill the void of you not being able to work in your garden so today we’re sharing those that are low maintenance and flower in cycles.

  • Kalanchoe, also called coral bells, coming in a wide variety of colors and are especially hardy, perfect for the forgetful gardener. Kalanchoe bloom during the winter and must be pruned immediately after the blossoms die in order to flower the following year.
  • The peace lily is one of the easiest and most popular flowering house plants. Beautiful shiny leaves stay green all year long with white flowers appearing in late summer.
  • Hydrangea flowers come in shades of while, pink, red and purple. Very low maintenance, hydrangeas will grow well in a variety of indoor temperatures and lighting levels.
  • A popular seasonal plant is the Christmas cactus. Dark green paddle shaped foliage contrast with drooping pink or red blossoms that normally occur around the holiday season.
  • Two classics are African violets and orchids. African violets are normally an easy to care for houseplant while orchids can be temperamental and require a higher level of upkeep.

Do you currently have any low maintenance indoor plants in your home? Let us know what in the comments section.

Image from White Flower Farm

Phase One Landscapes Wishes You Happy Holidays

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The holidays have arrived and the entire Phase One Landscapes staff would like to wish you and yours happy holidays! We hope you enjoy your time celebrating with your friends and family, and we look forward to bringing you more on landscape design and maintenance next week!

The 8 Principles of Landscape Design

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Do you look at landscape design as either a science of art form? It’s actually a mix of the two that features a set of principles used to bring aesthetical beauty and function to your landscape. The eight principles of an effective landscape include:

  1. Unity- the display of a consistent, dominant theme with organized repetition.
  2. Simplicity- allowing for the most important elements to stand out.
  3. Transition- avoidance of complex changes in the overall concept enabling smoothness and flawless flow of elements.
  4. Balance
    1. Symmetric pertains to equal division of elements. Designs are created in the concept of grouping elements with similar height, color, shape and texture.
    2. Asymmetric, on the other hand, ironically means imbalance. It’s balance in the form of abstraction. The designs and other elements are arranged in a freewheeling style.
  5. Color- adds a lively and animated providing life and dimension to the landscape design.
  6. Line-structural concept when it comes to pathways, walkways, gates and steps
  7. Proportion/Scale- the comparative size of a certain element with regards to the other elements in an attempt to blend them together.
  8. Repetition- the form of repeating similar and uniform objects within the design.

If you would like to properly utilize the eight principles of landscaping throughout your landscape call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060 if you are in the Denver, CO area.

What Type of Snow Thrower is Best for Your Landscape?

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Tired of shoveling the vast amounts of snow covering your landscape? Ditch your shovel in exchange for a snow thrower. Snow throwers make cleaning your driveway and sidewalk a quick, easy and efficient process. There are a few different types of snow throwers available, so in order to help you choose the best option we are going to share a chart of the different options, the conditions they should be used and their benefits.

Are you considering purchasing a snow thrower this year? If so let us know what led you to your decision.

Chart from Home Depot Canada

Begin Planning Your Spring Landscape Projects this Winter

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gardernersgardenx003Have you been thinking that you want to add a few plants and maybe a pergola to your landscape? Even though it’s too cold to do so now this is the perfect time to begin planning your spring landscape projects.

Winter is the best time to begin considering what you would like since the majority of people wait until the weather warms up to begin planning. And with everyone looking to work on their landscapes at the same time landscapers are known to become extremely busy, which may mean you get less one-on-one time with your architect.

Another reason why you should begin planning your spring landscape projects during winter is because you’ll be ready to actually get started when the season changes. Whether you are looking to plant new flower beds and shrubs, or install a water feature or outdoor structure the weather will be just right to get your plans underway.

To begin planning your landscape call Phase One Landscapes at 303-750-6060 if you are in the Denver area.

Find the Perfect Real Tree for Your Holiday Celebration

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Did you recently decide that you would keep your faux tree boxed up in storage this year and opt for a real tree?  If this is your first time embarking on the journey to purchase a live tree or you haven’t done it in a while we want to help. To help you find the perfect tree for your holiday celebration we are going to share a few tips…

  • Know what size tree can fit in your house. Find out by measuring the height of your ceiling and subtracting the height of your stand and the tree topper you plan to use.
  • Shop at a local tree farm to ensure you get a fresh and healthy tree.
  • When looking…
    • Test branches by grabbing any branch between your thumb and forefinger, gently clamp down and pull towards yourself. If a handful of needles come off the tree is past its prime.
    • Crush needles in your hand and check the scent.  If it isn’t very strong don’t purchase it.
  • Ask the lot to run your tree through the shaker or use a blower on it to shake off any dead interior needles. Then have it wrapped in netting for you to take home.

If you buy a real tree every year share your tips on how you find the perfect tree in the comments section below.

Image from Finders Free

World’s First Vertical Forest to be Erected in Milan

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Have you been hearing stories about vertical gardens being incorporated into homes and landscapes over the last few years? Just as vertical gardens are growing in popularity one architect is taking things a step further with a vertical forest. Stefano Boeri is the designer behind Bosco Verticale, the 27-story tower that is currently under construction in Milan, Italy which will be forever known as the world’s first vertical forest.

The building will be covered in plant life which will help balance the microclimate and filter dust particles that make Milan one of the most polluted cities in Europe. And given the diverse types of plants that will be used their combined characteristics will also help produce humidity and oxygen, absorb CO2, protect the building from radiation and lower energy savings.

Take a look at a digital example of how Bosco Verticale will look once it is complete…

Share your thoughts on the first vertical forest with us in the comments section!

Source: Inhabitat