Michael’s forte is small scale garden design and construction. Here are his most recent projects:

The Remaking of Suburbia: A Landscape Revolution Comes to North Kingstown

 

Project Overview

A one-acre 1990’s suburban lawn-centric parcel was the perfect testing ground for transforming a drab, outdated, resource-consuming landscape into a visually stimulating, dynamic and environmentally sustainable ecosystem matching the client’s values. The new design eliminates irrelevant swaths of turf and outdated plants requiring time-consuming and resource intensive inputs.

Our Solution

An outdoor room layout incorporating a dynamic matrix of primarily native plantings, with a sprinkling of well-behaved non-natives, that create an aesthetically pleasing, dynamic landscape with four season interest for homeowners and pollinators alike. 

The Result

A resilient, lively landscape adapted to site conditions, requiring less labor, and generating ecosystem services for all.

michael veracka

 

Front yard

 

To accomplish this feat the designer, in concert with the property owners, closely observed site conditions, then employed design goals that: 

 

 

  • Increase planting spaces by removing unnecessary lawn
  • Increase opportunities for plant diversity/seasonal interest by incorporating generous planting areas -- featuring perennials, shrubs and trees -- with strong visual attributes
  • Increase habitat and food for pollinators by selecting primarily native plants well adapted for the existing site conditions – mostly full sun, droughty clay soil, brisk winds.

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  • Increase food production opportunities for people by incorporating raised boxed beds to produce annual vegetables and herbs, a mini orchard of fruit trees, and borders of berry-producing shrubs.

 

 

• Minimize maintenance within planting areas that:
◦ Demonstrate a ‘plant community approach’ -- placement utilizing both a block and matrix plant design strategy
◦ Demonstrate the ‘cue of care’ that visually signifies that the informal naturalistic look is intentional and maintained.

• Consider resource inputs – strive to eliminate supplemental water, fertilizers, bark mulch, harmful pest methods via dense but appropriate spacing of plants
• Use hand weeding as necessary – the goal isn’t to eliminate all weeds rather plant strategically – with plant genetic codes in mind – to crowd out/eventually combat weed pressure
• Limit/eliminate power equipment usage. The reduction in lawn size allows the homeowners to easily mow with a simple hand mower. Leaves in autumn are raked into the generous planting beds or incorporated into wooded borders or in the compost pile.
• Leave spent perennial plant parts ‘in place’ – providing both ‘winter interest,’ overwintering habitat for pollinators, and food for birds. An annual spring cutback is conducted in early spring, minimizing human labor.

The keys to this design required the conversion of lawn areas into strategically placed generous planting beds. Turf conversion methods included:

• Hand digging of sod clods, turning over in place or composting elsewhere
• Smothering – via cardboard and heavy applications of forestry wood chips
Soil improvement work – lab soil testing analysis and pit profile digging revealed a high content of clay, resulting in poor drainage, challenging soil texture, high soil pH, low soil fertility. Fortunately, a range of native plants and the chosen non-natives are adaptable to these conditions. Alteration of soil was unnecessary except for the installation of large trees and shrubs; generous holes were dug and liberal amounts of compost mixed with existing soil.

 

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Rain Garden after a high density four inch rain event

 

 

 

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raised bed vegetables and herbs

 

• Provide enhanced recreational spaces for people via designated sitting areas and enhanced plantings near existing entertainment spaces

• Alleviate problematic water runoff areas via site regrading/installation of rain garden

 

Evaluation of soil conditions within tree pits required modifications of soil profile

Other Site Alterations employed :

  • In some areas minor soil regrading created mini swales and berms of enhanced soils. To improve overall drainage major regrading adjacent to the house involved the construction of a sizeable rain garden and associated plantings
  • Before planting, a survey of existing problematic weeds was conducted. Species were evaluated, by life cycles and root systems, then appropriate removal strategies employed. 
  • Limited amounts of raked leaves are incorporated into planting beds in late autumn to provide for soil biology fertility
  • Brush piles and the creation of a compost area ensure organic waste remains on site and further provides overwintering nesting areas for pollinators.

This design offers a pleasing, dynamic landscape with four season interest for homeowners and pollinators alike.

 

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