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Build it and They Will Come

September 2008

Over 20 years ago I loaded a lawn mower on my truck and starting mowing lawns to augment my fireman's income. I had no idea that one day I'd be chosen to design the landscaping in the restoration of one of the most prestigious estates in the history of Dallas - The Parks Estate. Built in the roaring twenties on one of the highest perches overlooking the then fledging city of Dallas, this property is a few blocks south of Lakewood Country Club.

GOOGLE "The Parks Estate" + Dallas for a complete history.

In the mid fifties the family donated the property to the YMCA. After 50 years it no longer met the Y's needs. Abandoned, it fell into serious disrepair. Enter Preservation Dallas. They acquired title and put the estate up for bids.

One of my long time super satisfied customers was very interested. So, I was privileged to be on the team that would prepare their bid. Most things for auction go the highest bidder. Focus on PRESERVATION. The property would be awarded to the bidder who'd restore the property to its former grandeur and put it to the best use. I'm pleased to say that our landscaping plan played a big part in tipping the scale in my clients' favor.

In particular, adhering to my philosophy - restore, reuse, recycle, we came up with solutions for two major 'problems' - a freestanding gymnasium and an Olympic size pool that had been installed by the YMCA.

On my first inspection, I noted an elaborate drain system and thought, "Let's not tear out that pool and send the debris to the landfill. Let's modify the drain system to funnel rain water into it - a ready-made 45,000 gallon cistern." My client really liked that idea. And so did Preservation Dallas. And, with the gymnasium torn down, its concrete pad became a major rainwater collection site. Someday we may erect a small greenhouse on part of that pad.

I was put in charge of everything outside the house. At first I felt a bit overwhelmed. So I brought in some consultants expecting them to come up with all the answers. It didn't take long to figure out that the only question they could answer were "How can we make this more complicated?" and "How can we spend more of our clients' money?" So it was consultants out and common sense Ron in.

One of the first tasks was to cap the pool and cover it over with several feet of fill. The homeowner was a bit concerned when he saw that the 'fill' included rocks, bricks and chucks of concrete. I explained that solid soil doesn't drain as well and over time will settle by about a third. A mixture of materials comes closer to simulating nature.

Our next project was the koi pond. I brought in a specialist, Jim the Pond Man. I worked with him on a design that would take the maximum advantage of rain water. He wasn't sure at first, but I'll bet he'll use more rain water in the future. It normally takes about two weeks for the water in a new pond to stabilize - to reach the point where it's safe for fish. Our pond was creature friendly from day one. Within 24 hours we had little tadpoles and within a week we were able to stock it with koi. And, they must be happy. No fish has died and we've already had three batches of offspring. You might think that a pond would equate to mosquitoes. It is quite the opposite. It attracted dragon flies, birds and other insect eaters. There is a notable absence of mosquitoes. But, I had a hard time getting the rest of my work done because I was enjoying watching all the fish.

Actually, I was dreading the next step - installing all the plants and turf during the fifth hottest June on record. I kept thinking, "All these plants are going to die and I'm going to look like a miserable fool." But, I hadn't taken the rain water into account. It made all the difference. Only one plant died - a desert willow that we planted too close to the pond where it was too moist. I admit that I took care to properly prepare the soil. And I worked hard to select healthy plants. I even drove to the sod farm to have the sod cut and loaded directly on my truck. It was all worth it.

Build it and they will come. When Preservation Dallas held the grand reintroduction in late July several hundred people were there to appreciate the transformation. And, thousands and thousands of others will get to appreciate our work. HGTV showed up to film an episode of House Hunters to air next February. Man and nature can coexist and produce a landscape that will be exciting, enchanting and exhilarating. And that's exactly what I saw in my clients'. As every phase of the project was completed they were excited, enchanted and exhilarated. YES!