Eastern Redbud

Eastern Redbud (Latin name Cercis canadensis) is amazing when it flowers. The flowers are a beautiful magenta-red that run up and down the trees branches.   It is one of the first plants to flower in the spring; before the leaves come out.  In southern Wisconsin it flowers end of April or early May.  It is native to eastern United States and Canada.  The tree produces multi-seeded pods in summer.  They look like pea pods as the plant is in the pea or Legume family.

It is edible. It is said that Native Americans ate redbud flowers and the young pods either raw or cooked.  The flowers are high in Vitamin C and can be used as a condiment on salads. The unopened buds can be pickled or used as a caper substitute. The seed is about 25% protein, 8% fat and 3% ash.  A study done in 2006 shows the flowers and the seeds to be very high in antioxidants as well as linoleic and alha-linolenic acid.  The seeds also have oleic and palmitic acids. (Green, Deane. Eastern Red Bud: Pea Pods Tree; http://www.eattheweeds.com/eastern-red-bud-pea-pods-on-a-tree/).

The seed pods are best fresh.  They should be cooked  and flavored with olive oil and a splash of vinegar.  Seedpods quickly turn too astringent to eat if left on the tree too long.  Sample one and you'll expereince all of your salvia drying up in your mouth. (Richey: Redbuds both beautiful, edible; Urban Forager; March 27, 2011; http://onlineathens.com/stories/032711/liv_805965171.shtml#.WQNM6lPyvdQ)

You can also prepare the seedpods in butter just like peas!

The trees flowers are also great for pollinators as they aide bees in their honey production.

The tree gets to be about 20' tall and slightly wider than its height giving it a nice round shape.  It has graceful arching branches.  A very nice mature form.

It does best in full to partial sun and well drained soil.  

Eastern Redbud is beautiful ornamental landscape tree for your home.  It has added benefits of being edible.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Landscape Planting Design

One of the best compliments I can get from someone about a project of mine is when I am told they love their yard.  We love the spaces.  We love to be outside and use the yard.  There is always something flowering. Our house/ yard looks great.  

This does not happen by accident.  I do believe garden design or yard design needs to be done holistically.  A designer needs to consider how the yard will be used and to create harmonious functional spaces incorporating all elements including patios, pergolas, swimming pools, front walks, driveways, yard space and plantings.  Landscape planting design can be one of the more difficult aspects to garden design.  One issue is most customers want low to no maintenance.  But, they also want interest at all times with sequences of flowering, fall color and winter interest.  As a licensed Landscape Architect and a Horticulturist, what are my guiding principles to planting design?

Create a Setting and Develop Buffers.  Plants are great at creating a setting. My first step in planting design is to locate views to buffer and think about major plants to frame the house and create great spaces to be in.  An oak tree can provide a great canopy to sit under.  Or a Juneberry planted adjacent to the front walk not only can help frame the house but can develop a living arbor to walk under.  A few well placed evergreens can screen the view of a telephone pole, annoying street light, or provide visual privacy from your neighbors deck.

In general, I like to keep front yard planting simple.

• Frame the house and the front door.  

• Include some evergreen.

• Allow for areas for annual color.  

• Avoid areas that will be muddy in the winter.  

• Use plants that have strong seasonal interests. 

The picture below is from a project early in my career, but still one of my favorites.  It is formal but it illustrates the concepts well.

Planting in the back yard should create a setting around the house and the seating areas.  Shade trees not only shade the home and can affect heating and cooling of your house but offer a great place to sit under.  Ornamental trees like flowering crab apples offer stunning spring flowers and can soften views you don't like.  Perennials and shrubs will soften the house and hardscape while providing constant variety of flowers and blooming.

The original Green Industry!  How you can Affect the Environment of Your Home and Property.  Shade trees, with proper species selection, can shade roofs in the summer reducing air conditioning needed and keep your garage cooler.  When leaves are lost in the winter sun can still warm the house.  Groupings of trees can be used to create wind blocks and prevent snow drifting across driveways.  Rain gardens can be used to encourage water infiltration reducing the burden on city storm sewers and assisting in keeping lakes cleaner.  I haven't even mentioned providing cover and habitat for our furry and feathered friends.  They love the berries too.  And after the bees pollinate the Black-Eyed-Susans the birds eat the seeds.

