Dawn Szelc LDG Secretary, Clear Blue Landscapes

​The Landscape Designers Group met at the McLean Community Center to hear two designers talk about their recent projects with rooftop gardens. 

​Lan Hogue from Michael Vergason Landscape Architects spoke about the City Ridge project https://www.vergason.net/city-ridge , a 10-acre mixed use development on the former Fannie Mae campus on Wisconsin Ave in Washington, D.C. The new owner, a Japanese firm Sekisui House, removed some of the newer buildings on the property but retained the oldest building as a historic site. The area features residential and retail properties as well as outdoor public spaces and underground parking. It was designated as a Leed Gold Public Space, which includes rainwater harvesting, bioretention, and the green roof which Lan worked on. 

​Lan described the green roofs that she worked on which were essentially over the parking garage that was developed under the site. They were planted with a “high mow” mix of fescue and other perennials. The mix was 60% hard fescue, 20% creeping fescue, and 20% red fescue. The “high mow” term means that it should be left to grow fairly high, so only mowing once per year. That is not what the maintenance personnel allowed to happen, so she has had to educate the people on how to maintain the garden as intended. There was an area with a 45-degree slope which required the use of a structure to hold the soil and plants. One area tended to be used for construction traffic and had become very compacted so had to be redone as the plants were not growing well.  There was a discussion during the meeting about the best native grass to use on such a site, and one member offered that native Carex is a good choice. It can handle shade, flops over nicely and develops into a nicely filled area.
Lan also discussed the three heritage trees, Pin Oak and Willow Oak, which were growing on the site, and were painstakingly relocated onsite by a tree moving company. She also commented on the value of a product called Instant Hedge from Oregon. They provide  mature hedges conveniently packaged for installation. 

​The second speaker was Tomi Landis, from Landis Architects, who presented a residential rooftop garden in Washington DC. The garden consisted of different spaces including an outdoor kitchen, seating area, and contemporary water feature. All the elements had to be carried to the roof using a crane situated on the street in a specific time frame dictated by the city. Permitting was difficult because the garden was not allowed to be seen from the street. Additional visual barriers were used in certain directions. 

She found that the water feature had a lovely sound but created too much splash so that needed some adjustments.  The lighting was designed and installed by our own Olsen-Weaver lighting, and the irrigation was completed by Outdoor Illumination. There were numerous planters used with polystyrene peanuts at the bottom and a soil mix consisting of soil, sand, and compost. These were from the Jay Scotts Collection as well as custom built.  The plants were installed by Great American Landscapes, with annuals by Julie Friedman, another LDG member. The garden elements were installed upon a new deck which used Moisture Shield composite decking material which is marketed as 33% cooler than other completing composites. There was a large umbrella over the seating area which caught the audience’s eye. Tomi said this was from Treasure Garden. It was 16 ft across and weighed 200 lbs. but was very easy to move around. She thought that the catalog company, Frontgate, had similar types of umbrellas. For some additional photos and gallery of work see the link.
https://www.landisconstruction.com/our-portfolio/downtown-dc-roof-deck/

Dawn Szelc and Clara Aleman, LDG Co-Secretaries

The Landscape Designer’s Group met February 26, 2020, at the McLean Library. Our lecturer Sam Droege of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center ([email protected]) provided a fascinating discussion on native bees.

• These amazing close-up pictures of native bees are available at the Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pwrc/science/native-bee-inventory-and-monitoring-lab?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects. They are public domain on Flicker and Instagram,
• Sam’s FB site is a good place to ask questions https://www.facebook.com/sam.droege

Sam provided a wealth of information and we tried to capture as much as possible. There are 445 native bee species in Maryland who feed on 3836 plants. Virginia has 460+ species and they are finding more all the time. Native bees do not sting, don’t defend their colonies, and no one is allergic to them.  There are no native honey bees; they are all from European species. Honey bees are competitive with native species. Saving the bees involves saving the pollen which they feed on. It only takes 5 flowers to feed a baby bee and an average acre produces 26,000 bees (native/honey) in a year. Most of our native bees live underground, while some nest in hollow stems or holes in wood. You can create bee nesting places by bundling cut hollow stems or using bee houses. They don’t spend much time flying around. They have many different types of “tongues” with which to get at the plants they prefer. The average lifespan of a bee is 1 year.
Sam discussed a number of areas where new species of bees have been discovered recently. At the Mt Cuba Center seven species have been found of specific flowers.  Sandy spots are good places to look for bees because many live in the sand such as at Jug Bay, MD where new species have been found that new names had to be created for them. On Assateague Island 5 species have been found that are only found there. In Baltimore, 19 species with 11 that are not native were found. 

