Urban Landscape

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Many people enjoy looking at trees, using photos of them as desktop backgrounds, or even occasionally planting one on Arbor Day (or when Keep Indianapolis Beautiful hosts a community tree planting in your neighborhood). While the general opinion is in favor of trees, we are sometimes hesitant to have them in urban or suburban settings near our homes and streets because we're intimidated by the damage they can cause or the effort they can require to maintain. In reality, a properly chosen and placed tree requires little maintenance after establishment.

Make It Pop with Color

Make It Pop with Color

We pride ourselves in being able to make the best creative and functional use of small spaces, and this project in downtown Indianapolis really pushed us to our limits. At just 950 square feet, this may be the smallest back yard we have ever designed, and the front planting beds are even more limited. Our goal was to bring out the character of the house and the homeowners while getting the best use out of every square foot of horizontal and vertical space.

Landscape as Art

Landscape as Art

We approach all of our designs from an artistic perspective, but on this Herron Morton neighborhood project, we viewed the ground as our canvas for blocks of texture, color, shape, and even sound. As is typical in Indy’s near northside neighborhoods, space was tight, and all areas needed to be tightly managed to make the outdoor space as usable as possible while still making visual sense.

Designing to Remember: The 9/11 Memorial Plaza

Designing to Remember: The 9/11 Memorial Plaza

Landscape architects can play a pivotal role in helping us remember triumph and tragedy in the form of memorials, monuments, and outdoor places for reflection. In honor of the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, we'll take a look at the design of the National 9/11 Memorial, designed by architect Michael Arad and landscape architect Peter Walker and think about how it helps residents and visitors in New York City remember the past while looking forward to the future.

Small Space, Big Impact

Small Space, Big Impact

We love this project because we feel it exemplifies our mission statement to a tee. This is the home of a young family who needed to simplify and update their outdoor spaces. The front had been long over-grown, and steps were starting to crumble. Almost the entire back yard was covered by a rapidly aging deck that was a major safety concern, and their young children needed a better space to play.

Indiana Flower & Patio Show Through the Years

Indiana Flower & Patio Show Through the Years

The Flower & Patio Show is right around the corner! We start construction next week, and the show opens March 11th. We've made a habit of pushing the traditional boundaries of landscape design and doing something new and unique each year. In preparation for the reveal of this year's design, we're going to review our designs from the past six years and end with a hint about this year. Click on any image to see it larger.

Got any weekend plans?

Got any weekend plans?

There's no shortage of awesome events in Indianapolis this coming weekend, September 10-11. I think I heard five different festivals advertising on the radio earlier. So if you're trying to narrow down your options, the team here at 317Grow has a few recommendations. Saturday is the 50th annual Penrod Arts Fair, and we're excited to be a sponsor this year! Also known as "Indiana's Nicest Day", Penrod showcases artists, musicians, and performing artists from across the country (along with plenty of local food and drinks) in a day-long celebration of the arts in our community.

Downtown Indy's Urban Oasis

Downtown Indy's Urban Oasis

Limited space downtown can leave you feeling a little claustrophobic and in need of a place of rest and rejuvenation. We worked with one client to turn the back yard of their recently updated new home in downtown Indianapolis into a haven of peace with modern design and exquisite detail. You won't believe the transformation of this urban landscape design. 

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

Top 10 Benefits of Urban Trees

We love trees! Many people enjoy looking at trees, using photos of them as desktop backgrounds, or even occasionally planting one on arbor day. Urban trees are important because they provide tremendous benefits to our environment, communities, health, and even economy. Below are just 10 benefits of urban trees.

2016 Indiana Flower & Patio Show: Simple. Sophistication.

2016 Indiana Flower & Patio Show: Simple. Sophistication.

This year's Indiana Flower and Patio theme is Tall, Dark, and Awesome. Our garden seeks to meet this theme in a minimalist yet visually striking way. It often seems like designs at the Flower and Patio Show are a contest to see who can create the biggest, most outrageous design possible. But this year we're taking it back to the basics. We are known in Indianapolis for creating and maintaining landscapes that are simple and clean, yet original and stunning, and we want to showcase that in this year's design.

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