Sculpture so real even the birds are fooled

Here a young blue jay is trying to make sense of this artful handrail. I guess this means we were successful in capturing a bit of nature in this recycled steel handrail. I should keep in mind that he/she is just a young bird and not yet wise to the world.

Since installation, this functional sculpture has attracted many comments and much wildlife. Both being of the positive and negative sort. Of course we get the occasional comment about it being a pile of rusty twisted metal or something someones grandpa pulled out of their barn. Bird droppings are sometimes right where you don't want them, however, for the most part, the comments are kind and the wildlife is entertaining.

When presented with an opportunity fix or improve a space it is important to not only think functionally but also aesthetically. Seize the day, go out on a limb and try something new.

"Boing"

I love adding art to the landscape whenever possible. I added this "boing" by Diane Mattern to my parents garden last fall. I have enjoyed seeing it all winter standing tall above the snow cover. For this particular site I wanted an upright accent. The space was a little tight for a tall slender evergreen and I wanted instant impact. I am excited to see this sculpture change as the landscape grows and matures. For this particular piece I planted ornamental grasses around the base, once the grasses fill in it will appear as though the "boing" is rising out of the grass. Diane can do a "boing" in just about any size and any color.

Spring is Around the Corner

This has definitely been one of the snowiest winters I can remember, but take heart fellow gardeners, spring is just around the corner! Now is a great time to be planning for spring. It's also a great time to consider a landscape design. Designers are less hurried and often offer winter discounts. Then you'll be ready, when the ground is warm once again, to start digging! I'll be ready to trade in my snow shovel for a trowel that's for sure!

A Beautiful Fall

My apologies for the lack of blogging lately. We have had a surprisingly beautiful fall here in Omaha, which has allowed me to be out working on fall landscape clean up for my clients. I thought, with the early snow, that this fall might be pretty rough, but it has been really nice!

We also have moved our business back into our home this fall. We are very excited about the future of Olive Branch and reorganizing the business in order to better serve our clients and be able to focus on designs and projects without the distraction of the retail side of our business. We are still available to special order outdoor furniture, sculptures and pottery for anyone interested. We really enjoyed having our studio in Rockbrook Village and will miss the community there, but my wife and I are looking forward to the opportunity to work from home.

Staircases in the Garden

Here are a few examples of staircases that we have designed for some of our clients. I know the gardeners out there will be disappointed for the lack of plants, but it is still nice to show a good foundation for a garden. I love stairs in the landscape because they give a person a destination. They can lead someone to a patio, a sunken fire pit, a water feature or simply another area of the garden. They can also frame a landscape as in the top photo and cause a person to pause and take in the view. They also offer so many possibilities as far as container gardens, lighting display and even a place to set the pumpkins in October.

Fall Renovation Project

Today we installed a small ornamental grass and perennial garden at my parent's house. We ripped out several overgrown evergreens, various overgrown shrubs and shrub roses. Unfortunately, I didn't get before photos, but you can see one overgrown evergreen in the third photo from the top. (Ripping that out tomorrow). The large grasses will eventually grow rather tall and add some interest through the winter. We also had the challenge of hiding leftover stumps. The grasses and perennials that we chose should do a really good job of that. The yarrow will thrive and add a nice swath of color. We also chose a trial geranium, in the final photo, that has been tested to be hardy to zone 6 (we're zone 4/5) so we'll see what happens with that. I guess since it's my parent's house, I can get away with being experimental! Hopefully, we will luck out and they will do really well.

There are still some finishing touches to be done with this project. We will, of course, rip out the evergreen shrub at the corner and attempt to save the greens for my wife's holiday decorating. Then we will extend the yarrow around the corner and possibly add a unique, small evergreen which I have yet to choose. Any suggestions? We will also add some bulbs for spring color, a fresh layer of mulch and possibly a sculpture nestled somewhere in the grasses.

The Three Phases of Landscaping

Phase 1: Landscape design. A landscape design helps a person visualize the potential of their outdoor space. Whether you hire a professional landscape designer or come up with your own plan, having it on paper will help you in the long run. The design can help determine the installation phases and the overall budget of a project. A comprehensive plan includes not only plantings, but also elements such as decks, patios and water features. These elements provide the backbone for a great landscape. A beautiful outdoor space can be accomplished in one season or over many years and can add a great deal of value to a property.