Keeping Maintenance to a Minimum.  Easy curving plant beds are easy to mow along.  It is always my goal to plan for a now edge trimmer yard!  Eliminating big open plant beds and planting full plant beds reduce weeds.  Placing flowers where you see them will reduce the amount planting space and maximize the flowers affect.  A perennial garden on the side of your house may rarely be seen, but placed along the back border where you see it from your kitchen window will provide much more pleasure.

Other Considerations.

• Soil type.

• Light conditions.

• Layers of plants with tallest in back.

• Edible plants.  Juneberry for an ornamental tree, strawberry for a groundcover, or blueberries as a foundation shrub.  Yum!

• Flower smells.

• Fall color.

• Winter interest isn't only evergreen.  How about berries, bark color, snow on branches or even a place to have holiday lights.

• Wildlife as noted above. 

• Allergies.

Having a great looking yard doesn't happen by accident.  Thought and planning will provide a setting for your house and outdoor spaces.  Plants can help affect your immediate environment as well as our world's environment.  There are many things to consider.  Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance with your yard.

Brick Paver Patio Problems and Solutions

I love my brick patio.  It is colorful adding warm tones in the summer and winter.  It gave us great additional space for us and for entertaining.  I think our brick patio is beautiful.  We have had no issues with it.  No heaving or sinking of bricks.  No ants, no weeds.  Naturally Landscape Architecture installed my patio.  It was properly constructed.  It will last for 20-30 years adding beauty and enjoyment to out yard.  When I meet with customers I frequently get asked about what can go wrong with paver patios.  More importantly, what can you do to avoid the problems.

First and foremost, proper patio installation and quality materials will prevent issues.  Hiring a quality contractor is very important.  You can read reviews on contractors or get a referral from friends. Definitely hire a company that offers a warranty.  Landscape Architecture offers a 5 Year Workmanship Warranty on all hardscapes.  Some paver manufactures qualify contractors too.  Unilock for example, has an Authorized Contractor Program.  Landscape Architecture is a Unilock Authorized Contractor.  

With quality construction, you should experience none of the issues below.  But if you do, and you hired a quality contractor, the issue should be fixed with no hassle.

What are the most common problems?

Settling, Sinking or Puddling.  Many customers express a concern that a paver patio will have areas that settle or sink.  This is usually caused from an improper or poorly compacted base.  Or, from water running from a downspout or other source.  

The great thing about brick pavers is they are easy to fix.  This same problem, with a concrete patio, would likely mean a crack.  The only solution to cracked concrete is a difficult redo or a patch that does not match.

The best solution is hiring a quality contractor that offers a warranty.  If the settling exceeds the standards set by the International Concrete Paver Institute (ICPI), then this should be repaired by the contractor if it occurs during the warranty period.  The good news is 90% of these issues will happen in the first year.

If you are in the design or planning stage now, make sure drains are planned under downspouts.  Ask potential contractors how they prepare there base.  How many inches of gravel?  How often do you compact?  

Fading.  Concrete pavers are made from a portland cement, aggregate, water and color.  Most pavers have color throughout the entire paver.  But, as the surface wears it exposes the aggregate in the concrete giving the paver a faded appearance.

The faded appearance can be addressed by:

• During the design or planning phase, use a better quality paver.

  • Granite or quartz aggregates.

  • Some pavers have a face mix using smaller aggregates. You can reference EnduraColor or EnduraColor Plus by Unilock.

• Seal the pavers to protect the surface from the effects of rain.

• Clay pavers are manufactured from clay and baked.  There is no aggregate to expose as it weathers.

• Stone paving will not fade. 

• If your patio is older and this is happening, a rehabilitation can be done by power washing and cleaning the pavers using a paver cleaner. Then the pavers can be sealed. They won't be as good as new, but the results can be very impressive.

Weeds and Ants.  Polymeric sand has solved these problems.  Polymeric sand has polymers and/or portland cement mixed into the sand.  When installed properly the polymeric sand sets up like mortar between the pavers.  Proper installation is very important.  Each manufacturer of polymeric sand has a different procedure for installation.  

Almost all problems and concerns with pavers can be solved before they happen by hiring a quality contractor and by choosing a quality paver.  If you get multiple bids for your project, question the contractors.  Often a higher cost from a contractor is due to the contractor paying attention to the details that will provide a great project for years to come. If you have issues on an older patio or want a new patio contact me.  I would love to help!