Landscaping

Today we met with a landscape architect for over 2 1/2 hours. It was really draining, but we did get a lot done, and managed to come up with parameters for him to draft a plan for us. Landscape architects don't just tell you what plants to plant - they do a lot more like address grading, drainage, fencing, hardscaping, privacy, aesthetics, structural items (e.g. roofed in patio, built in barbeque, etc).

Our backyard is really challenging, which is why we needed to bring this person in. The grade is wrong, causing the water to pool near the house and garage. The drainage system collects the water and outlets it under the house, causing mold and moisture problems. There are tall ficus trees along one side, which are great because they sheild us from a two-story apartment building. What is not so great are their roots, which grow to more than 20 feet and run right along the surface of the yard. We need to put up some fencing to make the yard dog-friendly. It's a bit complicated though, because of the change in elevation in various parts of the yard and the fact that the trees are right along the property line. We want to add a back door because there isn't any good backyard access from the house at this time. There is a concrete foundation out back the prior owners poured to build a rental unit back there. We want to remove this if possible. While all of these issues are tricky, what makes it really complicated is that all of these issues interact with each other. The tree roots impact how and how much we can change the grading. The grading and drainage system need to be designed together. Where the living area goes impacts the fencing. It goes on and on, but you get the idea. This was the one area I felt like I couldn't handle it without professional guidance.

It was a long session, but I think we really accomplished a lot and that the end plan will be great and we will be able to grow into it over time.