Retaining Walls Falling Down

These retaining walls are falling down in Oakland Township, Michigan. Even the short walls are leaning and seperating.

Why?

1) The blocks used to construct these walls are not retaining wall blocks. They are planter retention wall blocks and can only be used in walls up to 16″ high and that is only under optimal conditions . These walls are 48″ high.  The builder should have used something like Unilock’s Pisa II block, or Anchor Wall (Versalock).

2) All the blocks of these walls do not have glue to hold them together and some blocks had only a dab of glue.

3) Improper drainage behind the walls.

4) I suspect an improper base was used due to the shorter walls leaning and seperating. Proper base for walls of these height is 8″ – 12″ deep of compacted gravel and the base should be wider than the wall. A 12″ wall should have a minimum 18″ wide base.

These walls were only 7 to 8 years old. Properly built walls, using appropriate materials, should stand straight and tall for twenty years without any issues for the homeowner. We do not recommend attempting to repair these walls.

It is vital that when you shop for a landscape contractor, you do not only choose your contractor based upon price. There are a lot of guys with a truck and a shovel, make sure they can build your landscape project to stand the test of time.

  

 

Landscaping in Commerce, Michigan

We installed a walk and steps for this client in Commerce, using Unilock Brussels Block and Pisa II brick pavers.  We also moved two Japanese Maples last fall.

Steps to Front Porch

    

Privacy Screening in Birmingham, Michigan

Privacy Screening

 

This privacy screening in Birmingam was constructed using Parasoleil Panels.

Our Newest Employee- He Works for Peanuts!

Get Rid of Your Lawn (or some of it)

You can save money and help the environment by reducing the size of your lawn, according to Jerome Belanger in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Self-Sufficient Living.

Belanger points out, amongst other stats, that 28 to 40 billion dollars are spent a year in the USA on lawn care. According to the EPA, lawn mowers use 800 million gallons of gas per year. Running a gas mower for one hour is putting as much pollution into the air as 8 cars driving at 55 mph for an hour. Lawn mower accidents are nearly as many as involving hand guns.

Irrigation systems to keep lawns green use gallons of water and the electricity to run the system. Not to mention the irrigation system install price, repair and maintenance.

Have you considered landscaping sections of your lawn area and reducing its overall size? Relegating lawn to specific uses, such as for the children, the dogs, your golf practice and re-thinking how you use the remainder of the space in your yard is a first step.

Your lawn can be converted into a wildflower meadow that requires virtually no maintenance and if planted with perennials, will return each summer. You may need to add seed every once in awhile, but you have eliminated the mowing and you will attract hummingbirds, songbirds and butterflies. Not to mention, the gorgeous bouquets you or the children can gather for your dining table.

How about converting the space into edible landscaping and growing some of your own food? Edible gardens can be a thing of beauty to behold, with neat, trimmed beds and wonderful colors and the benefit of homegrown, organic foods for your table. Here at our house in Ortonville, we are converting a 48′ x 56′ space of lawn into a traditional Native American garden with corn, pumpkins and sunflowers. The pumpkins keep the critters from getting in the corn and the sunflowers. We will dry the sunflowers to feed the songbirds in fall, and harvest the corn for ourselves, our local food bank and our livestock. The pumpkins are just plain fun to carve, when they don’t become pies or bread.

You can also replace lawn with groundcover, such as sedum. An English Garden with its stone walls, paths and benches along with roses and lavender, maybe a fountain, would make a unique front yard. Those of you familiar with the children’s classic The Secret Garden, know what fun and wonder an English garden can be for the entire family.

How about a courtyard instead of lawn? How about a pond instead of a stretch of lawn? How about planting trees? Everyone knows that planting a tree reduces your carbon footprint.

Think of your lawn as having the potential to be an Outdoor Room.

If you are interested in converting any of your lawn into natural landscaping for you and your family to enjoy, please contact us.

Books about this subject:

• American Green: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Lawn by Ted Steinberg
• Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn by Frtiz Haeg and others
• Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community by Heather Coburn Flores
• The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Self-Sufficient Living by Jerome D. Belanger

More Testimonials from this Summer!

