Landscape Planning and Design in Mountain Environments IS Different! - Part Five

Kings Canyon National Park | Photo by Robie Litchfield

In some ways Landscape Design in warmer climates is similar, but in many ways, it is VERY Different! A number of factors play into the planning and design of mountain landscaping. Following are areas where the differences affect design and planning so that Mountain Landscape Projects can not only survive but thrive.

In Part Five we take a look at some fun Mountain Landscape Appropriate Amenities and Landscape Features and a couple of off the wall items...

What Amenities are Possible?

a couple playing footsie in hot tub — A couple plays footsie in their snow surrounded hot tub/spa

Depending on available space, desires and lifestyles, opportunities could include
- Patios – paved outdoor spaces
- Outdoor cooking – small barbecue to full kitchen
- Eating and Entertaining spaces – these can include outdoor heaters to extend seasonal use options
- Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs/spas – cold plunges too
- Play Courts, Play Fields
- Multi-use turf areas
  - Tennis and Pickleball Courts
  - Gatherings and Events
  - Volleyball and Badminton, small Soccer Pitch
  - Open Play
  - Fire Pits – wood or gas burning
  - Private Spaces for quiet relaxation and contemplation
  - Water Features and Landscape Art
  - Skating Rink – maybe a converted summertime space such as a patio – there are kits available for this
  - Putting Greens, Bocce Courts and other play features
  - Climbing Wall
  - Parking – Accessory Recreational Vehicle
Lifestyle, Budget, and Space will influence the amenity options available on a property as will local HOA and City/Town jurisdictional regulations

Fire Pits are a year- round favorite in the Mountain Landscape – especially if they come with their own maintenance person! Local Fire Jurisdictions may have prohibitions on types of fire pits and/or fire pits in general so know the rules in your area. | Photo and Design - Residence in Truckee, CA – Robie Litchfield

I love Landscape Lighting – can I have that in my Mountain Landscape? And what is this I hear about Dark Sky Lighting?

The saying goes “Stars Shine Brighter in Truckee” – and Ketchum for that matter.
The thinner air and lack of ambient lighting from large geographic areas, like cities, helps the night sky be more visible
- When the sky is absolutely uninterrupted, the Milky Way is not just visible but dominant in the summer month sky – the higher the altitude the better its visibility

The Milky Way taken in the High Sierra - Troy Corliss- photo https://troycorliss.smugmug.com/

Dark Sky Ordinances are efforts to keep stary skies visible. Particularly in Mountain Communities Dark Sky Ordinances are becoming more common

Dark Sky Compliant Fixtures shield light from shining beyond a certain plane, most prevent light from emitting past the horizontal, as well as, into neighboring properties preventing light pollution
Light Pollution occurs when light from one property spills over into a neighboring property creating a nuisance
- Classic examples of this situation occur when motion censored flood light shine into neighbors properties or into adjacent street blinding passersby in cars and on foot
- Up-lights, Accent Lighting and any kind of lighting that is directed upward is generally considered light pollution and prohibited under most Dark Sky guidelines

Dark Sky Compliant lighting fixtures direct light toward the ground and prevent illumination above the light protecting the night sky

Some communities require only partial shielding of the top portion of the lamp and others require what is called ‘Full Cutoff’ Shielding to prevent visibility of light from all but the horizontal, walking and driving, plane

Local ordinances are available through local Planning Departments Websites

Can I grow a Lawn?

delux landscaping lawn — Photo: Deanna Neu – DeLux Landscaping – Truckee Tahoe

YES! But with care.
Lawns – aka Turf can perform many functions – multiple uses are encouraged:
- Play and Events
- Dust management
- Temperature and humidity modification
- Aesthetics
- Filter Pollutants when located appropriately
- Wildfire Buffer
- A CAUTION ABOUT FERTILIZER USE
  - Fertilizer use along the shores of Lake Tahoe is prohibited if they contain phosphorus which is responsible of the loss of Lake Tahoe’s famous clarity and growth of algae along its shores.
  - Judicious use of slow release fertilizer should always be practiced near any waterbody to help protect the balance in the aquatic ecosystem environment – see Part Four of this series for more information
Turf areas should be Waterwise
- Waterwise Controllers use local weather conditions to modify operation frequency and duration of station cycles through integrated rain and solar sensors
  - Temperature, recent precipitation, length of daylight and humidity are all factored into computer generated operations
  - Newer Smart Technology has entered the irrigation industry with systems that can be remotely tested and operated from a cell phone
- Water Efficient Systems usually include drip technologies and low flow sprays
- Turf seed mixes comprise grass species that require little water and fertilizer
  - Adding groundcovers, such as clover and creeping charley within grasses helps create a drought tolerant cover, adds visual texture and reduces frequency of mowing
- Waterwise Irrigation Systems aid in water conservation and minimize the likelihood of nutrients washing into adjacent waterways
Fertilizer and Pesticide and Pest Management techniques including type, frequency, time of day and year, and amount used are important things to be aware of when planning application to the landscape
Lawns in Mountain Landscapes are susceptible to damage from burrowing rodents during the winter when you can’t see their activity under the snowpack – this can be a significant maintenance issue, fortunately turf is very resilient and mends fairly quickly in most locations

I have a Lawn but I want to Convert it to a Mountain Meadow – can that be done?