​LDG and APLD joined forces in January to network and screen the documentary movie about Piet Oudolf.  We had a wonderful turn out with over 60 members and guests enjoying the time together!
 
We started our time with both organizations offering help with online profile settings for the two organizations websites.  Molly Scott, President of the DCMDVA chapter, https://dcmdva-apld.org/ and Julie Hawley, President of LDG, both encourage our members to update their member profiles and include photos of yourself and your projects.  This online tool is very helpful to the public in searching for designers.  Please update today!
 
Barbara Katz, LDG member and accomplished designer, graciously opened our film with a personal introduction of Piet Oudolf.  She had the pleasure of working with Piet at the Delaware Botanic Gardens. 
The film is still touring the country, check out additional screenings at https://www.fiveseasonsmovie.com/screenings/.  Below are some of her comments.
 
Thomas Piper, an award-winning film maker, completed a documentary on New York’s High Line in 2012.  During that time, he met the designer and plantsman, Piet Oudolf..... and here we pause to learn the correct pronunciation of his name - pinch yourself - OW !!!..... Thomas was so impressed with Piet, the idea for a new project was born. This documentary immerses viewers in Oudolf’s work and takes us inside his creative process, from his beautifully abstract sketches, to his theories on beauty and the ecological implications of his inspirational ideas.
Piet Oudolf has radically redefined what gardens can be. As Rick Darke, the famous botanist, says to Piet in the film, “your work teaches us to see,  what we have been unable to see.” 
Through poetic cinematography and unique access, FIVE SEASONS gets inside Piet's head and takes us on a slow, meditative and melodic journey that reveals the magic and genius of Piet's gardens. 
Super briefly, I brought Piet to a project in Delaware, the brand new Delaware Botanic Gardens .... some of you have been there.  It was an extraordinary priviledge to work closely with him, while sourcing the required 65,000 plants for his 2 acre meadow, and while implementing the meadow in 3 phases.  The depth and breadth of Piet's plant knowledge is truly awe-inspiring, and I learned so much.   After you see the film, I think you will feel, like you too have come to know him just a little bit.  So sit back, relax and revel in this gentle and evocative film, that helps reveal the essence of Piet Oudolf.
Special thanks to APLD for joining us!

Dawn Szelc LDG Co-Secretary, Clear Blue Landscapes

Thanks to the homeowner and Olsen Weaver Lighting for the tour. 
Afterward the LDG membership met at La Ferme Restaurant in Bethesda for a Savory Tasting dinner with drinks. Our Annual Meeting was held including the new year's officer’s election. A festive celebration of another year of Landscape Programs for LDG!

Dawn Szelc LDG Secretary, Clear Blue Landscapes

​The tour was led by Rod Simmons, Natural Resource Manager/Plant Ecologist who highlighted unique features of this “old age forest” that once covered the uplands and hillside of property owned by George Washington Parke Custis.  Rod described features of the Chestnut Oak and Oak Heath Forest communities found on the upper areas of the property, and Acid Oak Hickory in the ravines and lower benches.  Rod further clarified that “old age forests” are ones established post-colonial settlement, (such those as seen at Monticello or Chapman Forest) in contrast with “old growth forests” more common in the west which remain intact due to their more remote or inaccessible locations 

Why is her new book titled Deer-Resistant Design? 
 
Well, as she so simply stated, and bears repeating, because “good design is more important than ever.”
 
Karen found that many home owners with deer in their yard, tend to come for garden advice only after many failed attempts that took up time, effort and money.
 
In her new book, she offers homeowners that share their yard with deer to - start with a plan – a plan that includes deer as part of the garden experience.