Thanks to our wonderful and inspiring customers for these recent testimonials and also for a successful summer in the Motor City!!

Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
Bob and his team were outstanding in every phase of this project. He completely met my expectations and I would absolutely hire his crew again.   West Bloomfield, Michigan

****

Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
Landscape Artisan did an excellent job on our paver patio and pergola.  Highland, Michigan

*****

Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
we wanted something unique, customized and not built from a kit. we had some special requirements that other contractors told us they could not provide. Landscape Artisans said YES and indeed, they did a wonderful job. we are very pleased with the outcome. we love our new pond! Daniel and Kin C      Franklin, Michigan

New Testimonial

Would you recommend Landscape Artisan, LLC to a friend or colleague? Yes

Describe Your Experience with Landscape Artisan, LLC:
“Price was significantly lower than competition. Work was done professionally as promised and completed on time. Completed patio project made my wife proud. I would definitely do business with this company again.” Southfield, Michigan

Thank you to our clients!!!

The Baby Bird Update

Bob took the baby bird to a songbird rehabilitator and she will raise it and release it.

It is a male Cardinal, almost a fledgling and in very good health.

Landscape Artisan gave Teresa a donation as she cares for many injured and orphaned song birds.

Our New Mascot- Elle Aye

Yesterday, we purchased a spruce tree at John Deere Landscape nursery in Armada Michigan to plant at a client’s house in Southfield. Inside the spruce tree, we found out later at the job site, was a bird nest with a nestling in it. Bob brought the nest home and we are raising the baby bird.

We are feeding this nestling every 15 to 30 minutes — chopped up earthworm, mealy worms, bits of raspberries, and soaked-in-water dry dog food.

It makes a funny squeaking sound when hungry. It did sleep through the night.

We are calling it Elle Aye.

Why Should A Homeowner Pay For A Landscape Design/Plan?

The design for a landscape is a valuable product. The value can be measured in many ways.

• The designer spent time studying what plants grow in the soil and the exposure of the project.
• The designer knows how different plant material grows and works with other plants. Some plants are toxic to each other and should be placed correctly. Designers know how big plant material will grow, etc.
• The designer knows that color plays a key role and how a landscape can accent or contrast a house.
• The designer takes into consideration the location and shape of patios, walks, fire pits and outdoor living areas.

Landscape designers will take the guess work out of a landscape. These plans will (or should) give clear steps in the process to completion of the project. The plan will explain what should be installed and in what order.

Most people phase their landscape project over the course of several years. A plan will tell the homeowner where to start and where not to. No homeowner wants to build a patio that then must be altered or moved to continue with the overall design and look the homeowner desires.

Remember that no landscape company gives free designs. The homeowner is paying for the design somewhere in the bid process unless the homeowner has purchased the design outright. The cost of purchasing a design will depend upon the size of your project, the project’s complexity and the designer hired. The design is a worthy investment for any home, much like the investment in the building plans.

Here at Landscape Artisan, we only charge for the drawing when a homeowner wishes to keep it. Or when a homeowner wants to DIY their project and hires us to design. Otherwise, the design is covered through our overhead. The average design with completed drawing takes approximately four to eight hours, depending on its complexity and scope. Our designer spends a minimum of two hours on any project that involves design in any way. This includes the development of the concept, laying out of the concept and pricing and locating materials.

Smaller projects will get what Bob calls a “napkin sketch” : a sketched out drawing of the concept. Smaller may mean less complexity rather than size. Larger projects “go on the board” and are drawn on vellum paper according to the measurements of the project and with specifications for project completion. This is when Bob pulls out all of his catalogues and reference books and materials and his reading glasses and really thinks about what will meet the homeowner’s needs and transform their space. He will sit there for sometimes a very long time, watching a Tigers game and drawing then erasing then drawing again and asking for research into this or that on the computer. For instance, prices on stone posts or ways to reduce highway noise.

Since we expect a homeowner’s input, we expect that revisions will be made to the original design and we look forward to that process. Bob will bring the drawing “back to the board” and revisions can include working on ways to make the project happen within a certain budget.

Don’t feel sorry for Bob though- he loves what he does!!!