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About Mark
Expertise
Design of landscape structures and design of planting arrangements in the landscape. I usually do not answer questions of a horticultural nature or about growing plants or gardening unless they are related to design. I will answer these questions at my discretion. I will answer maintenance questions at my discretion,usually when they are related to design. I am a landscape designer. I am not a contractor or a gardener. Here are example categories of problems I can help you with: Design of residential walks,low walls,low retaining walls,fences,drainage systems,arbors,plant selection,xeriscapes (low water use landscapes),rain garden design,rain water harvesting,permeable paving,sustainable drainage. No advise on an architectural or engineering level. I do not perform actual design work through this site. I only provide suggestions and advice. I am a skilled draftsman and can advise you about the kind of drawings,permits and construction documents you may need for your landscape project. Any landscape project should be layed out on a drawing but larger projects in particular,that may be contracted out,should have drawings and specifications for cost and quantity estimates and for competitive bids. A drawing and specifications will also become part of any contract made with a contractor and enhances the clients protection.

Experience
Landscape concept plan for a 30,000 square feet housing site. Involved site recon by pace measurements and photographs and a site analysis and a site analysis report and recommendations and a preliminary cost estimate. Design elements included canopy trees,shrub cover,accent flowers,trash receptacles,benches and planters. Landscape concept plan for a 7,000 square feet site for a community center. Involved site recon by tape measurements and photographs,a site analysis and the creation of 3 conceptual designs for the site. Work was done through a local professional design center. Design elements included tree garden,playground,sitting area,lawn,cooking area,lighting and concrete and brick paving. Landscape concept plan for a 3,000 square feet housing site. Involved site recon by tape measurements and photographs and a site analysis. Concluded in 3 concept designs for the site,shown at a formal presentation,a site analysis and recommendations. Work was done through a community volunteer program. Design elements included decks,a playground and fencing. Briefly as draftsman for landscape designer/gardener. Conceptual landscape design for residence. Involved site recon by tape and pace measurements and site analysis. Design included covered patio area,ground cover and flower beds. Two years experience as draftsman for transportation department in engineering firm and for engineering consultants to phone company. Duties consisted of plotting topography. Survey crew member. General assistant to surveyor. Work was done for U.S. Army and County Highway Department. No instrument work. Duties included tape measurement,holding graduated survey rod and plumb bob for sighting and clearing brush. Marketed Landscape Design Services. Brochure writing,promotional material and marketing graphics.

Education/Credentials
Course in Computer Aided Drafting. 700 hours in AutoCad 2000. 700 hours to date on AutoCad Light 2000. Certificate in Manual Drafting. 1200 hours drafting time. Course in Civil Engineering Technology. (One Semester)

Awards and Honors
From Civil Engineer: I am very impressed with your work and with the obvious thought you have put into the marketing of your venture. It was especially good to see a print of that job we discussed on the phone. I wish you much luck with the venture as I do with your plans for school. Im darn proud of you buddy. And by the way,when I get my license,maybe you will consider me for a consulting job down the road. I hope to get together with Rick sometime soon and I would really like to show him your stuff if its ok with you. From all these questions you ask I get the feeling that you are genuinely interested and have put alot of thought into the idea and process of landscape architecture and if you could possibly afford the cost I would urge you to take some classes in the areas you are most interested in. The subject is not so simple as it appears,mixing science and engineering with art and a certain amount of religion to create a comfortable and pleasing balance between man and nature. A thoughtful soul like yours can do this but it can be a lifes work getting it right.

You are here: Experts > Home/Garden > Exterior Decorating > Landscaping & Design > design with native grasses

Landscaping & Design - design with native grasses

Expert: Mark - 11/4/2009

Question
I am designing a Garden in the south west of england, my design must keep "in sync" with the existing thomas hardy style cottage house. i want to use native grasses and native trees to brittan, what grasses are native to england?

Also i need to use clay brick and lyme mortar but dont want the lyme to damage the soils nice neutral composistion. and finally what grass can be used as a screen to hide a compost heap other than bamboo? thanks james

Answer
Hello,

For grass,I would suggest the following:

English Rye Grass (lolium perenne). This is a hardy and cold tolerant grass,related to fescue. Remains green year round. It is not related to the grain rye. Excellent lawn grass and good for erosion control.

Smooth Meadow Grass (poa pratensis) 'kentucky bluegrass'. Good lawn grass.

Blue Sheep Fescue Grass (festuca ovina). Hardy and drought tolerant. Makes good ground cover. Tolerates wide range of soil conditions.

Rough Meadow Grass (poa trivialis). Pasture type grass.

Various sedges and rushes have a grasslike appearance but some will only do well in damp or wet soil.

Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum). A pasture grass. Produces an odor of vanilla. Has medicinal value as skin ointment.

For screening of the compost I would suggest:

The Common Reed (Phragmites australis). Grows to 2 meters high.

Miscanthus. An ornamental grass. Grows to about 2 meters high.

If the lime is kept on the wall and not spread out on the ground,it will not affect your plants to any degree. For the lime to adversely affect the plants it would have to be incorporated into the soil. The lime will not leach from the mortar after it has hardened to any extent that it would harm your plants.

Trees native to England include:

Alder (Alnus glutinosa)
Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris)
Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
Birch (Betula)
Box (Buxus;Southern England Only)
Cherry (Prunus)
Plum
Elm (Ulmus;The English Elm ranges in southern Great Britain only and is doubtfully native. The smooth leaved elm is native to southern Great Britain only).
Hawthorn (Crataegus;laevigata species is native to southern Great Britain only.)
Hazel (Corylus).
European Hornbeam (Carpinus;Southern Great Britain only.)
Small and Large Leaved Linden (Tilia cordata; Southern Great Britain only.)
Field Maple (Acer campestre; Southern Great Britain only.)
Pedunculate Oak
Sessile Oak
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Poplars:
(Aspen (Populus tremula)
(Black Poplar (Populus nigra; southern Great Britain only.)
Rowans and Whitebeams:
European Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) and several related apomictic microspecies.
Service Tree (Sorbus domestica; recently discovered growing wild on a cliff in south Wales)
Willows (Salix spp.; several species)
Bay Willow (Salix pentandra)
Crack Willow (Salix fragilis)
White Willow (Salix alba)
Almond-leaved Willow (Salix triandra)

Native large shrubs. These larger shrubs occasionally reach tree size:

Alder Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula)
Purging Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
(Common) Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides)
Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
Sallow, Goat Willow (Salix caprea)
Grey Willow (Salix cinerea)

Naturalised trees:

From Europe:

Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster; rarely)
European Black Pine (Pinus nigra; rarely)
Norway Spruce (Picea abies; rarely)
European Larch (Larix decidua)
European Pear (Pyrus communis; sometimes regarded as native)
Plymouth Pear (Pyrus cordata; sometimes regarded as native)
Cherry Plum (Prunus cerasifera)
European Beech (Fagus sylvatica; widely considered native to southern England, but probably a stone-age human introduction)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa; a Roman introduction)
Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris)
Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum)

From Asia:

Japanese Larch (Larix kaempferi)

From North America:

Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta)
Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis)
Black Spruce (Picea mariana; rarely)
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Grand Fir (Abies grandis)
Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla)
Western Redcedar (Thuja plicata)
Lawson's Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)
Monterey Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa; rarely)

Good luck. Let me know if I can be of further help.

Mark Harshman
http://www.harshmandrafting.com

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