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for over 30 Years.
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Our clients in Ashton, MD were nearing the end of a two-year renovation of their home interior when they called us to give their deck a facelift. During the first meeting, it became apparent that we were going to be the perfect fit for the client and excitement built.
Within a month, the project escalated to include a:
The plan also had to incorporate an area for a future pool or guest house.
During the discovery stages, we determined that we would need to replace all the doors and windows, as well as the vinyl siding. The landscape plan was to be completed and executed in four phases for budget purposes. We started with the porch construction and before the first stage was done, the client was so excited that they approved the next three stages with only one caveat: it needed to be completed by June 1st.
This luxury backyard in Ashton, MD was completed two weeks in advance and the triplets were in the pool the day it was filled! Normally, we would not enter a project in the first year, but that is what is impressive—the client wanted it to look complete from day one. Most of the pictures you see above were taken one month after completion.
We used only the finest materials for all aspects of this luxury backyard in Ashton, MD. The stone for the walls was chosen from three different quarries so that it would match the stonework on the front of the house.
The patios were built from travertine, with flame torched quarry stone borders. The coping, stair treads, and wall caps were made from two-inch quarry stone that was bull nosed in place and flame torched to restore the natural stone texture.
The plantings are simple and clean to accentuate the linear lines of the design, resulting in an attractive presentation we hope you all will enjoy.
The grade and drainage was the biggest challenge to creating this luxury backyard in Ashton, MD. From the driveway to the lower side of the pool, we had nearly a 12-foot change in grade. Water runoff was coming off the drive and cascading down into the backyard. The drainage from the adjacent property came like a river in a swale that intersected the proposed pool. We attempted to resolve this by building a berm off the end of the driveway to redirect the water, but it soon became obvious that it was not going to be enough.
The upper side of the pool would need a 30-foot raised bound beam so a new swale origin could start above the pool. A retaining wall was also needed, to raise the grade at the end of the pool so that the water could be further directed behind the future pool house. In total, 55 loads of soil were imported to manipulate the grades.
Note that the drains in the upper lawn panel assist in ensuring that no water ends up in the pool.
The second challenge was that the site was fully wooded. Over 65 trees needed to be removed to open up the site and bring light to the pool. An expansive lawn was also installed so the triplets, who are seven, can play.
The third major change was that the structure of the house was nowhere near stable enough to accommodate the addition of the scale. The entire structure was constructed to be freestanding. Careful planning was necessary to install the underground utilities for the pool spa and future pool house; we needed to bring a new mainline into the house to handle the new electrical load.
The pool's location was closer to the driveway and the house due to setbacks from the septic field located directly behind the screened porch. It is hard to grasp the sheer scale of this project. Everything is in grand scale, yet the proportions relative to each other make it work. It took a team of very talented people to make this project happen. We would like to thank them all!
Experience luxury living at its finest with a landscape design by Botanical Decorators. No matter how long your wish list may be, we’ll help you create a backyard oasis like we did for our clients in Ashton, planning out each detail to perfection and implementing them with just as much precision and care.
If you’re ready to discuss your vision for a luxury backyard in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington, D.C. with an experienced landscape designer, schedule your consultation today!