The Landscaper

The Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant in the Asteraceae family.
A native to the Americas.

The stem can grow to be 9 feet tall and the flower head can
reach almost 12" in diameter.

This beauty was first discovered by Francisco Pizarro in Peru and was
worshiped by the Incas as a symbol of the Sun God.
There is also evidence that the sunflower was first domesticated in Mexico by 2600 BC.
The seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century.

Here is the latest project this last week of April 15th. 2009.
Leyendecker Landscape designed and installed a new landscape in the wonderful community of Boulevard Green right off Bellaire Blvd.
It is a small, quiet and hidden architectural gem.



Leyendecker Landscape started by taking out the old deck, added a brand new deck in addition to adding a 2' privacy extension to the fence.




The client chose the perfect fountain from Joshua's Native Plants in the Heights.
Leyendecker Landscape installed the fountain along with the electrical needed to run it.



This is what it looked like before.

Thank you Ms Redel for giving Leyendecker Landscape the opportunity to serve your landscaping needs. It was a joy working with you :)

This has been a project in the making for over a year. This client started with the indoors and revamped pretty much the entire house. Then moved to the out side. The existing water feature needed to be torn out and redone, new drainage and irrigation was installed and finally the planting. We just finished last week and it will fill in perfectly. This space looked like an overgrown amazon before. I wanted to consider how small the space is in the design and created something more quaint and colorful.

This is a project we finished last week & it only took us 2 full days. What a difference it makes.


This is a 4 step process:

1. Grade the area first. The area must be graded in a sloped way so that the water runs off naturally.
2. Place and install a natural stone border. (Ledgestone in this case)
3. Adding a Limestone Flexbase then compacting the Flexbase down so it creates a hard but level surface. By adding the appropriate amount of water the Flexbase will mold and grade properly.
   
4. Finally add your chosen gravel. Here we used Blackstar Gravel to compliment the stone.

Now is the time to get your soil conditioned for Spring.


Compost! Compost! Compost! (available at most nursery outlets)


The key here is to increase the amount of soil bio-activity that you have.
By adding at least 1-2" of good clean compost twice a year (once in the Spring and once in the Fall) you will increase the amount of trace elements which generate and feed soil building living microbes. This is a great way to condition Houston's notorious clay soil.


If you have compaction (when your soil seems to be rock hard) issues, usually caused by overly chemically fertilized lawns. Basically killing the living microbes within your soil.
Try adding 1/2" to 1" of compost in addition to a generous sprinkling of gypsum.
The Gypsum speeds up the process of breaking down the hard clay, improving the soil structure and allowing more absorption of moisture and vital nutrients.



We dig dirt!

all my best, Portia




If you have any questions call me at 713.426.0649
or e-mail at portia@leyendeckerlandscape.com