Building A Show Garden: At the base of it all - Orion Rockscapes & Greencliff Landscape Co.

A basic composition of the stone work to be done at the show.

One of the major elements of any show garden is the construction of the hardscape. I will fully admit that I have very limited experience when it comes to this very important aspect of landscape design and construction; therefore, I’ve teamed up with three main players who will showcase their talents for “The Lost Gardener”. 

You’ve already met Clayton Morgan of CEM Design, and you’ve met one member of the team from OrionRockscapes and then there’s a hardworking guy that’s looking to add to his already full repertoire of experience and skills.

An example of their clean stone work

 Hardscape (rocks, paths, patios, walls, etc.) is probably the most expensive aspect of a landscape, but it’s so incredibly crucial being that it’s the backbone of just about any landscape. You need structural elements that hold a plant collection together otherwise it would just be chaos and you’re left feeling overwhelmed and almost intimidated by a space. 

Hardscapes are familiar to most people because its something they see all the time no matter what and for a show garden like mine that’s more plant focused, I need to bridge the gap with these “hard” structures as to not lose my audience: the general public. 

Informal stacked stone walls and precision cut concrete patio

Wow, I definitely want to live here!

Orion Rockscapes is run by a talented and kind craftsman, Alejandro DeLucio. Along with his wife, Jade Waples, who I profiled on my post on Gardening with Kayaks, they will oversee the materials acquisition and construction of a stone wall on the "cultivated" side of "The Lost Gardener". They've also agreed to transport other materials and my goal is that the public will take notice of the quality of work they do. As the landscape transitions from the will to the confined, they are also constructing a small section of the edge of the garden which includes a gabion wall (a barrier of "caged" rocks) that will blend into a dry river bed. Gabion walls are becoming very popular with property owners who aim for sustainable landscapes and Orion Rockscapes is certainly on top of these types of landscape features.Their rock is kindly being loaned by Rock Mountain Products, LLC in Redmond, WA.

Another member of the LOST team is Crane Stavig of Greencliff Landscape Co. He was a former student of mine when he enrolled in a shade gardening course that I taught at Edmonds Community College. He's been active with a lot of great residential projects and he's a trained pruner! I'm so pleased that he's taken his education to heart and applied it in his work!

Ballard Residence Before

Ballard Residence After

 I've asked Crane to construct the "high voltage" fence reminicent of the fencing used to cage the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. He's also involved in other construction details and materials and will have a hand at install. He does a little bit of everything.

Pine Tree Before Pruning

Pine Tree After Pruning

  
Without these guys on board, this garden would NOT be possible. Their experience, skills and also their ability to work well with others is key to not only a project such as a flower and garden show, but also in their daily work so clients can rely on these companies to do quality work backed up with integrity and heart.

My sincerest thanks for their time and efforts for this show. Click on their links and learn more about what they might be able to do for you (if you're in the Puget Sound Area of Washington)

Riz