WELCOME

 

K. P. Soergel and Associates, Inc. has been providing premium landscaping services to the Greater Pittsburgh areas since 1936.

A third generation landscaper, I became a full-fledged member of the family owned business after graduating from Penn State in 1989 with a degree in Landscape Architecture. I brought my talents for stone work and flower gardening to the company; along with a special knack for water gardening

Our specialty is the 
custom design of outdoor living spaces:  I tie all landscaping elements together in one cohesive design, custom tailored to you, your taste and your property. 


I can design and install your perfect setting... Your own paradise, right in your backyard.

Aquascape Owners Manual

February 10, 2021

Landscape Design

February 21, 2015

Landscape Design.  The Oasis Principal

I believe I can improve your life, your attitude, your spirit, and your yard.  By making drastic changes to your environment, I can dramatically improve your mood.  I can bring serenity and excitement to you at the same time.  I can design and build you a vibrant and exciting waterfall only steps away from a quiet patio, with a fireplace, overlooking a tranquil pond and flower gardens.

                 Oasis is a lush, vibrant, life giving garden in the desert.  Just as many oasis are hard to find, my gardens are private retreats built for discerning clients and their special guests  My gardens are life giving in the suburban jungle.  You will find your family getting closer as you get back to nature in your outdoor living room.  I use water, plants, stone, flowers, wood and earth as my medium.  My goal is to make you happy.  I try to build the best gardens and landscapes as well as lasting relationships with satisfied customers.

If you believe as I do that a well designed landscape and water garden can bring peace, tranquility, healing, happiness and serenity, then I offer you my Complete Landscape Design Sketch Plan.  Design services begin with a free consultation at my office.  Call for an appointment.  I will show you display gardens, a video portfolio, pictures, and sample plans.  We will discuss your tastes, style, landscape needs, and get to know each other.  Please bring a site survey, satellite photo, and pictures of your yard.  I will explain the steps involved in the design process.  If you wish to continue and I select you as a client, then a design fee will be paid.  

Sketch Plan.  Good Design doesn't cost, it pays.  The sketch plan involves three to four meetings at your home, and usually takes about a month.  First, we walk and talk on our First Site Visit about style, intended uses, play space, entertainment needs, quiet space, privacy needs, desirable views, surroundings, growing conditions, topography, drainage, and potential problems.  I synthesize my designs from our discussions and site analysis.  I may draw a few iterations.  I sketch the desired features to accomplish the goals in the most artistic, cohesive and functional ways.  I will present you with alternatives in the design presentation.  You may choose one, or blend features from one and another.  I will help and guide you through this process.  Remember, we are Creating Paradise in your backyard.  The final design is based on the choices agreed upon, and includes budgets.  We can phase the construction if necessary.  A contract will be signed, a deposit made, and work will be scheduled.  We go through all of these steps so there are no surprises, and to assure you that your paradise is just that, Your Paradise.  You have input through the entire process, and changes can be made up to the contract signing. 

The benefits of a sketch plan are you receive a plan we can install all at once or phase in over years, created by a trained professional.  I have a B.S. in Landscape Architecture, 1989, and a lifetime of experience in landscape design, horticulture, construction and maintenance.  The plan is tailored to you, your needs and style, and your properties character.  The sketch Plan is the first step in creating Paradise in your backyard.  Your Escape.

I personally design and install all work.  I am worth the wait.  I take one job at a time, and complete it before moving on.  Call me, Kevin Soergel, at 724 444 7663 (POND) to begin the design process

Creating Paradise, One backyard at a Time!

 


Rainwater Harvest

February 17, 2015

Sustainable, Green Landscaping: Rainwater Harvesting


Rainwater Harvesting means to collect rainwater, usually from roof downspouts,
but also from parking lot drains or storm runoff swales.

The idea is thousands of years old.  But we offer it with a new twist. 

Pipe it to a storage tank, pond, or underground structure.  
Here is where my ideas begin to differ and vastly improve on conventional rainwater harvesting.  Tanks are not the most efficient way to store water.  In tandem there is a lot of wasted space and complicated connections.  A single above ground tank may be the cheapest and easiest way to store water, but they take up space, and true, they're ugly.  Burying tanks solves the ugly problem, but they can pop up out of the ground under groundwater pressure if they are not well anchored.  I like ponds and or 
underground lined storage systems.  Many new commercial buildings in the U.S., Australia, and other countries store storm water under parking lots with modular components.  This new method can replace many of our traditional storm water retention ponds, as seen in every neighborhood and office park and mini mall.  We are beginning to see underground storm water management in new developments as space gets more valuable, and developers see that there is a better looking and more cost effective way of managing storm water.


Filter the water naturally by circulating it through a water garden and natural ecosystem.  
This is the really new and exciting part of Rainwater Harvesting.  I am doing well by the earth and beautifying it at the same time.  By moving the stored water through waterfalls, sediment pools, bogs, and fish and plant areas I am building a complete micro scale water cycle, and cleaning the water.  Have you ever smelled water that has sat in a tank for a few weeks, absent of sunlight?  Storing water is not new.  Using an ecosystem to clean the stored water is brilliant.  Having extra, safe water to use for irrigation and drought relief in this time of water emergencies is priceless. 

Looking at the available big water storage tanks or plastic cisterns that do not add beauty or value to your home or office setting, you probably stopped right there. 

Think again:
With the new RainXchange System, the traditional ways of rainwater harvesting are over.

RainXChange - Rainwater Harvesting

RainXchange contains a recirculating decorative water feature such as a pond or pondless waterfall with a sub-surface rainwater harvest storage system: It collects water that would be lost, stores it discretely, filters and circulates it through natural waterfalls and aquatic plants, and allows the water to be used for irrigation. Storm overflow is into aquifer recharge and rain gardens, instead of storm sewer pipes. We can be self sufficient, free from water bills and use restrictions, and add biodiversity and beauty to our yards.

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