Natural Wildflower Garden - Mokelumne Wilderness, Carson Pass, California

YES! This is a great way to readapt unused turf areas that are just sucking up water, energy and time
There are many benefits to creating a wildflower meadow:
- They provide season long beauty and interest
- Water Conservation – a native meadow is adapted to local conditions and rolls with changes in weather and precipitation once established – usually within three to five growing seasons
- Energy and Maintenance reduction
  - No mowing, no lawn mower, no gas, no fertilizing, little weeding
- They provide habitat for local animals, birds and insects, many of whom have lost critical habitat due to development that encroaches on living, feeding and breeding grounds.
Wildflower Meadows should mimic local native meadows with species of grasses and wildflowers that can adapt to local weather cycles and conditions and similar microclimates to your site
Plant Choices – choose native plants usually available in seed form if not in nursery plants
- Local nurseries are often willing to provide nursery grown stock if enough demand is present, you just need to ask
- Many Native Plants come in pre-mixed formulas also available at local nurseries
- Some Rocky Mountain and Sierra Native Wildflowers that are typically available as container nursery stock include
  - Crimson and Rocky Mountain Columbine
  - Larkspur and Monkshood
  - Blue Flag Iris
  - Various Lupines and Penstemons
  - Hardy Geraniums
  - Scarlet Gilia
  - Blue Flax
  - Asters
  - Mountain Bluebells
  - Forget-me-not
  - AVOID invasive plants like White Yarrow and Oxeye Daisy – they can choke out the others very easily
Conversion Process - the conversion process is a bit labor intensive but well worth it
- Complete removal of existing turf, especially if turf mixes contain Kentucky Bluegrass which spreads by underground tillers and rhizomes that are difficult to catch potentially creating the need to allow a couple of weeks between lawn removal and installing new plants to allow any residual rhizomes time to sprout and remove
- If there is an irrigation system present it could be beneficial to keep for quicker establishment of new planting and seeding, then decommissioned after the meadow is substantially established.
Maintenance Benefits
- Prior to establishment there will be a period of time where undesirable plants can try to take hold – so some weeding will be needed until the good stuff fills in
- Once the meadow is established, very little maintenance should be required save for the occasional sneaky invasive weed that could creep in

I’d like to use Concrete Pavers instead of Asphalt for Paved areas on my site – is that okay?

This is an excellent Idea!
Concrete Pavers are a great paving alternative to Asphalt Concrete, (AC) in Mountain Settings

Concrete pavers provide a durable surface for walks, patios, driveways and parking areas
Advantages to Pavers include:
- They are more DURABLE – the life expectancy of good concrete pavers far outlasts that of asphalt by many years in most cases
- When INSTALLED CORRECTLY, require little to no maintenance.
  - They do not typically crack nor require periodic sealing as does asphalt
  - They can easily be installed with subsurface heating to reduce the need for mechanical snow removal methods
  - The Return on Investment for repair and replacement is exceptional

Permeable Pavers are a form of LID – see Part Four of this series regarding permeable paving
And, best of all, they LOOK Great and provide a quality visual finish to Mountain Landscape and Site Designs.

Can I have Art in my Landscape?

An art installation called ‘Earth Sphere Fountain’ at Kendall Square in Cambridge Massachusetts takes on a life of its own day to day, season to season

Art is a wonderful opportunity for year-round interest as seasons, ice and snow play into visual effects
Art, including stationary and kinetic sculptures, water features, topiary and landform manipulations can enhance the User Experience, provide added interest, express ideology, complement surroundings, educate, encourage play, instigate thought and discussion and much more
Art in the Mountain Landscape must be of durable weather tolerant materials, be mounted and designed (sometimes engineered) to withstand winds, freeze-thaw and potentially heavy snow loads.
In previous Blogs I have shared my feelings about Art in Stormwater Facilities – see my Post “Art and Stormwater Management”
Some of my favorite landscape art has been done by British Artist Andy Goldsworthy who creates landscape art from elements found locally – some permanent, some not-so-permanent but a lot of fun, nonetheless.

What about Those – sometimes - Nasty Pests?

a young moose — BUSTED!! A young moose grazes in a garden in Talkeetna, Alaska – not an unusual sight in the Wood River Valley either - just be careful that Momma isn’t nearby or that you are not situated between them!

I know we all love Bambi and Thumper, just not when they are munching down on our yards – Right?
- I’ve been known to be the neighborhood crazy lady chasing deer out of my yard in an effort to save my precious Daylilies and Annual Flowerpots!
Every Climate has its pests – In the Wood River Region of the Rockies we find:
- Burrowers like Moles, Voles, Gophers, Rabbits and Squirrels
- Certain Birds – Magpies
- Destructive bugs like Aphids, Mites
- Dogs and Cats – Your neighbor’s – not yours
- Deer and Elk
- Moose
- Skunks
Every Climate has its pests – In the Lake Tahoe – Truckee Region of the Sierra Nevada you find:
- Burrowers like Moles, Voles, Gophers, Rabbits, Squirrels and Chipmunks
- Certain Birds - Jays
- Destructive bugs like Aphids, Mites
- Dogs and Cats– Your neighbor’s – not yours
- Deer
- Bear
While we can’t do something about some pests, there are Deterrents and Repellants including physical barriers, traps, organic and chemical applications – though I encourage use of the organic choices unless the problem is severe
Planting pest resistant materials is another option in some cases, for instance, deer typically don’t like Lavender and Daffodils

Thank you for delving into some of the many issues I consider in my design process as a Landscape Architect in the Mountain Environment. I invite you to ask questions, suggest more topics and make comments on my website at ‘Send us a Message’