Need planting ideas

[CaptainsLS]

For you guys that have a green thumb. I would like to do a permanent landscape in the circular mulch bed around this island. I want to keep room in the front for wave petunias and mums. I think its best to get rid of the overgrown variegated euyonomus. I have plenty of time to play with this design, but I wanted to see if anyone had any good ideas. Budget= no limit.

[SCgreenscapes]

I didn't have but a few minutes b/c i was working on another design for one of my customers, but here ya go. Of course i don't know if these plants are suitable for your area. The evergreen hollys are Nelly Stevens, the purple is Loropetulum (Ruby), the yellow is Kaliedescope Abilia and the green ones are Hellori holly or similar. all are evergreen broadleaf so that it will be consistant all year long.

[JZap]

Here's another:
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8df28b3127cceb41d0ee32c7000000026100AYtWzZu1aNm MA

[SCgreenscapes]

Don't You Just Love Prolandscape...

[JZap]

haha, I do love it. I was actually talking it up at their booth at MANTS last year and the guy asked me if I wanted his job? I laughed and said no, but maybe he should do his!:dance:

[CaptainsLS]

Man, that software sure seems nice to have. I usually do things by hand, and the smaller stuff I just layout in my head LOL. Nice job guys.

[SCgreenscapes]

That Is Probally The Best $1,400.00 I Have Spent.

[JZap]

haha let's not turn this into another PROLandscape thread, but it's well worth the money IF YOU USE IT!! Funny, I see all the threads on LS with LCO's selling the program etc. and saying it's a waste of money. But my guess is most people didn't take the time to learn the program or still have no clue on how the customer thinks. A picture is worth a thousand words!

[SCgreenscapes]

I Could Not Imagine Trying To Sell A Design With Out The Image Editor Pictures To Go Along With It. They Can See What It Looks Like And They Are Typically Sold.

I Just Need To Learn More About The Plan View (autocad) And How To Utilize It More For Hardscapes.

Hey, Djm (mrs. Hardscape) Why Don't You See About Getting Prolandscape To Do Some Training At The Show This Year Or Next.

[MuirView Design]

Southern, I have PL too and learned the plan mode in about a week. It's pretty simple actually....too simple for my liking. Almost frustratingly so. After using Dynascape and sketchup, I tried going back and doing CAD in PL and it is really annoying to me, especially when it comes to flowing curves. I find the only way to achieve good radii is to draw circles, snap to quadrants and then erase the circles. I do love the image editor in PL....it's quick and simple. I just wish I could find a bigger plant selection.

John,

Nice design. I like the Fat Alberts and the Feather Reed Grass....

Captain, i would stay semi formal with this design based on the location. Do some curved boxwood hedgerows with maybe some little princess spirea in front and some knockout roses in the back, anchored with miscanthus or maybe an upright columnar evergreen of some kind...skyrocket juniper...hetzi....something like that. I would leave big breaks in the hedge rows and have you petunias pouring out with taller perennials behind. Do four sets of hedge rows, starting off of each brick pillar. Keep it simply and symmetrical. Be cool if they'd let you do a pad in the middle and have four walkways leading to it with a little water feature or something like that. If not, just load a bunch of astilbe under the maple. If I have time, I'll do a photo render too. Whatever you do, just don't plant two Nellie Stevens within ten feet of each other. (Sorry southern...can't steer him wrong!)

[CaptainsLS]

Adam, Thanks for the input. I would be curious to see your photo render, especially if you are using a different program then the others. I haven’t looked into these "photo rendering" programs, but it sure seems like a great selling tool. By your post, do you prefer the Dynascape program?

[SCgreenscapes]

I don't believe the Dynascapes has photo rendering. by the way, i think it is about $2,500 also. I don't have any critiques of it, b/c i don't know anything about Dynascapes. they deff. help the sales process. The job i sold tonight i laid the velum on the table and started going over the design and the customer asked if i had any pictures of the plants i was talking about. I said i have one better and pulled out my ProLandscape image. Of course the first word or sound out of their mouth was ohhhh, that looks great. It has paid for it self many times over.

[MuirView Design]

I use PL for photo rendering as well. I think it is an awesome program. I just think they need to work on the CAD module part of the program as I feel it is too simplified. Dynascape doesn't have a photo render, but it is top shelf when it comes to blueprint design and their quote system is better than PL. 3D photo renders do sell work, especially to a certain demographic. A well put together CAD layout will set you apart though. It's also great for the guys doing the installs.....if those guys are separate from yourself. Everyone has their comfort zone with what works for them. Ultimately it will always come down to you being able to sell yourself and your company, more so than the format of your designs. I don't want to ever want to judge anyone else's method....I just have opinions based on experience, as we all should.

Congrats on the sale Southern!

[SCgreenscapes]

Thanks MuirView.

[JZap]

I use PL for photo rendering as well. I think it is an awesome program. I just think they need to work on the CAD module part of the program as I feel it is too simplified. Dynascape doesn't have a photo render, but it is top shelf when it comes to blueprint design and their quote system is better than PL. 3D photo renders do sell work, especially to a certain demographic. A well put together CAD layout will set you apart though. It's also great for the guys doing the installs.....if those guys are separate from yourself. Everyone has their comfort zone with what works for them. Ultimately it will always come down to you being able to sell yourself and your company, more so than the format of your designs. I don't want to ever want to judge anyone else's method....I just have opinions based on experience, as we all should.

