ALCA LANDSCAPING AWARDS
Awards of Excellence
2016 Excellence in Landscaping Awards Azul- Verde Design Group, Inc SFR Installation $150,001-$170,000 Amaral Residence This rustic ranch home’s architectural feature extends into the landscape. Foremost is the Ramada. Its large beams and lattice above offer shade over the barbecue and dining areas. At its base are steel frame gabion baskets which anchor the structure and are repeated in the landscape as a connection to the pool area. The raised swimming pool is veneered with native stone at one end and a simple yet elegant 3-piece wall fountain at the other. The pool is capped with an unpolished travertine stone. This stone is also used as stepping pads infilled with synthetic turf which visually cools the scene. The landscape provides a mix of desert trees and colorful arid region shrubs and vines. Check out the old millstone water fountain on the front cover of the magazine.
Photograph by Chad Ullam
DTR Landscape Development LLC Commercial Installation Under $50,000 Phoenix Zoo Administration Building This project consisted of the installation of 18 Saguaros, 6 Ocotillos, 10 - 36” Box trees, 100 – 5 to 15 gallon plants and cacti, 60 various sized boulders, 200 tons of granite and gabion walls filled with rip- rap. This project is an all-natural landscape and only required a temporary above ground irrigation system that will be removed by the owner in a year.
The Groundskeeper Commercial Maintenance $90,001-$150,000 Splendido at Ranch Vistoso The Splendido community, a retirement and assisted living facility, is perched towards the top of the Rancho Vistoso community loop. Natural desert and mountain views surround the property on all sides. The plant pallet consists of a desert adapted species of trees, shrubs, and groundcover. We are currently in year two of a three year plan to renovate native shrubs, converting from sheered appearance to a natural pruning technique. Approximately 1.5 acres of turf lay in the retention areas near the main building wings, all watered with reclaimed water systems. Turf areas include an 18 hole putting course and a bocce court. We also maintain two annual flower beds, one near the front valet circle and one in the east courtyard patio, both of which surround water features.
Caretaker Landscape and Tree Management Commercial Maintenance $150,001- $200,000 Rovey Farm Estates HOA The Caretaker team along with the Rovey Farms community is very much aware of the ever changing needs of the communities’s landscape. We constantly assess the community looking for sustainable practices, versus just repairing the problem. Items such as right plant, right place, the continuation of a low water use plant pallet, and proper maintenance practices have been instrumental in correcting issues that have caused numerous early failures in the community. The development of a sustainable turf program that keeps the park inviting while saving water and reducing the amount of necessary chemicals for turf quality has been a huge success. We are now working with the community to potentially further assist the water conservation efforts by reducing the turf square footage and converting to decomposed granite.
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THE ALCA INFLUENCE
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May/June 2017