Project: Luxury Condos near Downtown Hendersonville, N.C.
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BEFORE ... |
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... AFTER! |
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May, 2008 -- The Ambassador, an elegant 1920s apartment building within walking distance of downtown Hendersonville, was being renovated into luxury condos. The owner called in Ambrose Landscapes to rescue its front yard from years of neglect. In
just
two days, we turned an eroding, weedy lot
with no
"curb appeal" into an inviting landscape of native
plants, including a rain garden. This
drought-resistant landscape meets the city's current and anticipated
stormwater regulations. And native plants require the least maintenance. |
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Luxury Condos, Day One: PREPARATION
Many hands make
fast work,
especially if they're experienced. Our seasoned foreman and crew have
been working with us for over 10 years.
Selectively
clearing the site was our first task. We removed invasive
weeds, patchy grass and
buried construction trash -- but protected two healthy native
dogwood trees.
Sure, it'd be easier just to
cover up this old stump and move on -- but rotting wood
can cause a number of grass diseases.
That's
not our
way.
We took the
extra effort to saw off this stump and add it to the two truckloads of
debris we cleared.
The
funnel-like mounds of fresh topsoil help pool the water
around new plantings until their roots spread out. Tomorrow, the
mounds will be hidden
under
mulch.
Well-placed
"dry streams"
capture runoff, save water, prevent
erosion, and can multiply plant growth up to four times.
By
the end of Day One, we've already finished clearing,
improving the soil, and
planting.
Native
plants exceed the latest
stormwater requirements and recommendations -- whereas
exotics require
excessive maintenance and
drought-restricted water.
