It seems that the fields of landscaping and gardening are
full of many timeworn statements that people like to repeat over and over. Some
of these green “rules of thumb” are tried and true, while others may
not be so true.
One landscape stereotype regarding tree growth rates that is being challenged is the old adage that “oak trees grow slowly”. I have heard and read this many times and I have repeated this mantra myself for years. But a study of urban trees in the Denver Metro area, published by the Colorado State Forest Service, got me to rethink that stereotype.
This tree study recorded the growth rates of 19 commonly
planted trees planted in public land in the Denver suburb of Westminster, for
24 years. The authors of the study measured the trunk diameters of the trees in
1992, 2000, 2008, and 2016.
The most eye-opening nugget of information in this report is
that the white oak group of trees (bur, swamp white and English oak) were the
3rd fastest growing trees in the study! They grew faster than green ash,
lindens or honeylocust trees. They even
had the same rate of recorded growth as silver maples, a species often referred
to as a “fast grower.”
Data table from the Colorado State Forest Service’s study “Growth Rates of Common Urban Trees in Westminster, Colorado”. Authors: K.A. Wood and A.M. Poulson
One important take-away from this study for me is the fact
that we should reevaluate what trees seem to be the best for planting in
challenging ecosystems such as the urban/suburban areas of the high plains
where Denver sits. It is worth quoting the State Forest Service report to
emphasize this point:
“Some tree species revealed to be fast or moderate growers in this
study have previously been viewed as slow growers, and they are often passed
over at planting time. However, equating growth rates with vigor can be
misleading, as some of the slower-growing tree types on this list can be the
most adaptable to the area (including hawthorn, hackberry and honeylocust).
Adding newly discovered fast-growing species to the planting palette and
incorporating hardy, slow-growing species will maximize the success of planting
projects and promote species diversity.”
To be clear, it is only one type of oak trees (white oaks)
that exhibited fast growth in the study sample. Red oak was also in the study
and showed slower growth. The authors note this is possibly due to the low pH
of high plains soils.
It very well could be that other types of oak trees grow
slowly too, but we don’t have data for that. Or, perhaps another study may come
along and challenge that, as well.
So, as with many “rule-of-thumb” type
statements, don’t believe it until you have seen some data to back it up.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
In 2016, the congregation of Saint Francis of Assisi
Catholic Church in Longmont, Colorado decided to expand their existing building
to better serve their growing congregation. The proposed addition to the
existing building would impact the existing landscaping, so our company was
hired to design the renovation and adjustments of the landscape around the
building.
The remodel of the building will be done in multiple phases.
So far, phase 1 of the renovations has been constructed.
The rendered landscape plan for the Saint Francis of Assisi Church.
Like many church construction projects, this one had to be
cost conscious. Due to budget constraints and various budget reviews, the
proposed plantings were adjusted several times during the planning stages to
best fit the current needs of the budget.
One particular technical challenge was the assessment and modification
of the existing irrigation system and pumps. Our irrigation specialist was
dispatched to the field multiple times to work with the Church’s maintenance
crew to puzzle out the best way to adjust and modify the existing irrigation
system. In the end, we were able to bridge the new and existing irrigation
systems into a cohesive whole.
From a planting design perspective, the client had a few key
points they wished to address: Blend new and existing plants seamlessly; create a low maintenance & low water use
landscape; and add seasonal focal points to pair with the liturgically
appropriate seasonal milestones that are critical to the Church.
Our team worked with the Church’s maintenance team to ensure
the plantings and other landscape elements would be low maintenance. Hearty and
reliable plant species were chosen for the design. We also wanted the new
plantings to blend seamlessly with the existing landscaping. In addition to
these criteria for the plants, we also ensured the plantings in the expanded
parking lot would not obscure any critical sight lines for pedestrian and
vehicle safety.
To create seasonal focal points, we considered different
plants that might be at their peak during significant seasonal holidays. One
good example of this is forsythia shrubs with their glorious yellow blooms that
appear close to Easter, a very significant holiday in the Catholic Church. Not
only are the seasonal focal points a visible manifestation of seasonally
significant biblical events, these planting nodes provide attractive backdrops
for photo opportunities during church sponsored events such as weddings.
Working on the landscape renovations for the Saint Francis
of Assisi Catholic Church was a wonderful experience for our design team. It was satisfying to help the Church achieve
their landscape design goals for their congregation and stay on budget.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
As the population boom along Colorado’s front-range continues, many housing developments have been popping up throughout the area in an attempt to satisfy the need to house the burgeoning growth. While many of these new developments tout their environmental and community principles to attract buyers, one PUD (planned unit development) project we have had the opportunity to work on takes those ideas seriously and is truly committed to building a green and inclusive community.
This project, called Main Street Erie, is still in the approval process. When it is ultimately built, Main Street Erie will provide new housing options for the growing town of Erie (located in Weld County), while simultaneously following many of the environmental and community ideals that the citizens of Colorado hold dear to their hearts.
The design of Main Street Erie is informed by New Urbanist
concepts and inspired by the idealized small town of America’s yesteryear.
White picket fences blend with detached walks, traditional architecture with
inviting porches, and cozy alley homes to bring back the charm of an idealized
residential development your grandparents may have grown up in as children.