​She offered 8 key design principles for a deer-resistant garden.

1. Establish the hardscape.  Think about shapes, materials, sight lines to create a sense of order.
2. Non-edible focal points (water features, containers, structures) – distract and re-focus attention.
3. Color palette – Be strategic and create a sense of unity and order.
4. Varying textures and heights of plants – easier to “hide” minor damage than a sheared hedge.
5. Foliage framework – taste testing less obvious than if lower buds are nipped off.
6. Plant selection – focus on deer resistant plants (levels A and B) and think in combinations.
7. Avoid monoculture – because you KNOW the deer will have to taste it….
8. Barriers – re-route and/or protect with sprays, temporary fencing etc. (Important for year round browsing as well as fall rutting/antlering). 

I don't want to give much more away, because I highly recommend you READ THE BOOK!

And, please check out her website ... for lots of happy reading!

LDG members thoroughly enjoyed a tour of Glenstone “a place that seamlessly integrates art, architecture, and landscape into a serene and contemplative environment.” https://www.glenstone.org/. Paul Tukey, Chief Sustainability Officer, was our guide through the landscape.  Here is a snapshot of our tour:

Clara Aleman, RLA, ASLA 

Oh!  The gardens we saw!  Not ONE, not TWO, but THREE  gardens! 

One... The Marshall House in Leesburg, Virginia
Two... Watermark Woods Native Plants Nursery
Three... Ashburn Village pollinator gardens

​On Saturday, June 1st, our LDG team came together with APLD and celebrated Spring with a morning of garden visits. 

ONE… The morning started at the historic Marshall House in Leesburg, where we met for a light breakfast and a lecture from Leslie Solitario, landscape architect with River's Edge Landscaping on the history of the house, it's owners, and the garden.  Afterwards, Leslie  graciously headed a tour of the house grounds.  The Marshall House, a Federal style house was built in the 1920s. For approximately two of decades (1942-1959), George C. Marshall and his family made it their home.  Hence, why we now know it as the Marshall House.  In the 80s, the house fell under harsh times until a non-for-profit made it their mission to restore the home and by 1996 the house received National Historic Designation.  Currently, this simple, yet elegant home is entirely supported by volunteers who donate time and money.      ​

THREE…  off we went to Ashburn Village to see the award-winning native gardens of designer and podcaster John Magee. In 2016, the Ashburn Village Board decided to do pollinator gardens around their lake.  After a failed attempt, the board brought in John Magee, an expert in native landscaping.  John's concept includes 5 organically elongated shaped planting beds.  These native planting beds are now going on their second year of installation.   

,John left us with one very important piece of information.  He says that most people think that native planting are low maintenance.  Rather their importance is part of a much larger ecological conversation.  So, if we are serious about being stewards of our environment, we need to do the right thing!
​ 

​These are a few of his favorite native pollinator plants.
​
Blackeyed Susan - Rudbeckia maxima
Blue Stem – Andropogon geradii
Coneflower - Echinacea cordatus
Elderberry – Sambucus nigra
Flowering Spurge - Euphorbia corollata
Fox Sage – Carex vulpinoidea
Goldenrod - Solidago rugosa ‘Fireworks’
​Wild Quinine - Parthenium integrifolium
​

Dawn Szelc, LDG Secretary, Clear Blue Landscapes

The final property, at 114 Woodland Dr in Gaithersburg, was a beautiful front yard installation. The owner was very involved in this design plan and is an avid gardener. The planting plan is a mix of native shrubs and perennials, among some existing mature trees. Shrubs included Thuja occidentalis ‘Little Giant’ and Winterberry. There were many Foam flowers and Hay-scented ferns. Other plants included ​Solidago shuitii ‘Solar Cascade’ Jacobs Ladder, Woodland phlox, Blue wood sedge, Silene carolinia, and wood fern. It was a beautiful and inviting front yard.
​ 

Dawn Szelc, LDG Secretary  Clear Blue Landscapes

​The March meeting of the LDG was on ponds as water features in the landscape. We had 5 speakers from different companies in the area with expertise in pond design, construction, and management.
John Magee, of Magee Design (www.johnmagee.com), has expertise in vernal ponds. Besides landscape design, John has a pod cast called The Native Plant Podcast. In Broadlands, VA he did a boardwalk in a storm water area. It is planted with native plants. He discussed the most common invasive that he sees in these areas, which is miscanthus grass, so emphasized not to use this plant. As a side he also mentioned that there is an 8-foot layer of cigarette butts at the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay!

