In Charleston landscape design, details are important for a number of reasons. Obviously, paying close attention to details is an integral part of harmonizing Charleston area properties with the natural Lowcountry environment…my native, low-maintenance landscape design philosophy. is predicated on the fine details of the unique maritime ecosystem that is the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Similarly, providing details about the ideas that go into my residential landscape design plans helps homeowners understand them and win approval from some of the Charleston area’s most demanding HOAs and government entities.
Within the Charleston area, Mt. Pleasant landscape design can be particularly challenging due to the fact that Mt. Pleasant HOAs and the town of Mt. Pleasant often enforce strict residential landscape design guidelines. Through many years of experience creating residential landscape design plans in Mt. Pleasant, I’ve found that justifying elements by writing about them on the landscape design plans themselves (as I did on the following design plan for a home in the Molasses Creek neighborhood) is the best way to gain approval from these demanding entities.
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For example, the homeowners of this Mt. Pleasant property told me that they wanted an additional parking spot in front of their home…but getting approval from the HOA and the town would be tough. So, on the landscape design plan itself, I noted that:
1) The left side of the front yard wasn’t being used for anything…nearly any new element would improve curb appeal.
2) A landscape centerpiece in the middle of the parking area would further improve curb appeal and distinguish the new area as a turnaround as opposed to a mere “parking spot”. (I took inspiration from the turnarounds located in front of several Charleston area hotels.)
3) The new parking area would be installed in tandem with a reconstruction of the front walkway (which used beautiful natural stones that were unfortunately installed unevenly when the house was built).
Combined, the 3 points of my argument demonstrated that the parking area was a key element in my campaign of improving the curb appeal of this Mt. Pleasant property. It helped the homeowners win approval from the Molasses Creek HOA and the town of Mt. Pleasant, two of the most difficult entities from which to gain approval for a Charleston landscape design.