Installation
Patricia Ceglia installs multi-functional landscapes in the mid-Atlantic region. With her supervision, her crew, or yours, will construct and plant edible, native, and ornamental landscapes; swales and terraces; and insectory and forest gardens.
Terraced Rain-scape at Bryn Gweled Southampton, Pennsylvania
This landscape was installed in 3 days by 3 people.
- Slope contours were marked with an A-frame level to locate a series of 4 swales.
- Stone from a previous, failed stormwater control effort were recycled as fill for the swales.
- Planting beds were prepared below each swale with compost.
- Fallen logs, gathered from the site's woodland, were used to retain the beds.
- Native shrubs and flowers, and fruit trees and berries were planted, then mulched with last year's composted leaf litter.
Terraced Rain-scape at Bryn Gweled - Project Description
Hillside Rain-scape Towson, Maryland
Site - This steep slope sends stormwater downhill to the homeowner’s patio and perennial flower beds after rain storms. Since the water is running off, rather than soaking in, and exposed to full sun, the slope is dry and dead most of the year. This landscape was installed in the fall to give trees, shrubs and plants a chance to establish their roots over the winter.
Vision - The objective was to dry out the ground at the bottom of the hill and to get something to grow on its barren slope.
Design
- The hillside was terraced with swales and planting beds of native understory trees and shrubs to extend the forest above. The swales double as pathways for occasional access.
- Native groundcovers, flowering perennials and daffodils suppress weeds.
Installation
- Swales were located on contour with an A-frame level, then dug by hand with a pick ax and filled with wood chips.
- Compost and shredded leaf mulch nourish and protect the soil and plants.
Outcome - While providing habitat for beneficial insects, and a showy vista from the patio, this functional installation creates a transition between the native forest at the perimeter of the yard and the ornamental flower beds close to the house.