When it rains, where does the water go?
The answer has a significant impact on how a landscape performs. A well-designed landscape doesn’t just move water away. It helps slow rainfall, reduce runoff, support healthy plants, and allow water to soak naturally into the ground.
At BTH, stormwater management is considered from the earliest stages of every landscape design. Whether we’re designing a residential property, commercial campus, hospitality space, or rooftop garden, the goal is to create outdoor environments that are both beautiful and built to perform.
What Is Stormwater?
Stormwater is rainwater or melting snow that flows across hard surfaces such as roofs, sidewalks, driveways, and streets instead of soaking into the soil.
Without proper planning, stormwater can contribute to erosion, standing water, stressed plant material, and increased demand on municipal drainage systems. Landscape design helps manage these challenges by encouraging water to slow down, spread out, and infiltrate the soil whenever appropriate.
Common Stormwater Strategies
Every site is different, but many landscapes combine several techniques to improve drainage and reduce runoff, including:
- Permeable paving
- Rain gardens
- Healthy soils
- Site grading
- Climate-appropriate plant selection
- Subsurface drainage
- Tree pits and planting beds
These elements work together to improve drainage while supporting healthier, more resilient landscapes.
In Practice
At one residential property, BTH installed a permeable pathway system using approximately five cubic yards of pre-stabilized aggregate over a base of roughly 20 cubic yards of clean 3/4-inch gravel. The binder is pre-mixed into the aggregate to create a consistent, durable walking surface, while the gravel base allows rainwater to drain naturally into the ground, helping reduce runoff and standing water.
Designing Landscapes That Perform
Many of the most important decisions in landscape design aren’t immediately visible. The grading beneath the lawn, the materials beneath a pathway, or the soil supporting a planting bed all influence how a landscape responds to rain.
By integrating stormwater strategies into every project, Blondie’s Treehouse creates outdoor spaces that not only look exceptional but continue to perform season after season.
