Passive Hause Arlington VA

We just competed installing our landscape design for the first Passive Hause in Arlington VA.  The concept behind the house is to use construction methods that aid in reducing the amount of energy required to heat and cool the house over the period of a year.  Roger and Eric Lin, the builders, estimate that the annual heating and cooling cost for the owner for one year will be in the neighborhood of $400. As anyone with a traditional house knows, this is represents a huge monetary savings over what most of us pay per year for utilities.  I know that my bills run around $1,600 per year for electricity and at least that much for natural gas to heat the house.

The secret to the energy efficiency lies in the thickness of the walls and roof, and to an air exchange system located in the attic. 

The house also features a partial green roof over the garage.

When we were approached to create the garden design for the home we sought to not only create a killer design that would compliment the modern architecture, but to bring sustainable landscape design principals into the design as appropriate.

We decided that our focus towards creating a sustainable landscape design would be to do what we could to slow water runoff from the site.  Slowing runoff would not only help keep water from flooding neighbor's gardens, but would reduce pollution by filtering the water on site, and would help the plants thrive by allowing rain water to slowly settle into the soil, providing water for the new plantings.

In many gardens you now see large "pits" where water is directed.  Governments are increasingly mandating "rain gardens" on projects.  These pits gather rainwater from the site, were it sits until it's absorbed into the ground.  While this can be effective, they are far from attractive.  The rain gardens can also take up a lot of valuable real estate, which is especially troublesome in tight lots such as those found in Arlington.

Our approach was a bit different.  We allow the water from the roof to drop onto gravel where it has a chance to absorb into the ground.  Water that can't absorb, especially in a hard rain, runs over the lawn to a collection box, (catch basin) where it enters and then flows underground, under the front walk, where it exits onto soil in a planting bed.  The water will collect here for a while, until it seeps down and into a perforated pipe.  This excess water is then moved slowly through the corrugated pipe until it exits again in a planting bed.  At this point the overflow begins a 30' "flow" along the property line until it reaches a very small rain garden at the property line.  The water loving ash tree (already on site) benefits from the added moisture here. 

The idea is to slow the water, to allow it multiple points to be absorbed by the soil, to replenish the ground water, and, when it eventually leaves the property to be as free of harmful nutrients (nitrogen)as possible.  Another benefit to this approach is that when less water runs off a site, less water enters the storm sewer system.  Reducing the storm water flow helps reduce erosion in the streams around the house, reducing the silt load that reaches the Potomac after a rain event.

As designers we are committed to doing what is right for the environment every day.  But, we are also very interested in finding ways that we can achieve an environmentally friendly design that looks amazing! 

We think  that we have achieved this at Roger and Eric's house at 4616 8th Street South in Arlington.  It's on the market now; swing by the open house on June 15th and take a look for yourself.

Arlington Passivehouse, house photos

early spring!

I have lived in the DC area since 1967 and I have never seen a spring arrive this early. Normally March is a difficult month, with all of us sick of winter, desperately waiting for warm weather. We have one warm day, followed by a week of temps in the 40's. Plants respond by teasing us, pushing new growth, but not really committing to actually pushing out leaves. We have to wait until April, and usually mid to late April, for real plant flowering and growth to occur.

this year has been crazy. Spring seems to have occurred all at once. Magnolias have bloomed with or before cherry blossoms. It was so warm that the early magnolias dropped their blooms in less then a week! Leaves are emerging on oaks at the same time as their flowers! Crape myrtle trees, which normally show no sign of growth until late April, have leaf buds on them.

Our last frost date here in DC is historically april 25th. I haven't seen a frost after the 12 of April in years. It's still highly likely that we will have a cold snap, and that some plants might be damaged. Even though it's warm, I am not putting out any annuals until at least mid April.

I am enjoying the warm weather, but, like something that too good to be true, I am holding back celebrating the end of winter and the beginning of spring, until we get well into april. I just wish that the plants could do the same; I fear that a late frost could do damage..

After a long time, were back!
2011 was an amazing year for our company; we had the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of clients and were able to complete several very interesting projects during the year. In the upcoming months, please stay tuned to our blog to see pictures of some of the projects that we just completed, as well as ongoing photo's of projects as we work through them this year.

2011 was also a pretty good year as far as awards and publications for our firm. We were selected to do the grounds at the 2011 Designer ShowHouse, benefiting Children's Hospital. Our work there earned us a 2011 Grand Award from Landscape Contractors Association; you may have seen the garden featured in Home and Design Magazine this month. We had a blast working on the house, and in the process met many great interior designers who had transformed the interior of the house. It was also fun to be on Fox Morning News as part of the coverage for the house.

My garden was also featured in Southern Living as part of a 5 page spread in the November issue. Never thought of myself as a Southerner!