To be efficient with land area, homes are placed closer together with smaller yards. Because most of the lots do not provide a large amount of outdoor space, and also because many of the lots have extra accessory dwelling units (ADU’s), it was determined that a community garden space would be a good addition to the project. A large portion of the property was set aside for a garden area with nearly 30 garden plots. In the community garden spaces, residents can work together getting their hands dirty nurturing their green thumbs, while interacting with their neighbors.
The inclusion of ADUs in this development will help address
the need for multiple housing types. ADU’s can help provide variable housing
sizes, which in turn may lead to a more diverse cross-section of community
members.
Near the community garden plots will sit a clubhouse with outdoor gathering spaces, including a whimsically oversized chess board to entertain young and old alike.
Just north-east of the clubhouse a large communal lawn space is planned that will make a perfect community gathering spot for residents and their families to relax and have fun with their neighbors.
This project is an efficient use of the land due to the manner in which housing types are sited together. Homes are situated and designed for maximum solar gain. This will help maximize the efficiency of solar panels. But at the same time, care has been taken to incorporate vines and other plantings along the south sides of buildings to shade the structures from southern exposure, to help minimize heat gain as much as possible.
Main Street Erie has been a great project to be involved
with. With no foreseeable slow-down in development along the Front Range of
Colorado, it is good to see neighborhoods and communities like Main Street Erie
being planned with sustainable and community building aspects being included
from beginning.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
It’s summer, which means in Colorado and other surrounding states in the Central Plains/Inter-mountain West region of the country, it is Hail Season!
Earlier in the Summer, the Denver area had several sessions of hail that ripped through gardens and landscapes late one June night. Avid gardens who’d been awakened by the cacophony of thunder, torrential rain and hail that night, sleepily rushed out in the morning to find shredded plants and debris scattered everywhere. I myself had many plants I’d been babying from seed and roots all Spring which were severely torn up by the barrage of hail stones.
This horticultural carnage got me wondering what plants are best at surviving the annual severe weather in our region? As I walked around the yard sadly inspecting the damage, it was easy to see that the native and climate adapted plants fared best from the aerial ice-bullet onslaught. So I thought it might be a good idea to create a list of “hail-proof” (or at least “hail-resistant”) plants. The following list of plants is just a cursory look at some possible plant choices that should be better able to handle hail storms:
Ornamental Grasses:
-Many, many varieties. Some of the hardiest, and easiest to grow in our region are Feather Reed (Calamagrostis spp.), Switch grass (Panicum virgatum), Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), and Giant Sacaton (Sporobolus wrightii)
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
As the Baby-boomers continue to age, and with Generation X not far behind, the need for assisted living and memory care facilities has been on the rise. Outdoor Design Group has had the opportunity to work on several Assisted Living and Memory Care residential facility projects over the years. One AL/MC project we participated on recently, Landmark Assisted Living, is located in the town of Lafayette, Colorado.
With wonderful clients and a great design team, Landmark Assisted Living and Memory Care was a positive experience for our staff, and something we look back on with pride. This locally owned and operated facility was thoughtfully designed with a unifying landscaped courtyard at the core of the small complex of three buildings.
Landmark Assisted Living and Memory Care overall landscape plan.
The genesis of the idea for this green heart of the site plan came during several different charrette meetings held at our office with the owners, architects, planners, civil engineers and us, the landscape architects. Becoming involved in the project from an early stage helped us insure that the importance of outdoor spaces would be an integral component of this Italianate site design. Inspired by a Tuscan hill town village, an entrance tower concept became one of the key features of the plan.
Three site concepts that were investigated early on in the design process.
Faced with an odd shaped lot, the design team determined that there would be a long entrance drive into the center of the lot, with a circular drive/parking area reached just before the buildings and courtyard. One advantage of the long entrance drive, is the ability to have the courtyard area conveniently located near the circle drive and parking, yet far enough from the busy and noisy traffic of a main thoroughfare.
One concept rendering that came about in the middle of the process.
The circular drive provides a perfect sequence for a vehicle drop-off, but we realized that the center of this drive could also become a nice landscape focal point for people as they entered the site.
After navigating the circle drive, visitors then encounter the entrance gate and tower. Reinforcing the Tuscan theme, the tower provides a delightful “landmark” for the site, and makes a great entrance into the gated landscape.
One of the last concept sketches the team devised as we approached the final site design.
The layout of the buildings is predominately to the north and east sides of the property. This scenario provides a mostly southern and western exposure of the courtyard, which leads to an outdoor space that is rarely shaded in the cold months, fostering an exterior space that is sunny and easy for the snow to quickly melt. A formal water feature anchors the center of the courtyard design.
Due to the open and bright exposure in the courtyard, we proposed a series of raised garden beds where residents of the facility could indulge their green thumbs and get their hands in the dirt. If the sunny space gets too warm, there is a shade structure and several trees to provide protective seating spots to enjoy the outside air. And if residents or staff are in need of a simple stroll to clear their mind or get their blood flowing, there is a small network of interconnected walkways inside this gated courtyard that allows for that.
Digital 3-D rendering of the Landmark site.
The Landmark Assisted Living and Memory Care facility has turned out to be a great project that brings the pleasures of a gated courtyard and Tuscan style architecture together to create a wonderfully inviting and therapeutic outdoor experience for residents, visitors and staff members of the facility.
This is the official blog of Outdoor Design Group, Colorado Landscape Architects. For more information about our business and our services, click here.
