Garden Archives | Marek Landscaping

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum Garden Restoration

Megan Foley — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:56:00 +0000

The Villa Terrace Decorative Art Museum, operated by the Milwaukee County War Memorial Foundation, is the former residence of Lloyd Smith of A.O. Smith. The garden was originally designed by Rose Standish Nichols in collaboration with the Villa’s architect David Adler. Marek Landscaping completed the restoration of the garding, including: restoring & constructing all stone walkways, patios, steps, & dry-stacked walls; regrading & planting the terraced slope and lower garden; relocating, storing, & replacing statues; restoring the water stairway and fish pond; restoring fountains; placing stone benches, pots, and garden ornaments; designing & constructing entrance walkway; assisting the lighting design & installation; installing on-site utilities; installing the wrought iron fence; assisting the installation of the wrought-iron Neptune gate; and installing all the plants. Marek Landscaping also worked with garden volunteers, prepared and coordinated for the garden’s opening celebration, prepared the maintenance plans & specifications, and prepared the as-built plans.

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Tippecanoe Library Renovation

Amber Shesler — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 19:45:39 +0000

In 2015, the Milwaukee Public Library System’s Tippecanoe Branch had its first major renovation since it was first built in 1969. The branch was modernized to offer the latest technology as well as updated departments. In addition to the interior improvements, the property’s exterior was also improved. Marek worked as part of a multidisciplinary design team led by architectural firm Engberg Anderson to provide landscape architecture services for the complete renovation of Tippecanoe Library. Components of the new design include permeable pavers, two bioswales that control stormwater on-site, a story garden, a community vegetable garden, a West Pocket park, a bus stop plaza, and terrace trees. Drought- and urban-tolerant prairie plants and Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) were chosen for changing seasonal interest and the ability to adapt to the often harsh conditions of a built environment.

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Sunken Patio and Black Locust Climbing Wall

Marek_Katie — Thu, 09 Dec 2021 22:51:06 +0000

Our clients reached out to us looking to add more character and function to their small, urban backyard. To achieve this, we designed and constructed a sunken patio decorated with native plantings to complement their existing pear tree. A custom climbing wall, handmade from black locust wood, was installed to create a unique play space for the clients and their children.

Natural stone stairs lead into the patio space lined with cor-ten steel, floating black locust benches, and two custom cor-ten steel planters. Ten-foot black locust posts were installed in the corners to allow for café-style string lights to be hung. Ten square feet of concrete, which made up much of the original patio, was removed to increase the available planting space. A pattern was cut into the portion of concrete that was not removed to add texture and blend in with the transformed landscape.

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Residential Green Infrastructure Garden

Marek — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 03:28:48 +0000

The client sought to improve stormwater runoff from their residence in Shorewood, Wisconsin. Roof runoff was diverted from the storm sewer into a rain barrel with overflow entering a rain garden.

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Residential Victory Garden

Marek — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 03:23:50 +0000

The homeowners desired a landscape that would stand out while retaining the elegant appearance of their historic home and transform their outdoor space into an extensive vegetable and herb garden. Marek Landscaping made extensive use of Filtrexx, including the formation of raised beds and the creation of a living retaining wall that allows the homeowner to access their herb plantings in the front of the home. The living wall was planted with strawberries. Native plants were used throughout the front and rear yards to provide aesthetic interest and create a sense of privacy on this small urban lot.

This residential installation project in the Northpoint neighborhood highlights some of the innovative products and techniques that are unique to Marek Landscaping.

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