The Front Door

Having a dry winter does have its advantages. One project slated for 2018 is to renovate the front entrance landscaping for the clubhouse. For a long time the entrance to the building has been framed by seasonal flowers leaving half of the year with nothing but bare soil.

Each year, the addition of compost for annual flowers became excessive. Our first step was to remove the extra soil and return the beds back to the level of the clubhouse. As you can see in the photo above we had up to 30" of buildup.

We removed 20 truck loads of old material to bring the level of the beds to grade.

During this process we also removed old irrigation and lighting for upgrading. The edging was also removed. Most of it was old moss rock that is being saved for a future project. 

New conduit was placed along the building for electrical upgrades. This will provide power for new landscape and building lighting after new plants arrive in the spring. It will also allow for additional Christmas lighting next season.

 Much of the sod around these beds is being replaced along with new irrigation zones. Many of the flowers beds around the property share irrigation zones with turfgrass. Grass and flowers have different irrigation needs so it is important to separate them. This is another major goal through this project to allow plants to thrive in each setting.

Soil prep is the most important factor to successful plants long term. Tilling is the original aerification. It allows oxygen into the soil profile and it also provides a way for us to shape the new grade successfully. The soils on the east side of the building are very tough. We used our backhoe to turn them first. Then we will follow up with the tiller to create a finer soil to prepare. The dry weather has helped us work the soil, however the recent snow was timely for the golf course. Once the snow is gone, we will return to shape the soil. After the first couple of tills, we will incorporate compost and work that into the profile. 

Come springtime our plan for new plants is exciting. The background will be spreading yews. These provide a dark green back drop year round. Up to a dozen ornamental, multi stem maple trees will be the main focus as they line the front of the club. I can't wait to hang Christmas lights on these trees next winter. Entering the club will be magical. Next we will have a number of flowering shrubs including roses and hydrangeas. These will not only provide excellent color through the year, but they are also rich in fragrance. There is no specific date for planting as the weather will dictate the actual timing.