7 minute read
PROJECT PROFILE
DESIGNING WITH LOCAL Plants Brings Home a Win for Colorado
LANDSCAPING FIRM
Advertisement
The Associated Landscape Contractors’ 2021 ELITE Gold Award for Residential Plant Design went to Tree of Life Landscapes’ well-deserving Lince Rossa project in Colorado. So, what set Tree of Life Landscapes’ design apart from the competition? The Lince Rossa project’s landscape designer, Johnny Moore, shares his experience working on the project.
The Power of Perennials
Tree of Life Landscapes has made its mark by using perennials in landscape designs. These robust plants are able to weather the Colorado climate while borrowing the colors and feel of the natural setting.
“I think perennial-driven design is becoming a thing a lot of people are doing now, but I think it’s something that’s still not really well known,” Moore says. “Not a lot of designers are really specializing in that.”
For the Lince Rossa project, the Boulder, Colo.-based residence sat on a hilltop where the land was subject to dramatic extremes between incredibly hot and frigidly cold or windy weather.
“The plants had to be able to tolerate some real extremes,” Moore says. “With those kinds of stressful factors and constraints, it caused the plant palette to become really unique.”
Mixed in with the perennial wildflowers were shrubs and trees that were equally as hardy to survive the Colorado climate. Moore takes pride in the colorful combination of the plants and the distinctive aesthetic created when using perennials in designs.
Brooke Forwood Photo
Nature’s Touch
As with any residential landscape design, the customer’s vision is the driving force behind the design concept. The Lince Rossa project was no exception, Moore says.
“The client’s greatest overall vision was to reduce the sod and to add perennials,” he says. “A couple of other factors were to create something that was low maintenance, as well as being friendly and beneficial to wildlife and pollinators.”
The property backs up to a large, open space surrounded by fields and other natural areas. The client did not want to stray from the natural feel with the landscape design.
“Creating an environment in her front yard that was going to be welcoming and kind of an extension of that wildlife and climate was a big factor,” Moore says of the design process. “I’m always looking to create an aesthetically and environmentally pleasing place with the design, where it’s beautiful, not just to the client, but also to the world around it.”
The client received a National Wildlife Federation certification for her natural landscape. This certification is awarded to residential yards where wildlife is able to rear young, pollinate or otherwise thrive.
WORLD’S LARGEST SUPPLIER OF OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT PARTS
Celebrating its 65th anniversary in 2022, Rotary offers over 9,500 guaranteed quality outdoor power equipment parts for mowers, trimmers, chain saws, brush cutters, pressure washers, snow blowers, garden tillers and much more.
Filters engineered for maximum protection and performance
Copperhead Mower Blades
Rotary manufactures approximately 12 million mower and edger blades annually at its state-of-the-art facility in Georgia including heavy duty blades, professionalgrade mulching blades, flat blades, high and low-lift blades plus edger and de-thatcher blades.
Engineered to perform better, last longer and cut with powerful force, Copperhead blades from Rotary are available for most any model and feature:
• Premium-grade American steel, heated treated and tempered for uniform hardness. • Precision formed, balanced and sharpened to ensure a cleaner, finer cut with less vibration. • Superior cutting efficiency and extended blade life. • ISO compliance for quality and superior craftsmanship. Rotary has all types of commercial-strength air, fuel and oil filters for mowers and small engines, professionally-designed to protect equipment under extreme operating conditions while ensuring maximum efficiency and peak performance.
Rotary air filters improve airflow, horsepower and overall engine performance. Oil filters feature a special blend of fibers and resin that create a filter media with exceptional dirttrapping capacity for maximum protection. A full line of premium-quality filters are manufactured at Rotary’s world headquarters in Georgia.
Copperhead Trimmer Line
Nothing cuts like Copperhead vortex line from Rotary. The choice of landscape pros, vortex trimmer line features a twisted aerodynamic design that produces more cutting power at impact – with less drag and reduced vibration. This best-seller has superior tensile strength, excellent wear resistance and requires less operating power for improved performance in hot, cold, dry or wet conditions. Made at Rotary facilities in Arizona and Georgia, Copperhead trimmer line is also available in diamond-cut, quad-tex and premium-quad varieties.
