The main purpose of this blog is to make my landscape design web page look dynamic and attractive to search engines. Prospective customers can feel free to read on but I am afraid that you will find it to be a bit of a ramble.
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One of the key elements of landscape design is to know what plants do well in our special climatic zone in Kelowna and how best to situate them. With this in mind I have been working on a plant database for the past 3 years. It comprises a list of the plants commonly stocked by nurseries used by landscapers in this area. Currently I have over 550 entries in this database not including annuals or bulbs. I have included many of the key attributes in the database to help provide the best options for a particular location and need. Links to photos and other horticultural databases are part of my database. I should put a plug in here for the Okanagan Xeriscape Database at http://okanaganxeriscape.org/. They have the best local plant website and which is very user friendly.
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Good design needs an accurate drafted base map of the design area. Measurements need to be reasonably precise to allow the proper spacing and placement of plant material and hardscape. They also need to be carefully tied to the property line and the house footprint including the locations of windows and doors. In many cases this also needs to take into account relative elevations.
There is new software on the market that allows scanning an area to get a 3D image using the camera and lidar on high end phone cameras. The process is relatively quick to record but takes some time to process into a drafted base map. It is particularly useful when there is a moderate amount of existing vegetation that needs to be incorporated in the plan.
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I have experimented with using a drone for mapping sites for landscape design purposes. In theory it is possible to use sophisticated software to put together a full 3D image of a site complete with all the elements including the house, existing hardscape, plants, etc.. In practice this requires a really large number of photos with lots of overlap to provide sufficient information. It then requires a lot of expensive computer processing. The results can be reasonably good for hard fixed surfaces such as stucco walls and concrete patios. The images of more complex features like plants, water, and window glass leaves a lot to be desired, however.
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​I have started to contribute to a blog at the Okanagan Xeriscape Association. https://okanaganxeriscape.org/blog/ So far I have made contributions on the subject of invasive species and on choosing the right mulch for our area. I have also written up a little study there on mulch flammability. The results show pretty clearly that composted mulches like Glengrow, Ogogrow and Natures Gold are not very flammable. Bark mulches, wood chips and pine needles, however do represent a significant fire hazard. I have also authored articles on Soils of the Okanagan, Drip Irrigation, and Plant Hardiness.
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