Phase 2: Landscape Installation. Having a landscape design will help you prioritize the phases of your landscape. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can chip away at it as time and money allows. If you choose to have it professionally installed, they can use the plan to estimate the different phases of your project. It is important to install the major landscape elements first, such as decks, patios, pools and retaining walls. Large elements, such as these, cause the biggest disturbance in a garden during the installation phase and provide a backdrop to all other elements. A good landscape company will implement the design while keeping longevity and function in mind. It is crucial to maintain proper drainage, quality craftsmanship and correct planting techniques.

Phase 3: Landscape Maintenance. Once you have installed your outdoor living space, there will be some maintenance needed to keep your garden looking its best. Decks need staining, shrubs need pruning and mulching will be needed at least once a year. Even the lowest maintenance garden will need some seasonal upkeep. In order to keep plants healthy, weeds will need to be controlled and the soil conditioned. Providing a fresh layer of mulch (three inches deep) will keep weeds at bay and provide nutrients for the soil. As a garden matures, plants will need to be divided and reorganized to prevent over crowding.

Olive Branch can help with all of your landscaping needs! Here at Olive Branch, we are passionate about the landscaping process and we provide landscape design services, installation and garden maintenance. We would love to give you a space worth coming home to!

Nebraska Autumn

My wife and I like to venture out to get inspired by nature whenever we can. I always find that it helps my designs when I observe how things grow in nature. Here are some of our best shots after visiting a nearby lake last week. The prairie is really beautiful in the fall. I hope we can get out again!

Patio and Landscape Upgrade

With this particular design, we were challenged to make a small yard more functional. We chose an otherwise awkward, unusable space in the side yard to feature a new concrete patio. Although it isn't yet furnished, it will be a nice spot to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and talk with the neighbors. This patio will function almost as a substitute for the traditional front porch.

We extended the patio into the backyard in order to have a more private place to sit and also a place to hide the grill. The backyard is small, but we left plenty of green space for the dogs, for play and for future gardening. Once the plants grow in and the patio is softened with some container plantings, it will be a very enjoyable little spot.

A Master Plan for the Garden

This is an example of a detailed master landscape plan. There are many ways of shaping an outdoor living space. For many, it happens over years of hard work and a few mistakes and victories along the way. (That is how my wife and I do it). For others, a major overhaul may take place in one season. They want it done so they can spend their time enjoying their space. We design master plans for both types of people.

Often, a client wants to chip away at their yard over the years, but they need a plan to guide them along the way. They will be able to refer back to the design whenever they want. Having a design done with their specific needs in mind will help to ensure proper plant placement and hopefully save them some time and headache in the future.

For those that are professionally installing a landscape in one season, it is crucial that a professionally designed plan be followed. The above plan includes many different elements including a paver patio with an outdoor kitchen and firepit, a kid's play area, a driveway with coordinating paver banding and, of course, several perennial gardens. Having a plan helps the homeowners and the different companies involved in the installation to be on the same page at all times. It also helps the landscape installation company work more efficiently. If the homeowner is concerned with plant placement (one would hope..) a design will keep things on track.

Most gardeners love the process of planting and working the garden over a lifetime. I love to experiment with plants and see what works and what doesn't, but a landscape design sure does help to visualize a project and keeps one from making a potentially expensive mistake.

Scabiosa

The scabiosa are still going strong in our yard this year. The "black night" scabiosa is such a striking color. They are a great flower to plant for a cutting garden. They last for quite some time in a vase and look really beautiful when paired with hydrangeas and roses. In the garden they can kind of flop over, but would look really nice in front of or on top of a rock wall. That way, you would be sure to see the blooms. Scabiosa are also surprisingly tough, our dog trampled them more than once this year and they still look great!

Functional Garden Art

We had this handrail made for us by the talented artist Diane Mattern. She is a local artist here in Omaha and we actually carry a handful of her sculptures in our shop. Diane has an eye for rustic garden art and we love to use her work in our client's landscapes. She does amazing arbors and will even do a unique detail on a garden gate. We have enjoyed our new handrail since April and we have watched it form its beautiful patina over the summer. We are so excited to see what it looks like in the snow!