FREE 2022 parts catalog for servicing dealers and distributors.
www.RotaryCorp.com 800.841.3989
Your Partner for Success.
Challenges Accepted
Between the climate, supply shortages and the location of the landscape, the Lince Rossa project did come with its setbacks. The client specifically sought professional help because she had had a 50% survival rate of plants in the past.
“Our client basically said ‘good luck’,” Moore recalls. “Fortunately, we did a lot better than a 50% survival of all our plants, but we did have some challenges. Some of that was due to sourcing limitations when we were installing and some availability shortages.”
To overcome these challenges, Moore’s team substituted known hearty plants under a one-year warranty and replaced them as needed.
Budget constraints also changed design plans for Moore’s team. “We ended up scaling back the density of the plantings just due to budget,” Moore says. “We like to plant pretty densely because of long-term maintenance. The client had approximately 5,000 square feet of what we planted. That’s just a lot of space to cover, so we did scale down and scale back the plants a little bit to fit the budget.”
BrookeForwoodPhoto
Keeping Up Appearances
Upon completing the Lince Rossa project, Moore spent time fostering the relationship Tree of Life Landscapes has with the client. Moore and his team B rookeForwoodPhoto take the time to check up on the current state of the garden and replace plants or do maintenance as needed.
“I’ll still go out there two or three times a year and walk our garden with her to talk about what’s doing really well or what areas might need a little more attention,” Moore says. “My favorite part of the project was the day that we
Saw barS & chain
Saw Bars • Chain • Sprockets • Springs • Starters Carburetors • Cylinder Assemblies • Tools & Accessories
Scan to view video.
Call 800.841.3989 or visit rotarycorp.com
Servicing dealers and distributors only.
finished planting. There’s a reason behind why we put all these plants here, but you can’t see it on day one. Going back throughout the past several years and seeing that garden come to full maturity, that was my favorite part about it.”
You Can, Too
Moore’s humble appreciation of the Lince Rossa project’s win showcased how deserving Tree of Life Landscapes’ work was of the ELITE Gold Award. For other professionals looking to join Tree of Life Landscapes in the ELITE ranks, Moore suggests “crafting a thoughtful perennial design.”
“The more time you spend getting to know plants—how they’re going to live throughout the year, what their cycles are, how they can fit together texturally, their bloom times and their colors—the richer and greater depth your plant design is going to have,” Moore says.
In addition, Moore is an advocate for planting in accordance with your region. Using local plants and resources can create beautiful landscapes that are meant to thrive in specific climates and highlight the identity of the region.
“If you were to be dropped in any city in North America, and you stood on a street corner and looked at the landscape, would you know where you were? The odds are that you might not know because they all look similar,” Moore e xplai ns. “Everybody is trying to create the same look, but their designs should instead be reflective of the regional environment and plants which make that the place people want to live.”
B rookeForwoodPhoto
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
PARTS, TOOLS & ACCESSORIES.
America's #1 Supplier
1.800.841.3989 • rotarycorp.com
©2022 Rotary Corporation. Rotary is a registered trademark of Rotary Corporation. Available through servicing dealers & distributors.
WITH YOUR MOWER!
DO MORE
“The JRCO Tine Rake Dethatcher has cut my spring clean-up labor by 50%! ”
Heavy-duty Attachments for Commercial Mowers
Save time and money with JRCO Heavy-Duty Attachments for Commercial Mowers. By using attachments for your lawn mower, you get the job done twice as fast and also save space by not hauling additional equipment. Do more with your mower!
SPOT SPRAYERS
TINE RAKE DETHATCHERS TRANSPORTER AERATORS
CANOPIES LEAF BLADE PLOW BLOWER BUGGY
BROADCAST SPREADER
