INSPIRE
LANDSCAPE A R C H I T EC T ’S JOURNAL KING LANDSCAPING ATLANTA LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT ERIC KING GIVES FAMILIES A MORE CREATIVE—AND SUSTAINABLE—WAY TO PLAY as plants, trees, varying terrain and water to encourage climbing, balancing and building while using creativity and imagination. “You can buy a play fort anywhere, but we can get them something truly unique,” says Eric. “When there’s a slope we can install an in-ground slide. If we find downed trees, we create balance beams or use stumps as steppingstones. We’ve installed a lot of horizontal climbing walls with ninja lines or we may take a spot under a shady tree and create a secret hideout.”
THE LOWER THE MAINTENANCE, THE LESS THE CARBON FOOTPRINT AND THE MORE SUSTAINABLE IT IS
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or many homeowners, green grass is what makes the picture-perfect American lawn. But for his clients, Eric King is trying to change the needle just slightly. “This is America, and we will never get rid of our lawns,” he says. “But we need to have less—lawns are completely unsustainable. Green grass means chemicals and mowing, things that aren’t good for the environment.” King Landscaping has been introducing its clients to more natural spaces, from butterfly gardens and stone patios with firepits to play areas for children. Eric integrates the natural components of his clients’ backyards into a place to play and learn. His spaces take advantage of physical components such
Not only are the spaces creative, more eco-friendly and require less maintenance, they cost about half the price of a formal landscape and are much faster to install. According to Eric, renovating a natural woodland area can cost $10,000 to $20,000 in a suburban area like Atlanta while some of his formal landscapes cost from $25,000 to $50,000. His natural play areas have ranged from 5,000 sq ft to 20,000 sq ft.
32 Pro Landscaper USA South March/April 2021
south.prolandscaperusa.com