Our firm just won an Award of Excellence from Arlington County for the fine work that Katia, Kameron and I did at a private residence. The picture posted here is from that project.

I'll keep it short here for now; check back now and then to see what we are up to, as well as for plant updates, tips on gardening, trends in Landscape Architecture.

Hot and Dry Weather Impacts Plants

We had record amounts of rain in May and June which held soils extremely wet for several weeks in a row. This was followed by 3 weeks of sunshine and very dry weather. The impact from this weather pattern is being seen in July. Many plants had root injury from the excessive water in spring and the sunny weather is now causing plants to lose moisture rapidly through the foliage with leaf scorching occurring on many plants.

Hydrangea Macrophlla Pruning

Bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)should be pruned as soon as the flowers have faded. You should begin to see new growth coming in from the base of the plant. To keep the plant vigorous, selectively prune out the dead and weaker stems, both old and new. Don’t prune out all the old wood, since this is what will keep flowering as the new growth matures.

Weed Control

Weed control in landscape beds requires a year-round program. Generally, this will entail integration of mulches, hand weeding, and pre- and post-emergence herbicides to maintain the aesthetic value of annual and perennial flowers, and woody shrubs and trees, in beds.

Deer Resistant Plants

The following is a list of plants that have been identified as deer-resistant. Keep in mind that in a bad season, deer may feast on plants on this list. If you have plants in your garden that have not been feasted upon by deer, please share them with us.
Trees
Deodara Cedar (Cedrus deodara)Dogwood (Cornus florida)Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa)Hawthorn (Crataegus sp.)Thornless Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis)American Holly (Ilex opaca)Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora)Saucer Magnolia (Magnolia x soulangiana)Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata)Sweetbay Magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)Flowering Cherry (Prunus serrulata)Corkscrew Willow (Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’)Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicum)Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflau)Gingko (Ginkgo biloba)Goldenraintree (Koelreuteria paniculata)River Birch (Betula nigra)Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis)Fringtree (Chionanthus virginicus)
Shrubs
Barberry (Berberis thunbergii)Butterfly-bush (Buddleia davidii)Littleleaf Boxwood (Buxus microphylla)Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)Smoketree (Cotinus coggygria)Forsythia (Forsythia x intermedia)Hollies in general: (Ilex sp.)Foster Holly (Ilex x attenuata)Burford Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’)Carissa Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Carissa’)Dwarf Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’)Convexa Holly (Ilex crenata ‘Convexa’)Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’) Nellie R. Stevens (Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’)Winter Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)Juniper (Juniperus sp)Dog-hobble (Leucothoe axillaris)Oregon Grape Holly (Mahonia aquifolium)Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei)Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica)Dwarf Nandina (Nandina domestica)Oleander (Nerium oleander)Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo)Carolina Cherrylaurel (Prunus caroliniana) Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles japonica)Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus)Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea)Daphne (Daphne sp.)Gold-dust Plant (Acuba japonica)Sumacs (Rhus sp.)Thorny Eleaegnus (Eleaegnus pungens)Japanese Andromeda (Pieris japonica)Bumald Spirea (Spireae x bumaldi)Vanhoutte Spirea (Spireae x vanhouttei)Cranberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster apiculatua)Rockspray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)Yucca (Yucca filamentosa)Oakleaf Hydrangea – (Hydrangea quercifolia)Mock Orange – (Philadelphus sp.)Wax Myrtle _ (Myrica cerifera)Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)
Groundcovers
Pachysandra (Pachysandra terminalis)Ribbon Grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta)Thyme (Thymus sp.)Aaron’s Beard (Hypericum calycinum)Asiatic Jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum) Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon japonica) Santolina (Santolina sp.)
Vines
Wisteria (Wisteria sp.)Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)Star Jasmine (Trachelopsermum jasminoides)Trumpetvine (Campsis)Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea)
Perennials
Columbine (Aquilegia sp.)Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum x morifolium)Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)Iris (Iris sp.)Yarrow (Achillea)Monkshood (Aconitum)AnemoneWormwood (Artemisia)Butterfly Weed (Asclepias)AsterTickseed (Coreopsis)Purple Coneflower (Echinacea)Cranesbill geranium (Geranium)Beebalm (Monarda)PeonyChives (Allium)Blue Star (Amsonia)Delphinium (Delphinium)Bleeding Heart (Dicentra)Foxglove (Digitalis)Sweet Woodruff (Galium)St. John’s Wort (Hypericum)Dead Nettles (Lamium)Lavender (Lavandula)Catnip (Nepeta sp.)Oregano (Origanum)Russian Sage (Perovskia)Creeping phlox or Thrift (Phlox Subulata)Lungwort (Pulmonaria)Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)Meadow Sage (Salvia)Goldenrod (Solidago)Lamb’s Ear (Stachys)