The cottage, located on “The Point” on Pleasant Lake, New London, was part of a popular family vacation spot in the 1950’s.  When the original owner passed away, our clients bought two of the lots, keeping this one to supplement their vacation home square footage a couple of streets away and posting the other lot for sale.

The original site had plenty of sand and minimal vegetation.  Our landscape design included both hardscape elements and plantings.  Large oversized stepping stones were placed to provide an attractive path from the beach area to the end of The Point.  Crushed stone was spread along the middle of the path to create a seating area on The Point for family and friends to enjoy the lake.

In the lower level of the cottage, the area under the porch was cleared and bordered to create a distinct area between the tree line and the beach area.  Stone steps rise from the beach area to the upper level and flow around the front of the cottage, creating a main entrance area and framing the driveway.  Boulders were strategically placed as feature stones along the walking path and in the beds, creating visual interest and defining the space.

During the landscape construction, we used a silt fence erosion control system and used plywood on the machine access path to protect the existing root systems as required by the Town of New London and the Comprehensive Shoreland Protection Act (CSPA).

Plantings included using indigenous and hardy vegetation, including Autumn Brilliance Service Berry trees, bearberry, dogwood, sweetfern, hydrangea, juniper and sumac shrubs, as well as bugleweed, fern, geranium, hosta, and thyme to provide a visually pleasing landscape, again that appears as if it had been there for years.

You may be surprised to learn that the New Hampshire State Tree is the Paper Birch (betula papyrifera) , also known as the Canoe or White Birch.

Native to New Hampshire, the paper birch is found in all areas of the state and in a variety of landscapes and settings, which is why it was named the Granite State’s official tree in 1947.  It is a major species of northern hardwood forests and while it does enjoy full sun, it does not do well where the average summer temperature exceeds 70*.  Because it prefers cooler climates, the paper birch has been dubbed the “Lady of the North American Forest”.

As a sapling, the bark of the paper birch is brown, making it difficult to identify.  Then, when the birch is about 10 years old or so, the brown papery layers of bark peel off and expose the fresh, white bark underneath.

Common along roadsides, in wooded areas, and along the borders of lakes and streams, mature paper birch grow to an average of 50 to 70 feet high and in full bloom reach between 25 to 45 feet wide.  Paper birch have a striking appearance and are hard to miss with their chalky, white bark, especially against the winter landscape.  In autumn, their dark green leaves turn first to a rich butter yellow, then to a golden yellow, contributing greatly to our colorful NH landscaping.

The paper birch is a fast growing tree but only lives about 60 to 80 years, a short time compared to other species.  Its shallow roots often grow in sandy soil, and because of this are fairly vulnerable, often suffering damage from high winds and ice storms.   The paper birch has an excellent cold tolerance and will grow in USDA hardiness zone 2 and is rarely successful in zones warmer than USDA hardiness zone 6.  Regular fertilization, water, and pruning help the birch resist blight, insects, and fungi.  The white bark of these fallen victims is a popular decorative item for souvenirs, while the light-colored wood is used for furniture, wooden kitchenware, and even clothespins.

Sources:
UNH Cooperative Extension
Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Michael A. Dirr
Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs, Michael A. Dirr

Arbor Day has a long history in the United States. The first Arbor Day was celebrated on April 10, 1872 and was founded by Nebraska journalist and newspaper editor, J. Sterling Morton. Morton dearly loved nature and used media to spread his enthusiasm for agriculture. He encouraged civic organizations and groups, as well as area schools, to join his movement to celebrate a day of planting trees.

Named a legal holiday in 1885, Arbor Day has continued to be celebrated in countless communities across the United States as a day to plant trees and shrubs around the home, along highways, and in other public places. Today, Arbor Day is observed on various dates, depending on the climate and suitable planting season.

This year, New Hampshire will celebrate Arbor Day on Friday, April 29, 2011. According to the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Arbor Day “is a unique holiday – planting a tree looks to the future and not at some past happening, as is the case with most holidays.” Arbor Day also kicks off New Hampshire’s Forest Conservation Week, which begins the next day.

Whether or not you celebrate Arbor Day, if you are a homeowner, take the opportunity to study your landscaping and inspect your trees. Be ready to prune and care for broken branches and check for evidence of disease or insect infestation. Plant a tree, or several, on your property for wind protection or shade. If you own a new home and are looking for a new landscape design, be sure to call db Landscaping to schedule a site visit!

On a wider scale, talk with your neighbors and make a plan to plant and care for trees in your nearby public places. We all play an important part in taking care of our environment!

Having the landscape architect involved in the very beginning stages of the project will:

1.     Allow the team to discuss your goals in terms of the overall use of the outdoor space and plan for any features you may want (tennis court, walkways, patios, outdoor fireplace, lake access, etc.);

2.     Streamline the permitting process and eliminate any additional permitting that may be required if the landscaping is designed after the home is built;

3.     Help in identifying the best location for the driveway in relation to the home and the outdoor features, whether the features are to be built right away or years in the future;

4.     Leave enough room around the home for the desired amount of landscaping within the buildable area;

5.     Eliminate possible problems and safety issues with storm water runoff and extreme changes in the elevation close to walkways, patios, and decks;

6.     Provide continuity and cohesiveness in the design of the home and the hardscape (using the same type of stone on the exterior of the home and in the landscaping features, coordinating colors, and blending the home with the natural vegetation).

Most property owners in the Lake Sunapee region want their site to reflect the beauty of their home and surrounding properties.  By consulting with db Landscaping in the early stages of your home design, you can ensure that your landscaping will be designed and built to complement your home design.

