Very Unusual House - Rogue River - Pruning and Odds & Ends

[mdvaden]

Unusual House - Rogue Valley - Pruning and Odds & Ends

A couple months ago, I did pruning in Jacksonville, Oregon for someone. Last week they asked me to come to their other Rogue Valley house. I am not taking over maintenance, but am helping redesign shapes, pruning and consultation for various things. This is one of the largest and most unusual residential properties I have worked on. Normally I do not look for shearing and topiary work, but am doing some for the work and challenge of helping upgrade the look. The lines of a hedge can make or break appearances.

This is look of the entire place approaching up the driveway, and the slate driveway in front.

 

[mdvaden]

The Wisteria grew so low, it almost took ducking, so I raised it just a little for headroom. More can be cut later, this is just a start. There are 5 such arbors supporting Wisteria around the house. As soon as the foliage was raised, the excellent views from the driveway became more apparent.

 

[mdvaden]

The pool area has some very nice 40 foot Italian Cypress, but the ones by this walk were a bit scraggly and small. The homeowner asked if I could shape them into an arch, which I tested yesterday on a single pair. It worked, so I did the other 5 pairs this afternoon and did a phase-one shearing. It will take another year, but it looks pretty good so far.

The dead Arborvitae are not my work. They will probably be replaced in a few weeks. I'm not sure whether that will be something I do, or the workers who often help on the property. Apparently there was an irrigation malfunction that went two weeks without being detected.

 

[mdvaden]

The back corner of the pool area has two Sphinx on marble base. I decided to made the boxwood hedge on the pool side of each one dip lower for a short stretch to add some character and show more of the Sphinx and the base top.

 

[mdvaden]

In the first photo I posted, an amphitheater can be seen on the hill. It probably seats 150 to 200 people. Here is a closer look. The only thing I may do around this feature is design consultation or planting on the hill to the side for some color or character.

 

[mdvaden]

These are the taller Italian Cypress. They only need minor pruning for a few tweaked twigs. The top of the huge golden statue is about 25 feet above the pool deck. At night, flames rise from the pan or dish held in the hands.

The pool is also rigged to pump it's 80,000 gallons for firefighting. There is a hose connection to the left of the statue. And behind where this shot was taken, a big nozzle is mounted on a swivel to blast the hillside below if flames burn up the mulch or grass in summer.

 

[MasterBlaster]

 

[mdvaden]

The front entry has two white Sphinx-like statues, one on each side. Same situation, the dead Arbs will be replaced. I recommended digging a trench and doubling the planting for a more solid hedge.

Whichever person was shearing before, missed one aspect or another when cutting. If they kept the height even, the hedge width was uneven. If the ground elevation changed, they kept the hedge height the same above ground making the top dip or rise. A hedge top around a place like this must be kept somewhat straight and the ground should be ignored if the grade dips. So I will be be making corrections to all the hedges for width, shape and height. Shearing is one of my least favorite cutting tasks. But the location of this residence is very peaceful and makes up for it. The homeowners are friendly and appreciative too.

 

[mdvaden]

This is a Koi Pond water feature. And I think it will look more adapted when it is fixed, planted around, and running. I noticed some stairs going into the Earth yesterday and asked. There is a small room beneath the foreground, with an underground window to view swimming Koi. During parties, people can take drinks or food and go down to visit and watch the fish.

The huge mask or whatever it's called, is about 40 inches tall, so its rather large.

 

[Tree09]

Some beautiful stuff. Must be nice to have so much money that they can't figure out a way to spend it all lol

 

[Jonny]

What a beautiful property! No hedge maze?
Your work looks good man! How'd you secure the cypress into arches, thinner manilla rope?

 

[flushcut]

Somebody has a lot of dough $.

 

[Raj]

Nice work!

 

[frans]

When you curve trees into an arch, is that termed pleachimg?

 

[MasterBlaster]

According to Google, yes.

 

[mdvaden]

What a beautiful property! No hedge maze?
Your work looks good man! How'd you secure the cypress into arches, thinner manilla rope?

This was the day before yesterday when I tested a pair to see if they would bend enough, and without breaking. I did use manilla rope, 1/2 inch. Since these won't be grafted, I figured a rope that eventually rots, and then thread a few more strands every couple years is the way to go. I used two ropes and pulleys on this one. But yesterday found a way to do with with a single rope. On 4 of them I used a few feet of 3/4 inch conduit because the overlap was not much.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That is one interesting project!!!

 

[gf beranek]

That's far more than I would ever want or need. Almost too much.

 

[mdvaden]

This is the largest of the four houses, all within a minute or two of each other. Among other pruning like Japanese maple and more shearing. I started to tackle the few wild hairs on the Italian Cypress.

I'm on the orchard ladder for scale, cutting the twig about 20 feet over my head.

 

[gf beranek]

Off a ladder! You better get yourself tied-in, Mario. Being in the pic does offer a good perspective on scale. Thanks 4 sharing.

 

[mdvaden]

Off a ladder! You better get yourself tied-in, Mario. Being in the pic does offer a good perspective on scale. Thanks 4 sharing.

On something like this, or even shorter 12 foot tall hedges, I point the ladder's top toward the plant. The legs were planted solid, but I like this positioning because the plants limbs inches away to grab for stability. The twig in this one was only 2 lbs.. Had it been 10 lbs., I probably would have skipped it altogether. The location has no access for a lift. I checked out every side for future maintenance needs. So I'm going to suggest they keep refraining from fertilizer and maybe reduce watering about 10%. Italian cypress get oddball twigs the least when they are not fertilized and get bare bones watering needs.

 

[sotc]

Ive been there! Off Evans creek. Crazy place

 

[squisher]

Been there? I was wondering if it was your pad.

 

[mdvaden]

Ive been there! Off Evans creek. Crazy place

The lower farmhouse has some nice old trees too, including the Douglas fir with a 5.6 ft. diameter trunk.

Today's main task was the arborvitae hedge. Everybody pruning it so far has only sheared the top and pool side. Since the back side isn't in view except facing some forest, I gutted the entire back side of all the dead stubs and wads dead foliage. Now a ladder can be placed behind or in front to shear the top. Still needs a few more planted to fill gaps.

Shearing is my least favorite thing to do for pruning. I almost don't think of it as pruning. But when there's an opportunity to improve something, I will give it a go.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That pool looks dirty!