This holiday season, Landsystems has a lot to be thankful for.  We have had a great year professionally, wonderful clients and to top it all off, we have a new team member on board in our design department.  We are so proud to introduce Deepali Kulkarni, who joins us with exemplary skills in construction plans and details.  With Deepali on our team, we will now be able to delve into more intricate, customized designs for our clients.  Please join us in welcoming Deepali to our design team and learn more about Deepali’s background below:

Background:

I obtained my Masters degree in Landscape Architecture from University of Minnesotta, MN. My research studies include the Design of Eco-museum for the Arsenale of Venice, published in Venice lagoon foundation publication of Italy. I enjoyed learning plant phenology and curation at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. My previous Degree in Architecture allows me to combine the technical aspect of Design with the creative element.

Landscape Architect “Hero”: George Hargreaves

Interests:  I like growing my favorite plants in a hobby green-house. I help one NPO in conducting Landscape / Environmental stewardship programs. I served as a founder member of a cultural organization managing events in South and East Bay area.

Favorite plant:  Bird Of Paradise  -  Strelitzia Reginae

Landsystems is very excited to introduce Adam Coholan,  an active blogger who writes about exterior design and landscaping based on his experience working with Queens luxury homes around the New York area.  You can follow him on Twitter @Coho22!  Just in time for the season, he has contributed a great blog on how to enhance the look of your home!

Highlight the Fall Colors in Your Landscape

Fall is a wonderful time of year, when the air is crisp and there is a welcome break from the summer heat. Many will choose to decorate their homes with Halloween or Thanksgiving decorations, adding skeletons or scarecrows to their front yards. Yet many don’t realize one of the best ways to enhance the look of your home for fall is to focus on the landscaping.

One of the first fall flowers that comes to mind for many are mums. Mums come in a beautiful assortment of bright colors including red, yellow, orange, purple and pink that are sure to look beautiful in any fall landscaping display. They can be planted into the ground, or many choose to simply place them in pots for display along the sidewalk or on the porch of a home to welcome guests.
Another popular fall option is the Japanese maple tree, as they display brilliantly bright leaves of yellow, red and orange. They catch the eye of anyone that passes by the home because of the radiant fall colors.   Similar to the Japanese maple burning bush, sumac, and viburnum, all produce vibrant colors and are also commonly used to enhance the fall landscape.
Finally, there are a number of accessories, centered around the season and not a holiday, that can further improve your fall look. Adding bales of hay and cornstalks to the landscaping are a great first step, and can often be picked up at local farms or even craft stores. Pumpkins and gourds also make wonderful additions to the bright colors of the fall landscaping. These can be added to a porch or front entrance, or can even be placed on the ground among your other plants. Last, a fall wreath on the door adds the final touch to the fall landscaping outside of any home.

With the proper preparation, any yard can easily be transformed for the season of fall. Any local nursery or home improvement store will have a large selection of items available to purchase so that the added touches of shrubs, fall flowers and trees can give your home an elegant and seasonal look with little effort.

As most of you are aware, we have been working with Redwood City to rejuvenate the border areas of Spinas Park.  Since we have been working on this recreational park as well as other play equipment for our clients, Landsystems has become very interested in the elements that make a park an effective, fun and safe environment for visitors.  We thought this month would be a great opportunity to discuss the positive benefits of rubber mulch!

Unlike wood, bark, gravel, sand, asphalt and dirt, rubber mulch is long-lasting, aesthetically pleasing and doesn’t leave an odor or stain clothes.  In addition, rubber mulch is also environmentally friendly, made from 100% recycled rubber.  In terms of safety, rubber mulch beats out its competitors in creating a shock absorbent layer which keeps children from injuring themselves while playing on structures.   Rubber mulch also requires little maintenance and reduces mud and dust to play areas.

For those of you interested in installing rubber mulch, don’t hesitate to give us a call today to further discuss the benefits of rubber mulch.  Think how great it’ll be to know your children are safe and having the time of their lives outdoors!

We are very excited to announce that we are in the process of redesigning the entrance and surrounding perimeters of Spinas Park in Redwood City.  As most of you undoubtedly know, our company is based in Redwood City, so this particular project hits close to home and provides us with a great way to give back to the community that we consider part of our Landsystems family.

Andrew Spinas Park rests on 1.46 acres of land at the corner of 2^nd avenue and Bay Road.   The park includes play equipment and areas for children, a picnic area and expansive lawn for recreational play.  Many local residents in Redwood City use this park as a weekend getaway to enjoy with their families and friends.  However, due to past construction dilemmas and continued use, the edge of the park adjacent to Bay Road has been left a little worse for wear.

Of course, this is where Landsystems comes in.  We are currently working with the City of Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department to revamp the park borders.  We envision new sustainable, native vegetation to frame the park area and create an aesthetic means of supporting the local wildlife of the city.  This will also serve to create an appealing effect and invite passerby’s into the park itself.

Please join us as we continue to document our upcoming measures towards fulfilling this new project.  More to come in the coming months!

With the sun finally coming out for the summer, I’m sure many of you are contemplating new ways to spruce up your home and garden. Here are two great green ways to create your own food source:

Chicken Coops

For those of you considering changes in your home to promote sustainable and healthy living, why not consider building your own chicken coop? Chicken coops are easy to build, provide you with fresh, organic eggs, and reduce the amount of fuel and energy required to transport and store store-bought eggs. The chickens themselves can be used for organic pest control and even provide free, high quality fertilizer that will help you keep your garden beautiful all summer.

Not sure how to go about building your chicken coop? Location is everything! Be sure to account for the hot summer climate when designating a spot for your chicken coop. Also, remember that ventilation and natural light are crucial to keeping chickens healthy and happy! If you’d like ideas for chicken coop construction, a great, low-cost resource is http://www.buildingachickencoop.com/. Once you’ve set up your chicken coop, be prudent in cleaning and sanitizing the coop. Before you know it, you’ll have a thriving chicken coop with plenty of eggs to cook delicious breakfasts!

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens

Imagine being able to pick up all the ingredients you need to cook a delicious meal, only a couple steps from your door! Interested in creating your own food source? Why not build your own sustainable fruit and vegetable garden? It’s easy and a great way to get outdoors!

The first step in developing your own fruit and vegetable garden is planning. Make sure to research what types of plants you’d like to grow in your garden. Also, understanding the soil structure of your garden and regular fertilizing will help you in planning for the vegetation in your garden. Water is also a key ingredient in the growing of your garden; make sure to implement a system of providing constant water to your plants and use methods to conserve water as well.

At Landsystems, we encourage new means of sustainable living. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a free consultation if you’re interested in designing your own garden. Already have a vegetable and fruit garden? Let us know if we can help you improve on it! We’ll have you eating fresh cucumber and tomato salads and garnishing your meals with your own produce in no time!