Maxedon Landscaping Articles
Lakefront Landscaping by Tony Huffman on September 6, 2017
As the cool morning air gave way to that sticky August heat, the attention of fishermen retiring from their crappie holes was pulled from the water to the shoreline of Lake Mattoon. Truly a sight to behold, heads turned to the home of Ron and Tami Diepholz, which has made its presence known despite being nestled within a sleepy cove off the main body of the lake.
The longtime lake residents have spent recent years demolishing their old A-Frame and constructing a stunning home. The Diepholz family tasked the talented crews of Maxedon Outdoor Solutions with putting the final brush strokes on a masterfully crafted lake house.
Work on the property nearly ran the gambit of what the nearly 50-year-old landscaping company can provide. Starting from the lake to the home, the land has been sculpted to fit the needs of the outdoor oriented family. The area out the back door of their walkout basement hosts retaining walls from a newly offered specialty retaining wall product. The wall product came from a high-end product supplier that uses a cast to create a block that looks like a natural wall, while offering a symmetrical sized block for superior retention. The final product was a wall that might best be described as a thoroughbred, because it is as beautiful as it is sturdy.
That same product was used to create planting beds and accents between their walkout and the beach area. Like the wall, steps built right into the hillside are pre-cast to look natural, while providing a sure footing when walking to the water. Those steps, which were placed with a skid loader, will provide a sturdy pathway for years to come.
The longtime lake residents have spent recent years demolishing their old A-Frame and constructing a stunning home. The Diepholz family tasked the talented crews of Maxedon Outdoor Solutions with putting the final brush strokes on a masterfully crafted lake house.
Work on the property nearly ran the gambit of what the nearly 50-year-old landscaping company can provide. Starting from the lake to the home, the land has been sculpted to fit the needs of the outdoor oriented family. The area out the back door of their walkout basement hosts retaining walls from a newly offered specialty retaining wall product. The wall product came from a high-end product supplier that uses a cast to create a block that looks like a natural wall, while offering a symmetrical sized block for superior retention. The final product was a wall that might best be described as a thoroughbred, because it is as beautiful as it is sturdy.
That same product was used to create planting beds and accents between their walkout and the beach area. Like the wall, steps built right into the hillside are pre-cast to look natural, while providing a sure footing when walking to the water. Those steps, which were placed with a skid loader, will provide a sturdy pathway for years to come.
The landscaping around the home was strategically designed to match the natural theme of the home. Flagstone accents and bump outs add character to the curb appeal of the home. Block edging wraps the home to ensure the rock will stay within the plant beds. Plantings also mirror the natural layout of the home. They host a variety of clustered dwarfed grasses, ornamental perennial shrubs and flowers. The appropriately placed perennials will demand little maintenance outside of some occasional trimming.
The final touches of the landscape included an irrigation system and sodding for an immediate “wow” factor. Sod can be a chore without the irrigation system, but because the Diepholz family decided to utilize an irrigation system, the sod will thrive with little attention. Also, there will be minimal costs to running the irrigation system and a lessened environmental impact because the water is drawn off Lake Mattoon.
Overall, the head turning project really underscores some simple facts. The Diepholz property turned out to be a beautiful accomplishment in landscape design and installation. That was achieved by a company with a great deal of longevity with employees and a design team with decades of experience. If what you've read here isn’t enough and the pictures don’t quite do it justice, look to the shore line on your next visit to Lake Mattoon.
Hope to see you outside,
Tony Huffman, Landscape Designer & Manager
The final touches of the landscape included an irrigation system and sodding for an immediate “wow” factor. Sod can be a chore without the irrigation system, but because the Diepholz family decided to utilize an irrigation system, the sod will thrive with little attention. Also, there will be minimal costs to running the irrigation system and a lessened environmental impact because the water is drawn off Lake Mattoon.
Overall, the head turning project really underscores some simple facts. The Diepholz property turned out to be a beautiful accomplishment in landscape design and installation. That was achieved by a company with a great deal of longevity with employees and a design team with decades of experience. If what you've read here isn’t enough and the pictures don’t quite do it justice, look to the shore line on your next visit to Lake Mattoon.
Hope to see you outside,
Tony Huffman, Landscape Designer & Manager