LC/DBM provides landscape contractors with Educational, Imaginative and Practical information about their business, their employees, their machines and their projects.
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Off the Clock Kentucky Memorial Garden By Larry Shield N ature���s Expressions was called by a prospective client who had recently lost their 16-month old daughter. She was being babysat by her grandparents who put her to bed one night but she never woke the following morning. DBM After many tests, there was no evidence of there being anything wrong. Just a tragic situation. The firm was asked to help design a water feature as a memorial garden for her on a half-acre lot in Georgetown, Ky., a suburb of Lexington. After meeting with the client, designing the space, owner Ken Owen and his partner decided on the ride home that this was worthy of a service project. Owen called the client back, told them not to call any other contractors for estimates as were going to handle the project. Nature���s Expressions provided all material and labor. Employees were paid for Friday and donated their time on Saturday. ���It gives our employees a chance to bond with each other and their families, along with a chance to give back to the community,��� said Owen. ���The wives of our workers also get a chance to see what their husbands do on a day-to-day basis.��� One of the more difficult challenges was coordination to complete the project in two days. Owen said since his firm was donating time and material, they had to be efficient. From design to build, the firm handled all aspects of the project, using its own equipment and donating all the materials. They used a Firestone PondGuard EPDM pond liner and a pond sweep skimmer. A Tsurumi �� horsepower pump moved the water at 4,000 gph. The electric transformer is hidden with plantings. Ground cover includes Creeping Jenny, Ottoluyken Laural and Liriope within the flow beds. A mixture of perennials bloom color during spring, summer or fall. ���In a section of the woods behind the house we found a mossy log,��� said Owen. ���By placing it next to the pond, we thought it would naturalize the look.��� A mid-size Kobelco excavator was used to dig the hole for the pond, while a Takeuchi skid steer was used for grading. A sitting area had small chairs and a table. ���We used the natural grade of the property, with the slope facing into the grade,��� said Owen. ���The primary viewing area was on the upper level deck. We tried to wrap the stream around, with the beginning point hidden by plant materials.��� The pond was 15 feet long by 8 feet wide, with a depth of 30 inches. Plant pockets of aquatic plants such as irises, water lilies and dwarf sweet flag, helped with filtration. Schist (sandstone and limestone) lined the pond, provided by a local quarry owned by the firm. The water feature runs year round, to prevent freezing. LC Top: An empty lot next door made for easy access to the construction site. A pond sweep skimmer was used for filtration and housing of the the Tsurumi pump. River gravel was used to cover over the EPDM rubber liner as well as used as a substrate for planting of the aquatic plants. Above: The natural grade of the property was taken advantage of to present the waterfalls back toward the main viewing area which was an upper level deck on the back of the house. A small sitting area constructed of natural stone and retaining boulders was created to provide a destination near the waterfalls. Photos Courtesy of Nature���s exPressioNs Story Ideas? If you have a project where landscape services were donated pro bono, you can submit your Off the Clock proposal to: lshield@landscapeonline.com or call Larry Shield at (714) 979-5276 x125. Landscape Contractor / Design ��� Build ��� Maintain (LC/DBM) (ISSN 2150-9093), is published monthly by Landscape Communications, Inc. 14771 Plaza Drive, Suite M, Tustin, California, 92780 Phone: 714-979-5276; Fax: 714-434-3862. Online version (ISSN 2150-9170). Copyright 2013 by Landscape Communications, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission. Periodicals postage paid at Tustin, CA and additional mailing offices. Subscription Inquiries: Send new or renewal notices or change of address (send both new and old addresses to Landscape Contractor / Design ��� Build ��� Maintain, P.O. Box 1126, Tustin, CA 92781-1126. Subscriptions: Licensed Landscape Contractors free of charge. Others: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii & Canada, 12 issues, $34.95, 24 issues, $55.00, Mexico: 12 issues, $65.00 per year. Additional copies may be purchased by contacting LC/DBM at circulation@landscapeonline.com or 714-979-5276 ext. 115. Postmaster: Please send address changes to Landscape Contractor / Design ��� Build ��� Maintain, P.O. Box 1126, Tustin, CA 92781-1126. February 2013 63