Congrats on the sale Southern!
Funny, i don't don't use the CAD portion of PL. I actually use CAD. When i upgraded last year, the program kept freezing up and like you said was very simple? So I can make the plan look better (in my opinion) with TurboCAD.

[MuirView Design]

Ha, I was just about done doing an image render for Captain's job and PL froze, then exited and I never saved. Son of a!!!!!! That's the 3rd or 4th time that's happened!

[JZap]

Ha, I was just about done doing an image render for Captain's job and PL froze, then exited and I never saved. Son of a!!!!!! That's the 3rd or 4th time that's happened!

After calling PL customer service and explaining my problem they recommended I upgrade my RAM even though I had explained I had over the minimum requirement. So i went and spent $150 on RAM to boost my speed. It still locked up and I was livid. The rep actually recommended for me to reinstall the previous version!!! I was pissed bc we just spent money on the upgrade and now my planner doesn't work right? no refund, but they said he'd upgrade the next version for us. We'll see.

[tthomass]

I didn't read the replies but here is my opinion based on the pictures.

Looks to be a retirement home/nursing home or something.........point being I would go with a more formal/structured look. Think of a limited # of plants and do massings. I don't have software as I hand draw my designs but see if you can picture this just for an idea:

-Install (3) 12-14' Crape Myrtle in the center......lots of color. Pink = more wow, White = better winter interest (bark).
-Out from the Crape's, circle them with a 4' evergreen shrub of choice.......Otto Luyken or even better Indian Hawthorn (check your zone). Don't do an actual circle......think of a 'star' with 5 points.
-Surrounding the Indian Hawthorn do a LARGE massing of Dwarf Fountain Grass. Maybe follow the same 'star' outline? Continuing with the 'star' will provide you pockets between the points for perennials. I would suggest another LARGE massing of in your face color......Rudbeckia. Leave a 2 1/2' border along the edge, except for the points of the star. Do the last 8" of that border with River Jack and behind it use a lot of compost and make it an annual planter for Pansies, Mums, Petunias etc.

So you've got a formal look........something a little more organized looking. Its structured with a variety of proportioned plant material and you WILL get that 'wow' factor with the color when people pull in. Draw it up, explain it as so and have the contract with you ready to sign!

[CaptainsLS]

Hey Todd, thanks for giving some input. I've read your post a few times and I think you are suggesting to remove the grass area in side the circle and plant the whole island? That is different, I wonder if they will have any separation anxiety over that bloodgood maple!

[CaptainsLS]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. What is River Jack? Stone?

[JZap]

River Jack is the gray goose egg, mexican pebble (can be from 1" to 9"), the big round rocks.

[Evening Star Lighting]

Southern, I have PL too and learned the plan mode in about a week. It's pretty simple actually....too simple for my liking. Almost frustratingly so. After using Dynascape and sketchup, I tried going back and doing CAD in PL and it is really annoying to me, especially when it comes to flowing curves. I find the only way to achieve good radii is to draw circles, snap to quadrants and then erase the circles. I do love the image editor in PL....it's quick and simple. I just wish I could find a bigger plant selection.

I started out using Visual Impact's Earthscapes. The actual core program is Corel Designer 12 and Picture Publisher 10. I've upgraded these progams since 1995 when they were Micrografx. Most of the other companies used programmers to build a user friendly basic program that lacked features. With a professional program, it takes a long time to master. I would honestly say the average hardscaper/landscaper should stick to hand drawn prints. I've tried to train several associates with designer, yet the logic isn't there.

You mention drawing smooth radaii- In designer (and I'm sure it's probably similar cross platform) you can set several options to assist drawing smoothly. When I need to flow a curve, I pull guide lines to create an intersection. The intersecting point can be snapped to your ruler marking, or any point by turning snapping off. I will place several x,y guide lines where I need my curve to bend. You could also add a snap point by:

Pulling guide lines and snapping to the intersections
snapping to ruler marks
snappping to mid points, end points, and intersections
drawing freehand
These points are all affected by setting your drawing to a fixed or open angle.

Earthscapes plant and hardscape library has over 7,500 full color, high resolution images. The images are rasterized so they scale evenly and dont look like a cartoon. I'm very satisfied with the product.

[tthomass]

Yes I'm saying remove the grass and do everything as a planting. Don't talk too much about the Maple and it won't be a problem. Here's the plan, this is what it will look like and then 'poof' there it is. Talk about how much better things will look, not how nice or valuable the Maple is. If you can save it or transplant it elsewhere then go for it.

[CaptainsLS]

Hey Todd, I liked your idea., thanks! This crummy picture doesnt do it justice. I tweeked it some to meet my zones:

Cornus Kousa
Illex Galabra Compacta
Rudbeckia
Liriope
Carex
6" Wave Petunia/8" Chrysanthemum in Fall

[CaptainsLS]

Todd, you like massed planting schemes, right? You ought to come up to MA. Woodland plants thrive here......

[CaptainsLS]

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[CaptainsLS]

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