[Hoosier]

I wasn't too pleased with this one, but they are raving.
Comments?
(facing north, sandy loam with a 5.9pH, no other real drastic situations)

[Fine Edge]

To be honest with you, do they know what they are raving about?
I see shrubs; some big, some small. I see some Hosta I believe.
But what are these shrubs?
For me to give my perspective on this design, I need to see types of shrubs and house dimensions so I can tell if the design is worthy or not.
Without knowing the shrubs, I can't know how the spacing should be arranged or if they will take the light requirements.
See what I mean?

[Stonehenge]

In many cases I think prospective clients can be easily wowed by pretty pictures of colorful plants. Like Fine Edge, I see digital images of big plants and small plants. Nothing spectacular, but hard to form much of an opinion without more hard data, and knowing what it was the client wanted. What's pictured might be exactly what they were after, for better or worse.

[tfld]

If I had posted the previous two comments I would have been e-crucified by now...

Is this picture taken from the street? How large is that lawn area in the foreground? Where/what is that walkway that splts the view? Where does that go?

I'd say it pretty much satisfies the tenets of general landscape beautification as often displayed around here. My criticism would be to try and extend that planting further from the house somehow. I think what you have is a nice foundation. I'm assuming budget is a factor. Perhaps you could do some simple massing near the house and draw something out toward the viewpoint (in the picture and break up some of that lawn and engage that walk and the folks that use the house, rather than simply "paresley around the pig(ling)."

Nice photo-sim nonetheless.

[agla]

Is that a 24' garage wall on the right? Maybe 16' jog coming forward and 14' across to the porch? Eight more feet to the front walk?

[tfld]

Originally Posted by agla

Is that a 24' garage wall on the right? Maybe 16' jog coming forward and 14' across to the porch? Eight more feet to the front walk?

Huh?

[agla]

These are dimensions, you know, - measurements of length of walls? Do you have a different opinion of what they might be that makes you say "huh", or did you not understand that I am asking the OP how long the walls are? I don't know, I'm just guessing by looking at the photo.

My post was asking the OP how long the walls are.

Does that answer your "huh"?

[jshilan]

Originally Posted by agla

Is that a 24' garage wall on the right? Maybe 16' jog coming forward and 14' across to the porch? Eight more feet to the front walk?

This is where the practical meets the theoretical. It's quite obvious what agla is asking in his post.

Maybe the reasons you would have been e-crucified (which is at least an original term) is because you don't understand this forum, this audience or landscape architecture in the "real world". What you fail to realize is that there is so much education going on here because the questions posted are real, the solutions offered are credible and usually someone needs to resolve a problem by 7:00 am the next day.

I think you should stick with the level 8 lounge where you can cyber-sip Starbucks lattes, continue to wonder if this profession has value, a place where your tiresome parsley around a pig insecurities, and goals of changing the term landscape architecture to land art, or land architecture can be argued and dissected "til the cows come home" (hey look another useless farm animal cliché). You know what I find interesting and downright humorous is that Level 8 Lounge (LEL) is just one letter away from (LOL).

Now for the educational part of this post (Hey that's funny too because I'm an adjunct professor as well as a business owner - go figure). What you should learn from all of this, and was a topic that has been discussed in other posts, is that you need to know your customer (or audience). If you enjoy participating on GTX than stop the elitist nonsense and save that for a forum that promotes that. I don't think you'll find anyone here that wouldn't or doesn't enjoy discussions of theory and maybe a little history (I said maybe) or listening to a webcast and presenting their own ideas on it (which by the way was posted by someone else on L8L and e-gerized to this site - I won't mention any names) but this is not the thrust of the discussions here.

So bring something to the table that isn't smug and just oozing with arrogance, or if you do feel the need to be arrogant at least have some built work to back it up. What you may find is that once this all becomes very real for you, you'll hopefully develop an appreciation for the profession you have chosen, be able to change the world "one condo development at a time" and find that what we do is important, does have value and is actually a pretty cool way of life.

The nicest compliment that I ever received from a client (both of who worked in the city) was "that because of the beautiful work we did, they spent more time entertaining friends and family and really enjoyed their time at home". Call me crazy, but I think a profession that creates something that improves the quality of life for a family is about as good as it gets.

Besides, where else can you color, play in the dirt, build things, drive cool equipment and get paid for it?

BTW - Hoosier, I would pull the Kousa away from the corner of the garage (it'll get too big), make the beds bigger in front of the garage so you can put some evergreen material in behind the perennials and grasses (think texture) and make sure that they are going to plant the left side of the house now too - otherwise it's going to look unfinished or that they ran out of money. Also my friend has a bumper sticker that says "friends don't let friends use dyed red mulch". These are words of wisdom.

[tfld]

Jody-

Damn, I said "Huh?"

I see you googled me. I must have struck a nerve. How bout you bring something to this thread that isnt oozing with ignorance? And while you're at it, go ahead and do a search for some of my posts from 4 years ago.

So, professor, if you've got it figured out so well why dont you come on over to "Land8" and enlighten us all. Didn't think so.

Nope, never built nothin'...all theory here...

[tfld]

Originally Posted by agla

These are dimensions, you know, - measurements of length of walls? Do you have a different opinion of what they might be that makes you say "huh", or did you not understand that I am asking the OP how long the walls are? I don't know, I'm just guessing by looking at the photo.

My post was asking the OP how long the walls are.

Does that answer your "huh"?

I didn't understand.

[Stonehenge]

Ok, folks - looks like some may have been drinking water and saving up all day for the distance and volume contest, but I'm canceling that contest now. I'm not going to sit in judgement on this thread, other than to say two things:

1) That's enough.
2) In re-reading my reply to the OP, it probably comes off more harsh than intended. That's my fault. The OP commented that the client loved the design but the OP did not - my opinion was that clients can be swayed by colorful graphics, no matter the design - not this one in particular, just designs in general. Show them enthusiasm, show them splashes of color and I think a good portion of residential clients will like it, regardless of the scrutinized value those in the profession would place on it. Next, I've never been a fan of the digitally rendered designs, because there always seem to be some inherent flaws to them, making plants look too large, disproportionate to the actual design, set unrealistic expectations of bloom time, and on and on. So to me, it looks like digital pics of plants and that's it. But like I said, that might be what the client was after, and if that's the case, then the design was a success. The OP didn't give much explanation beyond that, so it seems like we're extrapolating quite a bit based on a limited post.

If anyone has further vitriol they need to get out, do so privately. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

[tfld]

Sorry, I haven't taken my pills today. Jody, do you do online courses?

[Stonehenge]

Hmm, I think that post missed the mark. Nick, I will grant you your wish.

[tfld]

I'm sure there will be another post in a week or two.

Sorry guys, but school is taking up a lot of time for me and I want to focus on my studies

Good night and Good luck.

[jshilan]

Nick, I drew first blood on this one (as was just pointed out to me).

The school where I teach does not offer on-line classes at this time and I teach landscape graphics so I don't believe my course would be of interest to you .