​John worked with Alonzo Avogadas, Capital Naturalist and Natural Resource Manager for Arlington Parks, at the Barcroft Park near Four Mile Run. This park has a magnolia bog with many Sweet Bay Magnolia growing naturally there. These trees are semi-evergreen and like moisture. Alonzo creates a temporary pool to support the amphibians’ life cycle. He uses a product called a Quick dam that absorbs water and create a damming effect to collect the rain water in the spring.  These vernal pools support the life cycle of wood frogs, spring peepers, and later toads. They tend to be acidic. He discussed that if you have a pond or pool in a landscape, he does not recommend stocking it with koi as they will eat any and all frog or amphibian eggs laid there. He has also noticed that his own pond had many dragon flies when there were not koi resident in it. He also recommends having minnow for controlling algae. 

​John loves pitcher plants which also grow in very wet areas. They are native to northern Michigan and New Hampshire.  He showed photos of the Powhatan School in Boyce, VA where they had developed rain gardens. Some of the plants used there include Pawpaw, Hibiscus, Elderberry, Closed gentian, Joe Pye Weed, Cardinal flower, Itea virginica, Fothergilla, Fringe tree, and Cut plant.
The next speaker was Don Jump from Harmony Ponds. Don discussed that they do design, construction, maintenance, and repair of any and all types of water features including ponds, fountains, lakes, and waterfalls. 

​Kristen Weaver and Tara Sutton from DC Ponds, LLC are two sisters who have developed a business cleaning and maintaining ponds. They showed many before and after photos of the types of ponds that they have experience draining cleaning and then restoring to function and beauty.  It is a very labor intensive job that they love. 

​Lastly, Stephen Koza spoke. He is President of Tropic bay Water Gardens in Davidsonville, MD. His is the largest aquatic garden center on the east coast, and he is a koi specialist. He has green houses that are just for fish sales and has many unusual and special varieties of fish that he hand-selects during visits abroad.  His store includes a large selection of backyard art and pottery. Stephen recommends UV sterilizers for better water quality and says the key to a well-maintained pond is filtration. He discussed the trick to keep herons out of your pond and eating the fish is to make the walls at least 3 feet high with straight edges. They are not able to get in to eat the fish. 

Our final presentation was to bring all the speakers back for a question and answer panel session. LDG President Julie Hawley asked how to begin creating a pond – what materials are used, etc?

• All recommended pond liners made from EPDM which last at least 20 years. Do not use PVC or vinyl liners. Gunite or concrete may also be used but may need to be refurbished in the long run. Waterproof paint on a concrete shell is an option. Bentonite clay would be a natural base, but plants can grow into it.

How frequently should they be cleaned?

• Clean the pond at least once a year but twice is better. Some people have monthly maintenance plans.

What plants should NOT be used?

• Yellow flag iris! Water hyacinth is invasive but provides pond shade which is important to keep down algae. Water lettuce is also invasive, so they recommend only using 1-2 plants. Others mentioned were parrots feather, royal pickerel, cattails, and golden reed.

There was a controversial discussion about the benefits and disadvantages of having a pond with koi fish.

• John Magee is not a koi fan describing them as “eating and pooping machines” which will eat all the amphibian and other life nearby, while Stephen Koza is quite the aficionado of all types of koi. 
• Stephen mentioned that koi ponds need good filtration and recommends ultraviolet water filters.
• John talked about garden ponds which don’t need much work and are more of a natural ecosystem. He also discussed the terms bog – meaning a still water area, and fen – meaning a moving water area.

What is the purpose of the filter?

• Pond filters aerate and add oxygen to the water to keep the pond system healthy. Solar pumps were not recommended at all. 

All in all the entire evening was very informative and we thank all the speakers for their contributions.