47 results for author: Hawks Landscape

A Beautiful Staircase to a Grand Entrance

The homeowners of a beautiful Wauwatosa home with a prominent position above Wisconsin Avenue asked Hawks to design a new staircase in front of their home.  The old staircase was falling apart, and didn’t create a visual connection to the house.  Hawks designed a beautiful new staircase with natural, custom limestone steps and bluestone landings which blends seamlessly with the existing slopes.  Skillful installation was necessary to lift the stairs in place and create the graceful S curve.  The result is a stunning staircase which visually ties the house to the street, and creates a dramatic, grand entrance.

Herbs

  Planting an herb garden or container is a great way to expand your garden. Herbs are not only edible but, also provide fragrance and interest in your garden. Many herbs like mint, chives, oregano, sage and thyme are perennials so you only have to plant them once. Tender herbs like basil, rosemary and marjoram need to be planted each season. With a little planning, you will be able to step out into your garden to cut fresh herbs and turn ordinary into gourmet.

Turf installation

Correct installation of turf can prevent many problems down the road.  Your turf is in constant competition with weeds, diseases and insects. Installing 3-4 inches of good topsoil and making sure the turf maintains a 1-2% minimum pitch goes a long way to giving your turf the advantages it needs to win that competition by allowing for a healthy root system.  Hawks can help your turf be a winner through proper installation the first time. We can also renovate most older turfs to help them compete better.

Winter Planning for your Landscape

  Again, another long winter but, spring is coming soon and we can all be happy with that. It is never too early to start planning your landscape project and I always recommend creating a landscape plan to guide you through the process.  A design is invaluable when it comes to your project running smoothly.  Having a professional design can save time, use money wisely, and keep you from doing things more than once.  A plan takes the entire site and combines your desires, needs, and hopes into one unified plan.  Even if the work is completed in phases, work can be planned and completed in an intelligent way.

Well Designed Landscaping Enhances this New Home

Hawks was involved in the landscaping of this new construction project in Pewaukee from start to finish.   Thoughtful design was the key in creating this beautiful landscape.   A major focal point in the front yard is a stainless steel sculpture, which is aligned with the front entrance.  A major design feature is how the planting beds are organized around radius lines from the sculpture, accentuating the house entrance, and unifying the design of the entire front yard landscaping.  A variety of materials, from gun metal granite boulders, to a mixed quilting of paving elements in the front walk creates a lot of visual interest while combin...

Hiring a landscape designer/architect

Where do you begin?  I have always said you need to first find a firm whose work you trust and then find a designer within that firm with whom you are comfortable working with and whose projects fit your design style/needs.  Having a good relationship with your landscape designer is critical.  You need to work with them throughout all phases of the project and for years to come during its after care stages.  Having someone that you “click” with can often make the difference between your landscape getting done for you and getting done RIGHT for YOU.

Blending materials.

This Brookfield project had old timber steps leading to its second story front entrance.  Hawks used Chilton steps and flagstone to create an everlasting structure that steals the show with its many colors.  The walls were created with cobble fieldstone to tie the project in with the exterior of the house.  Blending two natural materials together really made this new project look as if it had been there for years.

Proper Grading

Water collecting around the foundation of your home keeps many potential issues at bay. Without the right grade, water collects at the foundation, causing erosion, foundation cracks, mold and unhealthy vegetation. To ensure a proper grade, slope any landscape away from the base of your home, so water flows farther out into the yard. Burying downspouts will also help.  Check your local municipal codes before burying any drain tile in your yard.  A Hawks landscape professional can help decide what would be your best plan of attack. (A level or line level can be useful.) Tom Blachowski   Production Manager  

Fountain Grass (Pennisetum alopecuroides)

(SH) Grasses have exploded in popularity in the last 10 years. There are so many nice specimens including Miscanthus, Karl Foerster Grass, and many others. One of my favorites is Pennisetum or Fountain Grass. The common name describes this plant completely. The plant is clump forming and the foliage is glossy green turning tan color in the fall. Nodding plumes of rosy white flowers (seed heads) bloom in August/September. This plant likes full sun. It can be used in a group of other fall perennials such as rudbeckia, aster, or sedum. It will get about 2-3' tall and can be used as a specimen or in a mix for cutting. It will attract butterflies and will ...

Winter protection for roses

Hybrid roses, beautiful but sometimes intimidating, can bloom year after year with a little protection during the winter. Mound soil about a foot high around the base of the plant; place hardware cloth tight to the ground and wrap around the plant, filling with oak leaves or straw. This will help to protect from freezing temps and rabbits feasting on the plant. To help avoid desiccation, don’t prune back canes of the plant until spring. Mary Kowalski   More info on Hybrid rose winter care Shrub rose winter care