Of course, as a landscape designer, I am a little more concerned with my client's landscapes and projects during the warm months. You can see in the bottom photo that we are working on our front porch. We have been slowly chipping away at it all summer. It should be completed soon and we will post some pictures for you.

I am also very busy this week with a project in Fremont, NE. There is a wedding in their backyard this Friday (yikes) and due to the recent rains in our area, we are rushing to complete it! We will have it done though and I look forward to posting about it soon.

Cool Water Feature for Hot Days

This is a water feature we designed as a focal point for a patio. On a hot day like today, it would be a nice addition to any garden space. We included italian mosaic tile, copper and mexican beach pebble to give it a beach-y vibe. For us land-locked Nebraskans, a little water goes a long way!

A Vine Time Part 2

These vine images are from a client's house. I honestly don't know what kind of vines they are, but I thought they were so cool I had share them with you. I like how sculptural the last one is, I don't know if I've ever seen a vine with that much character before. The vine growing up their house does a nice job of breaking up the wall space in their backyard. It is nice to have a different texture. It will look really great once we install the landscape. My favorite thing about vines is their imperfection. They seem to have a mind of their own, but they are fun to work with. I am excited to see how our new landscape plan will work with these established vines. It is going to be beautiful... (it better be)... they are having a wedding in their backyard this fall! (stay tuned for follow up photos).

Natural Stone Driveway

The intent of this project was to have a third driveway stall that is somewhat disguised from the street and from the neighbors. We also wanted it to have a double life as a patio when desired. The homeowners could set out a table and chairs or a fire pit and have a nice spot to relax in their front yard.

The homeowners are avid art collectors so they included sculptural elements including basalt columns and steel garden art. (btw, we have a very similar steel sculpture in our shop in Rockbrook village available right now!) The smallest basalt column catches water for birds which is cool. They live at the edge of a forested area where there is a lot of wildlife.

We included Weigela and "Little Titch" cat mint.

Since they live in a wooded area it was very important to them to have things looking natural and a little wild.

The boulders add to the rustic, wooded feel to the addition as well.

This is a nice way to add functional space to the landscape without having to pour another slab of concrete. The trees, flowers and the natural stone birdbath will be inviting to both humans and friendly woodland creatures for many years to come!

A Place to Sit

In a town filled with art, the creators or this bench were no doubt challenged to come up with a unique place to sit. Most US cities are lacking beautiful, creative public spaces, but Santa Fe is filled with them. With a little more thought and design, many a drab city corners could be turned into works of art. Not only does this bench offer a pleasant place to sit, it also has a garden beside it for passersby to enjoy. The bench has also become a nice stone backdrop to that garden. I had to snap a picture of it last time I was there because I was so happy to see some creative city landscaping. Kinda wish I could be there right now...

Live your Life Outside

A deck doesn't have to be boring. Too many backyards go unused simply because they don't have an inviting transitional space. This deck is inviting and multi-functional. The main area is ideal for dining and everyday use. The pergola provides shade and the fan keeps you cool in the summer heat. There is a secondary, functional landing as well that is perfect for when entertaining a crowd. Finally, there is a rustic, flagstone patio with a fire pit to warm you up doing the colder months. This deck increases the usable space in the homeowner's backyard and invites people to sit and stay awhile... no matter what time of year. We love to design something that looks good, but also truly enhances the functionality of your outdoor space.

A transitional space doesn't have to be a fancy deck either. An herb garden right outside the kitchen is functional and invites us out daily during the growing season. A small patio with some seating and perhaps a fire pit would also do the trick. It is nice if these spaces relate to the adjacent indoor rooms such as a small and private patio for two off of a bedroom or a larger patio designed for entertaining off of the kitchen or living room. There are small things we can do to really increase our homes living spaces and encourage ourselves to step outside!

Take a look at a few of our other decks, patios and structures for some ideas.

Visit our website for more information about our company and what we do.

Hopscotch Anyone?

A good example of how a pathway can be inviting and add interest to an otherwise uninteresting space. Kids would love this to play a little hopscotch too! The plants have surely grown in by now. I need to get out there and get new photos of some of the gardens we have designed. Anyone know where I can find the time to do that this time of year??