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Delivering to the island location (accessible only by ferry) presented another logistical issue. Aesthetic challenges included a large (13’x25’), loud, orange generator in full view of the house. The home’s large number of windows meant that privacy was also a concern for the residents. The endurance challenge was that the softscape installation was scheduled for a hot, dry August.
The Johnson Associates solution:
Our first decision was to allow the formal landscape to cover approximately 5 acres and allow the remaining acreage to remain native. We began by planting a line of 54 street trees between the entryway pillars along the length of the drive to the main residence. In fact, all 54 trees were shipped from Oregon, moved, planted, and irrigated within a 24-hour period! Eventually, the trees will form a shady canopy over the road.
The softscape (or plant materials) surrounded the main house as well as the commercial offices on the property and included a natural mix of deciduous and evergreen materials. We also planted an evergreen hedge to screen the main residence’s private quarters. Hundreds of yards of virgin soil was imported to amend the native soil and provide for water holding capacity that could support the plant materials and large expanse of lawn.
We installed irrigation holding tanks at the top of the hill near the main house and added pumps to transfer the well water up the hill and into the tanks. A system of check valves keeps the well from becoming dry and also prevents contamination of the clean water supplying the buildings.
To screen and muffle the orange generator, we provided a large berm that encircles the generator and installed ornamental trees to screen and buffer noise but allow access for utility vehicles.
The result was a multitude of Outdoor Rooms that met the demands of a complex site while providing a private escape for the residents.
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