Landscape Videos

I like to have fun with videos. No, I don't take them with a video camera. There are various places where you can create them from your photos. I created many videos on my website with Photostory 3, but this one I created with animoto.com. You can create a free version which is shorter. To create the longer one like I did here costs $3.00. They also have a very reasonable yearly fee.

Anyway, here it is.

Entry Gates and Columns - A Matter of Scale

As I was designing some driveway entry gates, entry piers and fencing for a client, I realized that much of the design was based on scale. If the scale, or sizes, are off, it will look quite funky!

So, where to start? Since the property was to be enclosed to keep out deer, I started with the fencing, believe it or not. Deer fencing has to be a minimum of 7 1/2 feet high. Knowing this helped to determine the height of the gate and driveway columns.

I decided that the gate edges where they attach to the columns should be the same height as the fencing. This didn't have to be, although it did have to be this height at a minimum. Columns look nice a little higher than the gate edges.

I won't bore you with all the details of the dimensions. Instead, you can how it looks in the above Sketchup drawing I did. I purposely did not put in grass and driveway materials, as I wanted the gate to stand out.

The columns are to be faced with the same natural stone used on retaining walls elsewhere on the property. The gates may be iron, steel or aluminum. Fencing will most likely be aluminum and will mimic wrought iron.

Any thoughts?

Blackberry Tour - Nice Phone But Plenty of Cons

I know, this is totally off topic. But where else can I get my thoughts out?

Just my take on the Blackberry Tour. It has had a lot of positive hype, but I am putting together not only my thoughts, but also those of others who have the phone. FYI....


It's a great phone. It's very fast and the screen is beautiful, but it has some negatives also...
1. Many of the phones bought have loose battery covers. It should be checked when someone first gets the phone.
2. The talk and idle time after a charge is not as good as my previous, older 8830 World phone. Actually, it's pretty poor.
3. At times it gets hot.
4. The BB Browser is still very slow. I would suggest downloading Opera Mini as an alternate browser. The only problem is that you cannot make it your default browser.
5. When sending a picture via MMS, do not send from the enlarged image. It won't work. Just send from the highlighted image. If this was stated somewhere, I never saw it.

With all the hype about the phone, I thought these points should be brought out too.
Susan

Improving Lawn Swales - Why Don't They Think?

I know. Lawn swales are a much better, "green" solution than leading all that water through pipes, ending in various places. But can't the townships give some more thought to homeowners and aesthetics?

Up north, water from property often drains over the lawn to the street. It's then carried along to a storm sewer.

Here in Virginia, they have a more natural approach. I was amazed when I first moved here and saw mostly swales on front lawns towards the street (running parallel with the road.) The water from the swales is directed to periodic culverts which eventually empty.

The good thing is that much of the swale water percolates back into the ground.

But here's the problem. Many of these swales that are built are extremely narrow and the side slopes are very steep. I can't tell you how many clients I have that want to improve upon this situation.

• The swale is often a nightmare to mow.
• It's always unattractive.
• Solutions are difficult.

The logical solution is to make the swale more gradual. However, this entails changing the grade, which often does not work well with the grades of the existing culverts. There are other solutions, but they become costly.

So I say this. When the swales are first designed, how about designing them to alleviate these problems? Make them more gently and easier to mow. Give some more thought to the grading.

These swales can really be an eyesore.

Over $350,000 Project - What's In It?

So, for over $350,000, what can you have?
1. New driveway with granite cobble edging and front circular area of granite also.
2. Balance of driveway tar and chip.
3. Formal pond with custom stone pool wall and fountain.
4. Stone retaining wall/seatwall nearby to view fountain.
5. Tree removals in vast areas so that lawn can be created in sweeping curves as drive along long driveway to residence.
6. Another stone retaining wall for function and aesthetics.
7. Side area bluestone walkways to sitting area - possible future stone temple/gazebo.
8. Beautiful new curvilinear, steep walkway with stone side walls and bluestone steps and landings along the way.
9. Fill area 25 feet out in rear to create level area. Two huge retaining walls.
10. New travertine front walkway.
11. Travertine walkway around pool/fountain.
12. Extensive plantings with flowering trees, shrubs and perennials providing color for all seasons.
13. Must be more - can't remember everything.