Can someone draw up a virtual design for this?

[EagleLandscape]

What the topic says. Here's the picture. Wanted to impress a client of mine. I want to put in a flower bed around these two trees. Simple stack-stone design. soil mix, and then mulch. probably plant bulbs for the spring.

[kickin sum grass]

yep. It is a minimum of 250 for design work. pm me for better details and I will let you know where to send the check.payup

[zedosix]

Good luck digging into the roots. That little wall you plan too build will eventually shift when the roots of those huge trees continue to grow.

Just a thought.

zed

[Team Gopher]

Hi Jwingfield2k,

How often do you submit design image proposals to your customers and how important do you think it plays a role in landing the job?

[NCSULandscaper]

Personally i think computer images are a crock because they look nothing like the final product. However alot of people are wanting it so I migh thave to start offering it in the future but really hate to.

[impactlandscaping]

If you are going to do a simple stacked stone bed, there is no need to dig into the tree roots, is there?Shouldn't shift anywhere either.Those trees look like they are as big as they will ever get.I' d use either fieldstone or thin flagstone to build it up. Lay in a layer of landscape fabric over the inside of the bed area up to the top rock layer, glue in place, cap with final layers of stone.Then fill it with a good planting mix, and plant away.You will probably need 1000-1500# of stone, fabric, and about 1 ton of planting mix.That'll be $ 125.00 consultation fee, please.payup LOL

[KenH]

Originally posted by NCSULandscaper
Personally i think computer images are a crock because they look nothing like the final product. However alot of people are wanting it so I migh thave to start offering it in the future but really hate to.

I can honestly say I have sold 100 percent of my install jobs I have submitted a photo imaged design to. If you have a decent program, and more importantly know how to use it, the results can be pretty amazing. I posted a few design pics in the Landscape forum a few weeks back, check them out and you will see. I set up an initial consult with the customer, and if they are interested, I do a design. They are free (well not really:cool: ) if I do the work.

[Mr. Von]

Sorry its a little dark, but thought it might help you.

[zedosix]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by impactlandscaping
[B]If you are going to do a simple stacked stone bed, there is no need to dig into the tree roots, is there?Shouldn't shift anywhere either.

Not sure about you guys but up here we need to ensure there is sufficient granular base under those stones (usually 6" - 8" of base material.) Excavating to this depth would interfere with the root system of most trees. I also believe there will be shifting due to future growth of the root system. I have personally done many retaining walls around trees when I started up business and have watched over the years the walls literally split apart due to root growth.

zed

[zedosix]

I think what Mr. Von has just shown us is ideal for that application. This is the route I would take.

zed

[Mr. Von]

How about a pond :D

[impactlandscaping]

Mr.Von-We are on the same page with this.Shown exactly as I would do it.:D

[Mr. Von]

I tried to lighten this up, hope its big enough

[Mr. Von]

maybe this will help

[Wells]

jwingfield,

I'll doctor up the photo for ya . Just give me the credit for the final product and i'll do it at no charge.

Send me the original photo, and let me know what type of materials you want to see in the finished photo.

I'm attaching a before and after shot of a round-about design that i did several yrs ago.

[SodKing]

What Programs does everyone use?

[Wells]

Sodking:

Photoshop

[olderthandirt]

Dam! Wells that looks great!!!!!!
Gotta learn this puter stuff

Mac

[kels]

Originally posted by Wells
Sodking:

Photoshop

I have thought about using photoshop, if you do not mind sharing, where did you get the plant images from?

[KenH]

Heres a quick pic.

[Wells]

jwimgfield,

How's this look for ya?

[Kate Butler]

Folks,

Although lovely, this bed idea is not a wonderful one for the same reason that 'volcano mulching' is a bad idea:
1)soil contact above the root flare can allow penetration of pathogens
2)more than 1" of grade change can (not always, but often enough that you should be wary) kill even mature trees over a multi-year period of time by messing with the soil/oxygenation (depending on the sensitivity of the variety of tree).

Forget the stones and plant the herbaceous stuff among the tree roots (carefully). The bed will look great and the trees will not be endangered.

[creativedan]

i would like to know how you get the plant mat. & stone pics too
if you wouldn't mind sharing.

[kris]

Originally posted by Kate Butler
Folks,

Although lovely, this bed idea is not a wonderful one for the same reason that 'volcano mulching' is a bad idea:


exactly right

[blafleur]

I agree with Kate, not a good idea to pile dirt on the trunk, especially as high as some of these pictures. I wouldnt do any more than about a 2" layer of compost and putting some hardy grouncover in there. Unmortared stacked flagstone would shift some without breaking up, definately no trench.

Bryan

[NickN]

Here's one I did this past summer that is similar to your two trees.No digging,except for where the scalloped edging is.I just placed landscape fabric down(went under the scalloped edging also),backfilled with soil,added plants and mulch.After completion,I went back and trimmed the fabric around the edging.
<img src="http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-9/410513/P101004102.jpg" width=614 height=461>

[Wells]

kels and Creativedan,

I use Photoshop to do my renderings, and almost everthing that you see in the after shot is a piece of some other photo. Thats why they look more realistic than the program with canned vegitation that all looks the same.

The concept is like splicing photos together. The round-about in this thread that I posted earlier is made up of about 30 other photos.

[kels]

wells, that is a good idea, now if I can find time to find, scan and outline all the images I will be good to go. Must have taken you awhile to build a library of images, good job.

[ElephantNest]

Rule of thumb I've used is no more than 2" new soil around trees on initial placement, then adding 1" a year to build is safe. I've done tree rings where I've added a few inches, and just pulled some back from around the edges of the trees. Then add an inch or so a year.

[mdvaden]

If you add soil over the roots of those trees, odds are about 70% that disease of death will happen in about 5 to 10 years.

Will that be as impressive as the design?

I do get a kick out of the image programs. Its basically a way to display a concept from a certain single viewing point.

There is an example of experimenting with one at our site on the initial ADVICE page below the photo of the artist.

That particular house with the palm will grow to look like what is shown for the most part.

[capescaper]

design your own