A Selection of Brookside Landscape Designs

Project Showcases

But where will the dog go?

When you have pets, especially dogs, you need to make sure they have a place to play and go to the bathroom and the very least. But what about when you have a pet but don’t want to do maintenance on a lawn? Brookside Landscape and Design was asked that question for this project, and the answer? A beautiful natural landscape in the front yard with no lawn and a new synthetic turf lawn in the back yard for the pup. Now before you come at us with, “turf isn’t the same as grass” or “that area isn’t big enough”, the homeowner gets what the homeowner wants. We also usually can’t make existing spaces bigger, if you know, let us know. Having very low maintenance in a landscape is becoming a more popular desire. People are busy and don’t want to spend the time they do have with mowing or weeding. So the plan on this project was to make the front yard all landscape, no lawn. The backyard became the dog’s spot, with artificial turf, some Belgard Plaza Paver steppers to get from the frontyard to the backyard. We also reworked the existing irrigation system to be drip irrigation only, since there was no need for popups any more. The homeowner also wanted a way to access down below his deck, which required 17 Belgard Landing treads to lead the way down.

Before

This project started with a basic home builder installed landscape. For some that might be enough, but when it’s not, you give Brookside Landscape and Design a call. The existing landscape didn’t look bad at all, healthy plants, beautiful green grass, but nothing really to catch the eye, it looked like all the others. Dr. Seuss once said, “”Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” And that applies to landscapes also, you live in a home that makes you feel warm and safe, but why not make it as beautiful as possible?

During

Highlights of the project:

  • Setting 17 Belgard Landing Treads by hand
  • Repurposing existing irrigation and making it function in the new landscape more efficiently
  • Installing plaza pavers into synthetic turf
  • Bringing the homeowners vision to life

 

Challenges

During the project, we encountered a few challenges, including:

  • Very Limited Machine Access: The only place we were able to get a machine was in the front yard, which would have been fine if we didn’t have to install treads in the back yard and get materials into the side yard. Setting 17, 400 pound treads by hand takes its toll on a man.
  • Rain: This one is no surprise, especially if you live where we do, but rain can often impose some challenges to a jobsite.
  • Making Sense of Existing Irrigation: You would think that all irrigation is created equally, not the case. Coming into a project that requires some reworking of an existing system can be a challenge. Finding where pipes go and what each one does, which heads can go and which can stay. You essentially have to make a map with all the roads buried in the ground.

Despite the challenges, our team pulled out an amazing final product. The homeowner is thrilled and has even told us they have people stop to take pictures.

After

The result is a stunning and functional outdoor space that stops passersby in their tracks and say “I need that at my house”. The new landscape includes:

  • Fully redesigned irrigation system on both sides of the house.
  • New synthetic lawn for the dog
  • Big Belgard tread staircase
  • Lots of unique plants ranging from ground cover to new trees
  • Columbia granite accent rocks
  • Dry Creekbed to assist in directing water

Price Range: $85,00-$95,000