Springtime at Martin Shaw, LLC Landscape Design & Construction
By Michelle Garling
By now we have all heard the term ‘outdoor room’ used, but few understand the correlation between a clean, comfortable home and the nature which surrounds it. Sharon A. Shaw, owner of Martin Shaw, LLC Landscape Design & Construction is a landscape designer and writer with a degree in Ornamental horticulture, who has been creating outdoor living spaces for clients in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for over twelve years.
Sharon grew up working on her fathers’ tree farm where she enjoyed both working outdoors with nature and pursuing more artistic activities. She says “I have always loved drawing, crafting and writing.” Sharon continues to combine her passion for art, craft and nature by working with clients to create beautiful gardens and build functional landscapes. “Women have a particular talent for decorating & design,” she says “We understand how a family will use a space and know what features are important to an outdoor room.”
Her work has received a PLNA award and been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Sharon also enjoys sharing her knowledge of design. She has written articles that have been published in the Philadelphia Business Journal, Philadelphia Style and has broadcast on WDIY radio. An active member of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, Sharon serves as chairperson of the Bucks Beautiful Garden Fair Committee which co-ordinates the organizations springtime fundraiser. She says “Giving back to the community is a responsibility I feel strongly about.” Sharon has also been active in establishing volunteer run community gardens which donate produce to area soup kitchens and food pantries.
Her company, Martin Shaw, LLC provides landscape care and maintenance, including spring clean-up and mulch, as well as design and construction of patios, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces and gardens. Spring maintenance is a popular service this time of year. For more involved projects Sharon asks her prospective clients to fill out a questionnaire that helps her understand their style, wants and needs for the landscape. “When I design, I think about how the family will experience the space,” she says, “Things like; how easy it will be to get from the home to the grill with a plate of food, if they can easily see the children playing while indoors and what their view will be in the winter.”
Sharon explains that by dividing a large yard into a series of separate areas, distinct outdoor rooms can be created for a variety of activities including cooking, dining, or reading. Like any other room, the outdoor room is composed of four walls, a ceiling and a floor which define it from the rest of the yard, though in a landscape they are created with plants, stone and structures. Martin Shaw, LLC builds with a variety of materials to accomplish these effects, including dry laid and masonry stone, trees, shrubs and flowers. Sharon says, “Just as indoors, there are many styles, colors, textures and accessories to choose from when creating an outdoor room.”
Also like a home, the landscape can benefit from a good spring cleaning. Heavy winter snow, ice and wind can damage trees and shrubs. Pruning removes these broken branches while improving the shape and controlling the size of the plant. Debris such as leaves twigs and the remains of last years’ flowers should be removed from the garden and a fresh layer of mulch applied. Mulch not only looks great, it also helps to discourage weed growth, retains moisture and may improve the soil over time. Growing plants need proper soil nutrition to produce lush foliage and colorful blooms. Plants will benefit from regular mulching and fertilization, but what many people don’t realize is that too much of a good thing can be harmful. Mulch build-up can smother perennials, allow pest and disease to damage trees and deplete soil nutrients, while over-fertilization can damage tender roots and buds.
Professional landscape maintenance is not just a matter of convenience, Sharon points out that the knowledge and experience of a trained landscaper can be crucial to the health and appearance of your garden. Martin Shaw, LLC landscape manager, Barry Martin says “We inspect the health and development of plants when we are on-site in order to ensure the landscape matures as we envisioned.” He advises selecting high quality, large sized plants and placing them appropriately for their growth. Barry also suggests using classic materials and proper construction methods that will create a landscape which looks great and functions well. “A correctly built patio is designed to endure years of use.” He adds that, “The most successful landscape is one you don’t have to worry about.”
Sharon believes in educating her clients so that they can get the most from their landscapes. She strives to maintain and an on-going relationship that includes good communication. The Martin Shaw, LLC website provides detailed information on care, while the blog and facebook site Sharon maintains keeps visitors up to date on local events and educational articles with helpful links that she shares.
www.martinshawllc.com
Bucks County:
PO Box 18 Furlong, PA 18925 (215)-550-5730
Main Line:
PO Box 898 Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 (610)-990-6610
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