Add RSS FeedPosted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by January 5th, 2012
Happened upon a video showing various flowers in bloom in fast action. Thought it was beautiful and wanted to share it with you. Hope you enjoy!
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by December 20th, 2011
The principal designer of Solena Landscape, Mitch Kalamian, is not only a talented designer of outdoor spaces; he is also an author having penned a guide to smooth the progress of creating the ultimate outdoor paradise.
The guide, entitled “How to Create Your Ultimate Outdoor Paradise: 8 Insider Secrets Every Homeowner Considering Investing in a Major Landscape Project Must Know!”, walks consumers step-by-step through the sometimes-intimidating process of planning a landscaping project. This is a “must-read” for homeowners BEFORE they start the process.
Some of the topics addressed in the guide include:
Homeowners are encouraged to complete a series of worksheets at the back of the guide that address: the planning process, budget, how to choose a new service provider and contracts. Completion of these worksheets will arm homeowners with the information they need to interview designers/contractors with confidence and make the right choices for their project.
The beginning of the year is a great time to start the design process of your landscape project for you to be able to enjoy it by summertime.
If interested in obtaining a copy, please fill out the form in the Bookstore section of our website or click here to go directly to the site. You may also contact us at 714.960.8955 to request a copy.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by December 19th, 2011
With the rain season coming up, thought it prudent to take some time to inform you of the benefits of collecting rainwater for reuse.
While it is easy to turn on the faucet and have clean water to use, by collecting water from nature you will find that your water bill is lowered and your plants healthier. You can easily harvest rainwater by installing a rain chain, a rain barrel or cistern to collect the rainwater. Rain chains are attached to the down spout of the rain gutter and guide the water that gets collected in the rain gutter to a container that has the end of it placed in it. Rain barrels can be as utilitarian as a large garbage can placed in place to catch rain water or as decorative as a faux rock looking barrel. If using a large garbage can, you can attach some sort of spout to the bottom of it to access the water. Cisterns are the most complex of the bunch and may need a handyman/contractor to set one up.
Examples of rain chain, rain barrel and cistern
Harvesting rainwater allows you to not be dependent upon the water provided to you. Rainwater, when collected directly from the sky into a barrel, does not have added chemicals or pollutants, which plants and crops respond better to. Watering your indoor and outdoor plants with soft rainwater promotes growth and health. Also, soil erosion and flooding is reduced as the water is collected in barrels rather than dispersed into the ground that cannot handle the concentration of water.
All in all, this is a simply way to be green without having to expend much effort. If you are interested in having a rain collecting system installed or for more information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by December 12th, 2011
With schedules filling up with holiday events, gifts to plan and purchase and relatives coming in for a visit, the holidays can become a whirlwind of activity and before you know it its the new year with spring right around the corner. As the holidays get into full swing, in the hustle and bustle we forget to be grateful for the little things and be appreciative of the people in our lives. With this in mind, I wanted to take some time to thank the foundation of Solena Landscape. These are the guys who, day in and day out, are in the field, digging, trenching, building, planting and whatever else needs to be done to make sure the project is a masterpiece. They are, in my humble opinion, some of the hardest working guys I have known and am proud to be part of the Solena family with them.
We have added a ‘About the Crew’ section in the newest version of a book we put out titled Distinctive Landscapes of Southern California to thank and acknowledge the hard work and great attitude the crew brings to each and every work day.
Below are pages from the ‘About the Crew’ section.
To see the full page version, please click Distinctive Landscapes- The Crew
Wishing everyone the merriest of holidays!
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by November 18th, 2011
Here are 5 easy tips to landscape smart in your yard:
1.) Use native plant material
With the ever-increasing mindset of living a ‘green’ lifestyle, succulents have become a ‘trendy’ material to use in the yard. Succulents are an easy to care for native plant, requiring not much water to grow. They are surprisingly diverse in color, shape, form, texture and blooms making them a great material to use in both large and small areas.
2.) Capture rainwater to reuse from your rain gutters and downspouts
Place a container or rain barrel underneath the downspout and/or rain gutter and collect rainwater to use to irrigate your yard.
3.) Cut back on watering times
With the weather cooling down, you only need to be watering your lawn 5-7 minutes two times a week and your shrubs once a week.
