Landscaping

Fold It, I Need to Haul Some Dirt.

Once again another spring weekend is almost upon us, and that means at least for me, time in the yard landscaping. Earlier this year, I made a decision that Modular 4 was going to get some much needed yard love to boost curb appeal. The thing is, landscaping requires lawn tools. Lawn tools require space. I am kind of a nut when it comes to storage and things taking up space. So when I decided I needed some kind of wheel barrow/cart I also decided I needed something space saving, well designed, rugged, and functional. This is where the “Tipke 2100 Marine Fold-It Utility Cart” comes in.

Fold-it Cart looks like one of the better options out there. The cart is large enough and sturdy enough to carry fairly heavy loads (up to 350 pounds). It features large 20 inch wheels for easy maneuvering, a drop down tailgate so you can use it as a dump cart. The best part, when it is folded it occupies less than 2 square feet of storage space. The design is utilitarian, and innovative, but this something you will pay for. Fold-It rings the bell at $230.00 bucks on Amazon. It’s not cheap, but it takes up less space than a standard wheel barrow, and hauls just as much.

ORE Containers.

Over the weekend I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and began landscaping a section of my front yard. I spent a large portion of Saturday and Sunday, planning, and installing edging, moving dirt, and prepping for plants that will go in a couple of weeks from now.

While planning things out and surveying the entry to the house, I decided that I needed to add planters at key locations. I needed to anchor sections of the yard where it meets walkways and the structure of the house. I also started thinking about lighting and the roll it would play at night with the surrounding foliage. Thanks to ORE, I might be able to kill two birds with one stone.

Since 2003 ORE has focused on developing products for the garden design industry by manufacturing contemporary lines of signature containers, fire pits, benches and architectural elements in Utah. Designer Shane Larson used his expertise in sculpture and metal work to create a line of contemporary outdoor furniture that is durable, functional, and elegant. The products produced by ORE qualify for LEED points, if you are looking for ways to green your home, and yard.

I really like the metal cube containers and column containers with integrated LED lighting solutions. The simple shapes with bright color finishes, and hidden ground lighting, make a bold statement without overpowering the surrounding architecture, and landscape. All the containers are available in any of ten colors ranging from powder coated red to neutral gray.

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Everyone Should Get Stoned.

I got the bid back for building the concrete pad for the backyard patio earlier this week, and it looks like we are going to go for a late September build date. A 9 by 17 foot concrete pad that will get covered with some type of stone next spring. It’s all part of the grand landscaping plans for the house. Anyway, since we are actually going to have a larger more functional outdoor seating area, we are probably going to need some lighting solutions as well.

I was trolling the internet looking for something visually cool, and I came across these lights from Y-Lighting. Design by Marta Laudani & Marco Romanelli with Massimo Noceto, Y-Lighting is now carrying “Stones Outdoor Lights” produced by Italian manufacturer Oluce.

Stones are outdoor lights that take on the familiar shape of large stones, just as the name implies. They are made of durable, weather-tested polyethylene. Stones can be used individually but based on the photo on the site, they look best in clusters. Each stone, uses a standard compact fluorescent bulb, to help with energy efficiency, and since compact fluorescent bulbs are now available with warmer light values, these could take on a yellowish cast depending on the bulb. There are 2 sizes available, roughly 10 by 14 and 16 by 24 inches respectively. The larger Stone costs $20.00 more.

The downside of Stones Outdoor Lights is that they aren’t cheap. At $407.00 most people probably aren’t going to be purchasing large volumes of these. The good news is Y-lighting offers free shipping, and there is no tax. I guess I need to start saving now, if I want to have these for next springs patio opening.

Looking for Inspiration, I Found Regents Park.

Since it’s raining outside and I have the day off, I thought I would do some additional research for the landscaping/patio project that I am going to start at the end of summer. While cruising around the web digging up inspiration, I came across this.

Designed by Amir Schlezinger for Regents Park London House, this roof top terrace is designed to blend interior and exterior spaces providing a lush retreat above and away from street level noise. This space features both a roof top garden and terrace with a water feature and fireplace. The benches echo the shape of the fireplace and anchor the low retaining wall. The Ipe hardwood floor extends the interior flooring lines into the outdoor space and provide textural contrast to the granite in the water element and the pavers.

This terrace is an amazing piece of inspiration for those who want to blend their contemporary interior space with the outside world.

Photographs by Jerry Harpur.