u/sum1better187

Just about done with this design build project. Biggest thing left to do is add more trees around the perimeter and various punch list items.

Project was a little challenging with the slope and overall size of the yard. The idea was to keep the yard functional.

I sold the client a design with 3d renders, but after we started I changed up quite a few things as I was looking at it from the lens of “if this was my house, how would I want it”

The original design didn’t have a waterfall. Once I started construction I thought to myself “damn, a waterfall centered on the hillside would really set this place off”. So I gave them a killler deal on a change order and I’m glad they went for it. They have a glass front door and as you approach it you can see strait through the house and see the waterfall on the hillside… it’s really cool.

You guys are probably going to think this is insane, but the budget for EVERYTHING came in right around $250k

My biggest wish was I would have liked going with more/bigger plants, but I only had $250k to play with. 😂

Any question or comments feel free to let them rip. Not trying to promote my services. I just like talking shop and showing off projects I’m proud of.

Client kind of gave me free rein to do whatever I wanted. The rest of the yard is pretty over the top and I wanted to make sure the side yard path wasn’t boring.

My idea was to make a path that felt like walking through a meadow.

I wanted it to be modern, but also natural/organic. So I decided on offset rectangle stepper.

Steppers are 2.5’x5’ with a 1’ offset and 6” gap. Did a top cast number 3 finish with sandstone color.

I offset the steppers enough to make it look curvey, but not so much that people would be cutting through the planters as a short cut. You can almost walk in a completely strait line through the path.

For planting I mass planted a bunch of Lomandra Breeze on both sides. Then between the steppers in the gaps I used Elfin Thymus.

The goal is to see no dirt or bark once everything is grown in.

I also added in some staggered path lighting, but I haven’t had a chance to see it lit up yet.

Slide 1 & 6 are actually Ai. The finished path and planting is on slide 5. I wanted to see what it would look like in a couple years so I put that picture in Gemini and said “show me what this will look like
When the plants are full grown”

Outside of that no ai was used in the planning of this path. The last slide is the drawing I used to sell the idea to the client.

I got contracted by another landscaper to build a pond less waterfall for his clients.

Pondless waterfalls are not rocket science, but there is a bit of a learning curve with some of the nuances. My team and I have built probably around 50 features like this over the last 7 years or so. We are staring to get the hang of it. Could always be better though.

I’m based out of Northern California and the boulders used are called “sierra boulders” and we had about ton. Then we also had. 1/2 yard of 1&1/2” “gold river” rock/cobble.

We used 2 pumps.
(1)7500GPH pump dumping into the upper bowl area.
(1)3000GPH pump for the bubbling rock

Material cost was right around $4500 all in.

Started the project Wednesday morning and we were done by lunch on Friday. About 75 man hours.

I charged $15k. Not sure how much the other contractor marked it up to the client.