Landscaping – Page 5 – American Landscape

Brookfield, Wisconsin

Our clients purchased this Brookfield, Wisconsin property because they were looking for a home more conducive to spending their golden years than their previous two-story home, which was located atop a large hill. This particular home struck their fancy, mainly for its unique configuration with a central courtyard in the back of the home. They have a special appreciation for the outdoors and landscape, and felt like the footprint afforded unique opportunities for strong visual and physical connections, as well as an uninterrupted flow from the interior to the outdoor living spaces.

Front Entrance BEFORE

Front Entrance AFTER

With those goals in mind, the home was completely re-imagined both inside and out, in collaboration with an architectural team. Interior walls and functionality were reorganized to create an open concept and new opportunities for clear sight lines through the center of the home out to the landscape. Furthermore, the rear wall to the courtyard was replaced by floor-to-ceiling sliding glass panels – basically putting the courtyard space on center stage within the context of the building architecture.

Courtyard BEFORE

Courtyard AFTER

The design challenge, as we saw it, was to create a plan that worked in context with the very symmetrical, modern appearance of the home, yet broke from that rigidity to create a softer, more livable feeling within the outdoor space. With that in mind, the hardscape was organized to highlight the newly-created visual corridor through the center of the home from front to back.

Along this central axis is a front entrance courtyard with a raised central planting bed and over-sized black metal planters planted with rotating seasonal decor.

Paving material selections were intended to blend with the contrasting black and white color scheme on the building exterior. Paving stones were selected to be large so as to contrast with the size of the bricks on the façade. Planting beds were intentionally woven through the space in a very non-symmetrical manner to accomplish the goal of softening the lines. Site furniture was meticulously selected for its combination of modern appearance and ergonomic comfort.

See the full transformation in the video.

Ready to tackle your own landscaping transformation? Get in touch with one of our expert designers today!

Flowers

Remove spent flowers and foliage (once yellowed) on spring flowering.

Plant tender annuals after the last expected frost date, approximately May 15.

Set flower supports early. Let plants grow through them.

Over-wintered tender annuals or tropicals such as hibiscus, gardenia, mandevilla and geranium may be pruned, cleaned, fertilized and gradually introduced to a protected location outdoors once night temperatures reach 50°F.

Begin pinching top 1-2 inches of new growth on chrysanthemums to encourage full bushy plants.

Prune sage, butterfly bush, Russian sage and Caryopteris back to the point of new growth.

With sharp spade, edge flower beds.

Lawn

Fertilize with a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer and apply a broadleaf herbicide for weed control.

Make sure you are mowing at the proper height. Never remove more than 1/3 of the turf height at one time. We recommend keeping your grass at a length of approximately 3”.

Re-seed or repair damaged turf areas. Keep newly seeded or sodded turf areas well watered.

Trees/Shrubs

Prune spring flowering shrubs right after they are done flowering. These plants use the growing season to develop next year’s flowers, so pruning them late in the season will prune off next year’s blooms! These include: Forsythia, lilac, viburnum, fothergilla, kerria, mockorange and weigela.

Start monitoring your plants for pest infestations. Insects in moderation are a natural and necessary part of the environment, but excessive groups of them or excessive damage from them sometimes warrants treatment. Contact your landscape professional for identification and a treatment plan.

Apply systemic insecticides to trees and shrubs (for example birch & viburnums) prone to borer right after they are done blooming.

It’s still a good time to apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to shrubs and perennials.

A Landscaping Makeover

May Landscaping Checklist

Flowers

Lawn

Trees/Shrubs

Download Checklist

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Flowers

Lawn

Trees/Shrubs

Download Checklist

Want to stay in the loop? Sign up for our newsletter.

Want to stay in the loop?
Sign up for our newsletter.