4.) Mow your lawn every other week throughout the winter
5.) Compost
Applying compost to your yard provides nutrients to the plants and improves drainage and moisture absorption of the soil. It can be applied to your garden, flowerbeds, around trees, and even on your lawn. Start your own compost pile by combining leftover organic material such as: lawn trimming, coffee grounds, banana peels, etc (To find out what materials are and are not good for composting go to the ). Compost is ready when it smells earthy, looks dark, and is relatively crumbly. Be sure to keep your composting pile where animals can’t access it easily.
If you would like more information, please contact us in the office.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by November 1st, 2011
This past week Solena broke ground on the landscaping for the Armenian Church of the Desert in Rancho Mirage. Given my heritage, I am very proud to be a part of this project and am one step closer to seeing the ‘Olive Garden Amphitheater’ that I designed come to fruition. This space would serve as a garden setting for weddings and the annual Kebab Picnic and feature a grape arbor, fruiting Olive trees and a gazebo.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by September 14th, 2011
The homeowners felt that the outdoor space needed to be modified to better suit their family’s needs. The existing back yard was not conducive to them being able to lounge, with no area for the children to play. Watch as Mitch explains the design layout and the thought process behind the design.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by September 7th, 2011
Watch as Mitch explains what goes on during the exciting first day of construction at new project. With a space for a large dining set by a custom fountain, to an elevated living/lounge area with a custom fireplace overlooking the pool and spa.. The design is going to be a Mediterranean style entertainers delight! Currently at the tail end of demolition and in the process of measuring out the plan onsite, to verify best use of space. A lot of times what looks great on paper doesn’t necessarily pan out the same way in real life. Always important to plot out what has been designed in the field to make sure the design is maximizing the space available.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by August 19th, 2011
Maybe you just do not have the room to allow an ornamental vine/hedge to grow to its proper potential, or maybe you’re just looking for a fresh idea to showcase nature’s beautiful flora…whatever the case may be a unique way of highlighting nature’s already beautiful plants is by training shrubs to grow in a standard tree form. Many ornamental shrubs would standout significantly when used in standard tree form to display the beauty of the plants bloom, the bougainvillea vine, for example, maintains a tidy appearance as a standard. Another great plant for this is the hibiscus…
Some tips to get you started:
- Choose a plant that has a strong center support.
- Begin training the plants young. Younger plants grow faster and are more flexible allowing them to be trained to a standard form with less risk of damaging the plant. The first pruning tends to be on the heavier side and can add a lot of stress to the plant. A younger plant can bounce back quicker from this stress.
- Prune the lower branches leaving enough at the top so that the plant is still able to produce enough energy to support itself.
- Stake and tie the center stem to a firmly staked support. This will assist the center stem in growing straight and tall. When the standard plant has matured enough the center stake will not be needed.
- Continue with the pruning. Make sure to keep the center stem clean. Clip the top growth occasionally to encourage growth from the top.
- Keep in mind is that being that the plant is growing from a single stem the standard form is less winter hardy. If plant is grown in a container then you can bring it in inside in the wintertime if you planted in the ground then you should try to insulate the ground in the winter.
Get creative in your garden…you are not limited to the plants that are listed here. Any flowering shrub would work..butterfly bush, lilac, hydrangea..you just need to be patient with the result…good luck and happy gardening!
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
Posted in Landscape and Pool Design - Orange County / LA by August 19th, 2011
We are excited to announce that we will be featuring a weekly blog on interesting plant facts. Every week we will blog about a specific plant that Mitch uses regularly in his designs. The plants are chosen for aesthetic reasons as well as them being able to thrive well in the Southern California climate. Stay tuned to learn more about the beautiful plants that are used in Solena Landscapes projects…
Bougainvillea is bright and ornamental flowering plant with thorny vines that is very suited to growing in Californian climate. They tend to grow best in bright sun and once established require very little water to thrive. If overwatered the plant will not flower and may even die from root decay.
Bougainvillea, being a climbing vine, is ideal for use on walls and along fence lines as well as a hedge. The plant may also be tamed and pruned for use in standard form in containers and hanging baskets.
Fun Fact: Various species of Bougainvillea are the official flowers of Californian cities Laguna Niguel and San Clemente.
Best Regards,
Distinctive Landscapes for the Finest Homes
438 Main Street, Suite #210 | Huntington Beach, CA 92648
PH: 714-960-8955 | FAX: 714-960-8951
info@solenalandscape.com
