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This project was done in phases over four years. The initial design and installation was for an entrance monument to compliment the church’s new park-style building in its prairie setting. A few years later, a second access road was constructed, requiring another entrance monument. Also at that time, the original parking lot islands needed plantings to reflect the prairie theme and invite visitors into the building.
One goal of the project was to create lasting, beautiful entrance monuments that reflect God’s glory and majesty throughout the seasons. Weathered-edge Chilton outcropping stone was selected by us and approved by the client. The first monument gently slopes toward the church facility, visually drawing people toward the parking area. The second, selected for its massive size (8’ X 14’), can be seen at a distance from a busy road. Water features are incorporated as symbols of the “living water” of Jesus Christ. The plant selections tie the monuments, parking islands and wildflower prairies together.
Another goal was to incorporate bold, flowing landscape beds into the parking islands to provide relief from the surrounding paving. Serving as a visual connection to the surrounding wildflower prairie, they also draw visitors to the front door. The curving walkways are adorned on each side with flowing perennial grasses, fragrant shrub roses, and long-blooming perennials. A combination of birch, oak and maple trees provide scale and depth to the parking area as well as future shade for vehicles. All island areas contain similar plants in bold groupings, providing continuity and consistency.
Installing the entrance monuments was challenging. Although cranes were used to set the lettered stone monuments on their footings, each surrounding wall stone had to be individually placed with a loader. Some of the outcropping stones weigh over 1500 pounds! It was a chore to gently set them in place against the rubber liner which zigzags between the stone layers to prevent any leaks within the waterfalls. Water lines and high/low voltage wires, installed before the wall stone, had to be protected and avoided throughout the project. The ponds had to be built after the walls, but, because we used one seamless liner, the rubber had to be installed under the walls and rolled up in front of the wall during construction. Perhaps the greatest challenge came with the second monument. As we prepared to install the walls and pond around the newly installed monument, we realized the survey crew had used the incorrect scale and therefore the monument was closer to the setback lines than planned. We quickly modified the plans by relocating the walls, and shifting the pond and planting areas over approximately twenty feet.
In comparison to the entrance monuments, the installation of the plantings within the parking islands was relatively easy. Substantial quantities of soil amendments were tilled into the existing soil. One hundred and sixty-eight yards of custom soil, 560 pounds of Mycorrhizae inoculum and 265 pounds of slow release fertilizer have helped the plants thrive. We planted over 1300 plants and used approximately 150 yards of mulch. Our team worked 7 days on the first monument, 10 days on the parking lot plantings and 23 days on the larger monument. And on the Sabbath we rested.
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