Planted Earth celebrates the reception of the 2019 National Association of Landscape Professionals Awards of Excellence for Baltimore County Residence and Chesterfield Place Residence. The success of each project has only been made possible through the meld of meticulous design, positive client relations, and the highest possible craftsmanship.
Baltimore County Residence is a renowned modern landscape with a woodsy palette informed by the surrounding forest area. Now a picture-perfect meditation on stillness and quietude, one might never suspect that the 14-month project was born out of the painstaking effort to rebuild in the wake of a tragedy. After their home of 22 years burnt down in an electrical fire, the clients set out to construct their new home with a vision that would evoke the history of the charred land. The new building, clad in dark slate, ‘shou sugi ban’ charred cedar, and corten weathering steel now rests in the midst of a contemplative outdoor living space designed by Campion Hruby Landscape Architects and installed in its entirety by Planted Earth Landscaping, Inc.
Planted Earth acted as the general contractor for the job’s installation, managing subcontracts for nearly every trade imaginable. From plumbing running to the pool and fountains, to hardscapes, to the outdoor gas kitchen, to lighting and irrigation, Planted Earth oversaw and directed the complete transformation of the site. Now two years later, our clients still enjoy a full-service management contract for landscape maintenance that includes horticultural pruning, turf care, integrated pest management, and lighting and irrigation management, among other supplemental services. With so many moving parts, the project’s success to this day depends on superior contract management by experienced professionals with the refined skills and know-how to attain the highest quality work at every step.
Chesterfield Place Residence is the result of one couple’s desire for a more modern living space that better reflected their personal style and vision for their home. With renovations to the house already underway, Campion Hruby again called in Planted Earth to begin rebuilding the landscape. The project consisted of complex stormwater management installation, swimming pool construction, paving, deck construction, green roof installation, and extensive plantings.
Now more than three years since the project’s initiation, clean lines of timeless boxwood (Buxus spp.) and arching perennial grasses complement the classic colonial-style home. Oversized bluestone pavers and an infinity pool with an attached hot tub, wading area, and cool spa give the residence a contemporary feel, while rich Ipe decking overlooking a woodland garden that flows into the surrounding landscape of Rock Creek Park provides a sense of seclusion and refuge from the hustle and bustle of the capital city.
The most challenging aspect of the build was limited access to the jobsite. The rear garden sits approximately 12 feet lower than the front of the property, posing great difficulty to the laborers who were tasked with transferring materials down the slope and through the adjoining property—materials including oversized, three-inch-thick bluestone pavers. At Planted Earth, however, we pride ourselves on our innovation and resourcefulness, and we stop at nothing to get the job done. After scrupulous logistics planning, extensive manual labor, and quite a bit of creative problem solving, our clients finally have an incredible view that resonates with the dream home they had envisaged for their family.
