At-Home Athletes

Myatt Landscaping

Diversity can be a key part of a property design. Incorporating a variety of elements can take a project to a higher level and offer more to the client. The elements add meaning and value to the space available. Diversity can also improve the landscape service provided. It enhances things like the building process, equipment used and materials. Overall, diverse spaces can attract new clients and retain old ones. The ability to design, build and maintain diverse spaces is a key skill for any landscaper, and engaging with diverse projects ignites creativity and opportunity.

Diversity is a key element of a North Carolina property that has spanned more than two decades. The team with Myatt Landscaping, based in the Raleigh area, built a space with dozens of unique elements as diverse as the family who enjoys them. For more than 18 years, they have been creating, expanding and improving the site. Among its features: a tennis court, lap pool, putting green and yoga studio. Managing Director Scott Myatt had to recollect years of construction to remember how many elements are featured.

“It is a very interesting project,” he says. “From the tennis courts to the elaborate pool, even just installing plant material … There were at least two major phases, in addition to the ongoing maintenance and smaller projects over the years.”

When the team arrived on the site, the home sat in a roughly open lot with only a few trees and a small driveway. They started their work by building more common yard features like flower beds and entertainment areas. These include an outdoor kitchen with a gas firepit and wood fireplace, a fountain and uniquely designed patio. They planted trees, laid lawns and even installed a formal rose garden. Then they broke ground on the pool, which is multilayered with a waterfall connecting the upper and lower levels. The team used decorative tile to line the bottom and edges and installed a slide with a wraparound staircase and brick embellishments. The team put in crape myrtles and Japanese maples that added color around the pool. In front of the home, they kept a long driveway that was originally a part of the home’s landscape. They laid Belgian block edging around it, though, then redeveloped the lawn and installed trees and shrubs.

Several sports areas also came in phase one. Myatt crews worked with Rhino Sports to create the tennis court, making it a point to allow water to drain from the surface. Myatt then constructed the putting green, adding two sand traps and three pitching areas.

Phase two launched when the clients decided to add a second driveway and more room for the garage. This is where a hot yoga studio and lap pool went in. Myatt installed the lap pool, including its decking and steps. They also worked on the pathway from the main house to the new garage and the second driveway. Finally, they put in the surrounding plant material.

“Roger and his family are very athletic folks,” says Scott. “He was a triathlete for years, his wife and kids also competed competitively. They all loved swimming, playing basketball, tennis and golf. They are just a huge outdoor kind of family. They wanted to bring it all home.”

This isn’t the only project of this size that Scott and his team have taken on, and they’re no strangers to things like putting greens, tennis courts and pools. Scott says this is one of the only ones to combine all elements, but that wasn’t the biggest challenge. The tough part was beneath the surface.

“The soils in this area are not good,” Scott explains. “When this project began, we had to excavate the soil and bring in either new soil or stone, depending on what we were doing. We also had to relocate the septic system and the propane tank, the house’s main heat source. And we completely replaced the house’s well. There were a ton of utilities that had to be moved just to make room to do all this construction.”

The team worked with third-party engineers to test the soil and find out how to correct deficiencies. They helped the landscapers decide what they could keep, what needed to be excavated and replaced and what needed compatible stone. City code enforcement teams also helped.

“It’s a regional thing,” says Scott. “We’ve got five or six different kinds of soils in this area that we have to deal with. It depends on what part of town a property is in, so you never know what you’ll be facing. This house happens to be in a place where if the soil gets wet, it stays wet. Or if it is dry, it gets extremely dry. There’s not an in between.”

For example, shrink-swell clay soils were dug up and replaced with stone fill in the area around the tennis court. This happened near the pool and patios as well. It was a long and pricey process, but well worth it. Since the installation in 2004, the patio and pool areas have not suffered any cracks or damage.

The property has experienced two decades of growth. Growth within itself, growth in the family and growth in the landscape team. Myatt is actually managing the property for a new family now, as the original client sold it once their children grew up. Those grown children now work with Myatt teams on their respective homes. Scott says this is the best part of his job.

“The relationships we have created with the owners after working with them for so many years is very special,” he says. “That probably stands out more to me than anything.”

Scott calls this family and several similar ones “lifers.” They’re in it for life. Even the company’s very first client is still an active customer. Myatt Landscaping won a NALP 2021 Award of Excellence for this project. Many of the company’s residential and commercial properties have been celebrated with similar awards, each designed, built and maintained with expertise and diversity.

Myatt Landscaping

Tel: (919) 577 – 6050

www.myattlandscaping.com