The Cultivated Gardeners

Home Improvement Professionals , Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers
2 Reviews
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The Cultivated Gardeners
2 Reviews

Ioco Lawn Alternative

We were brought in to enhance this front garden. Once again, the motivation for change was damage caused by Chaefer Beetles in the lawn.
Project Year: 2016
Before
April 2016: Once again, we were faced with the Chaefer Beetle and its damaging consequences. Our goal was to beautify the front of the home, and add more seasonal interest. The homeowner also requested a front walkway separated from the existing driveway.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
Before
The driveway was also extended on this side, and the garden renovated for beauty, interest, low maintenance, and with plants tolerant to sea breezes.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
Before
The existing Maple (or no longer existing Maple) needed to be replaced. The homeowner was unsure why the Maple died.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
Lawn Be Gone! We ordered a turf bin, so Job #1 was to remove the lawn in one day.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
With most of the walkway complete, we began working yards of soil amendment into the existing soil. The soil amendment improves drainage, nutrition, and nutrient holding capacity of the existing soil.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
A more informal path of unmortared Pennsylvania Bluestone connects the driveway to the new front walkway. This informal plant will be planted between the stones.
Ioco Lawn Alternative
A more informal path of unmortared Pennsylvania Bluestone connects the driveway to the new front walkway. This informal plant will be planted between the stones.
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There is always some unexpected element of a job. This time we discovered the builders had given this toilet a shallow grave. Thanks, builders, for not bothering to take this away with you.
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In July, we returned to plant the tree. The garden was filling in nicely. The lawn alternatives are Pratia, Wooly Thyme, and Micro-Clover. The Micro-Clover (the bright green section in the middle of the ground covers) is meant to be mowed.
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Finding the perfect tree took some time, but we feel we nailed it with this one. We had to dig through the newly planted clover, but that's the beauty of lawn alternatives: they are adaptable.
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We wanted a fairly large tree for the space, not a sapling.
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November 2016: The separate front walkway welcomes the visitor to the door. The upturned granite cobbles frame the garden and encourage vehicles to remain on the road.
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July 2017 After a long, hard winter, the Calamagrotis 'Karl Foerster' grasses are filled in and looking gorgeous with the sea breeze blowing them above the Spirea and Thyme driveway border. (See photo with hot water tanks for 'before' image.)
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June 2017 Just over a year since planting, and the lawn alternatives have filled in beautifully. The sunniest area near the road is Wooly Thyme; the centre is micro clover; and the shadiest part (behind the garden bed in photo) is planted with Pratia (Blue Star Creeper). We were worried that...
Ioco Lawn Alternative