Deck and landscape

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Deck and landscape

The project provided outdoor living space built with local construction materials and re-vegetated a steep lakeside slope with a diverse collection of native and naturalized plant species.  The site proved to be quite a challenge and it is exciting to be recognized for achieving such quality in such a difficult setting.  We look forward to bringing this level of excellence and innovation to all of our future clients.

Spring IS coming!

Late February is the time of year when we all start to dream of spring. And despite the snow falling outside right now, spring is just around the corner and it’s the perfect time to start thinking about your landscape and gardens. At db Landscaping we’re here to help!

Many clients don’t start thinking about their outdoor living environments until the weather begins to improve- we typically get very busy going into April, May and the summer months. You can ensure that your project will be on this year’s building roster by contacting us now, before the spring rush. Despite the snow that lays on the ground now, we can get to work consulting with you, designing your landscape, and obtaining any needed permits. Enjoy the warm months in your newly designed landscape by calling us now! You’ll thank yourself when the warmer months arrive!

Snow slides off of this pitched roof onto the shrubs below.

Have you ever seen a shrub- say a favorite spring-flowering beauty such as Rhododendron- bent over and broken by a heavy snow load that has fallen from a pitched roof? If you’re a plant lover like me, this is heart breaking. And totally avoidable. Placing the right plant in the right place has everything to do with keeping your favorite woody plants from falling victim to snow-induced breakage.

Before you make a planting plan, conduct a little site analysis. Observe where snow loads from your roof land. As snow sits on a pitched roof it becomes heavier and heavier until it eventually slides off- covering any plant in it’s path. Sliding snow often doesn’t end up right under the eve, but rather as far from the house as 10-15′. So it’s important to: A. choose trees and shrubs that are resilient to breaking or B. place susceptible plants away from where snow slides off the roof . Most deciduous and needled evergreens trees or shrubs are resilient to heavy snow because they are flexible and shed snow easily. Broadleaf evergreens can be problematic. The large surface area of their leaves holds onto more snow and ice (and weight), making them more susceptible to breakage.

Another option would be to plant hardy, herbaceous perennials in snowy spots. These plants go dormant during the winter and foliage dies back to the ground naturally. During winter there remains no delicate branches or shoots to break- the roots lie underground sleeping, emerging only in spring when the ground warms.

Our Horticulturists at db Landscaping love a good planting challenge. Over the years we have come up with a pallette of shrubs that can handle a heavy load of snow sliding from a roof. We especially like the following not only beacuse they can handle the snow but also because they offer year-round beauty:

Clump birch, Kousa dogwood, Spruce, Pine, Fir, Hemlock, Cut-leaf Stephanandra, Red/Yellow twig Dogwood, Yew, Spiraea, Cotoneaster… And of course we are big fans of hardy perennials such as Lady’s Mantle, Daylilly, Astilbe, Columbine, Yarrow, Coreopsis, Dianthus, Bleeding Heart, Hosta, etc. etc…

Exposed aggregate concrete finish

Brush finished concrete

Why do we try to fake our way past real style?  Do we not have the patience to wait for character, or are we too blind to see that every material can be beautiful?

There is a strong human connection to old things and their history. The Japanese call it “wabi sabi,” the beauty that comes with age and imperfection. People are attracted to the character that comes with time, but are often unwilling to wait for it. We can use a patina or purposely scratch furniture in the hopes of speeding up the aging process and creating an “antique” look. But time and history are what really make antiques so valuable.  This fake aging tries to force personality, and anyone aware of their surroundings can see right through it.  Why not look for quality in materials now, and allow time to shape the future. There are so many other ways to bring out the true beauty of even the most modest materials.

In the landscape, we see a common and perfect example of faking it: pressed concrete. Trying to force concrete to look like brick or stone results in a product that looks cheap and feels fake. Why not embrace the qualities of the concrete itself, instead of wishing for something else. I once saw a cardboard sculpture that used the inner ripples as an alternate texture.  The point is that even something as cheap and common as cardboard can be great if its not trying to be something else. There will always be a more expensive stone or a flashier wood, but trying to recreate them from concrete cheapens not only the final project but also the original material.

Embrace the materials you can afford.  If all you have is plywood and plain concrete, show it off, and don’t try to hide it.  Time will bring character- the real kind that can’t be forced.

Working through the landscape design before building design is finalized benefits the client by saving time and money. When any home is built, and in particular homes near lakes, rivers, along the ocean and other water bodies, environmental permits (local zoning, planning and conservation commission approvals) and state permits (wetland permits and shoreland permits) must be obtained. The permitting process can involve many hours spent compiling the proper documents and drawings, and includes application and use fees.

Many of the permits required for building construction must also be obtained for landscape work. Permitting can be a very time consuming and costly process; going through it only once can really save time and money.

Before a home is built, engineers design grading plans for proper drainage around the house. While this is a valuable service, it is done for utility rather than beauty. We design the spaces around built structures to be both beautiful and functional- while drainage is important, so are the clients needs for the landscape. These spaces might be outdoor entertainment zones or contemplative gardens. We think you should have both beauty and function in your landscape- that’s why we like to work with the engineers at the beginning. Often clients want more or different landscaping than is initially built with the home-  so they call us to change and add to what has already been built- adding increased cost in demolition, redesign, permitting, and construction.

When we get in on the landscape design from the beginning we tend to find that the result is better- think of it as having a landscape and home that were designed around each other rather than creating a landscape plan out of what is leftover after building. We work with architects and engineers to help site the home in a way that creates the best possible areas for outdoor living, gardens, and access around the property.

After design and installation by dbLandscaping

Before dbLandscaping intervened- landscape installed by builder

Call us while your home is still in the process of being designed…it just makes sense!