APLD ~ APLD Members ~ Member of the Month

APLD Members ~ Member of the Month

Beverly Katz, APLD, New Orleans, LA
Featured Member, APLD Website, September 2007

A Katrina Victory

My Home

My old established trees of many years were grey. The house behind me, the one that I could not see, suddenly appeared. Ugh... my fabulous New Orleans Courtyard, a real show place, was completely gone. The side, the rear, the front, yards; not so much as a blade of grass remained.

All around my neighborhood, grey everywhere, limbs and trees down, it looked like a bomb hit the area. Fifteen feet of water stood outside my street and neighborhood for three weeks. Six to seven feet found its way into my home. Two thousand square feet of office space, with its files, furniture, computers, and landscape accessories gone; not to mention years of photos and slides, an extensive library, notes on a future book and personal belongings also totally destroyed.

After installation, and with much nurturing, I now have a lovely lawn. Needing an instant garden retreat, for therapeutic reasons, I chose Ligustrum Trees and Savannah Holly Tress that are 10'- 12' tall. Where once there was bare earth there are now Encore Azaleas blooming all growing season. Cleyera, perennials and annuals, in complimentary colors to my newly painted lavender home are thriving. The front and rear gardens are lush and beautiful again. The office is still empty, but my web site is up and running, and so am I.

The Snyder Property: The Extended Rear Yard

Snyder Residence The Snyder's bought a lovely home that had a swimming pool approximately seven feet from the solarium door at the rear of the house. The pool had five feet of flagstone on two sides and eighteen inches of flagstone along the back of the pool.

They demolished the house that they purchased on the lot behind their home and called on me to design and build a back yard that would have a large lawn, gardens and an arbor for shade that would be constructed over the extended hard surface. A small walkway would lead you to a large hard surface for sun bathing and a step up to a shaded area for dining.

Savannah Holly Trees, Black Ligustrum Shrubs, and Crape Myrtle Trees would be used for screening. Southern plants; Camellia, Sasanqua, perennials and annuals, in season, along with a touch of tropicals, would be planted throughout the garden.

The project was completed during the summer of 2005, prior to Hurricane Katrina. I am proud to say that the large property inside the fence was hardly touched by the winds; the fence however was blown away.

The Gobe Property: My specialty is New Orleans Courtyards and Pools

gobe Property I had maintained this property for three previous owners; the fourth had visions that their new home could have a wonderful New Orleans Courtyard with a pool and lush gardens. The yard was an empty slate, an awkward shape with serious drainage problems, a real designer's challenge.

Southern plant materials set the theme: Camellias, Azaleas, Sweet Olive, Sasanquas. Savannah Holly Trees were located where tall screening was needed, along with Japanese Yew Shrubs. A profusion of color was scattered throughout the landscape by planting Grape Hibiscus Trees, Red Japanese Maple Trees, Hydrangea, annuals in season and perennials. After careful study the drainage issue was solved by installing a sub-surface drainage system that carried the water to the street.

The design, hard surfaces, the pool and most plants were in place prior to Hurricane Katrina. All but a few plants withstood the ravishing winds and water and very little was actually replaced after the storm. Within six months we were showing this property to potential clients; a good example of how proper planning, construction, and plant choices can weather the worst of storms.

The Flores Property: A Garden Retreat

This Frank Lloyd Wright style home had a yard that was an empty slate. I was requested to design a garden in the style of the Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

A tranquil retreat was created for these busy professionals by construction of a Gazebo, installation of fountains, and a profusion of flowering plants that would add fragrance year round. The plants chosen were Gardenias, Jasmine Vines, Sweet Olive, Shi Shi Sasanquas, Seasonal Torenias, Summer Pansies, Impatience and Jacobina.

Katrina did her best to destroy the gardens, topping off trees, destroying many of the Azaleas, Cleyera and various accent plants. The basic design, however, was intact; with some clean-up and plant replacement the gardens have once again become my favorite landscape to show potential clients.

PLANT LIFE GOES ON:
A "BIG EASY" COMEBACK STORY
(PDF)

Beverly Katz, Owner & President, Exterior Designs, Inc.

With a background in interior design, Beverly Katz founded an innovative business, Exterior Designs in 1971. Her unique concept entails developing outdoor “rooms” instead of simply adorning yards with plant materials.

Beverly’s trademarks are the New Orleans style courtyard and innovative pool designs, both new and renovated. Throughout the country she has incorporated regional flora, specialty stonework, ponds and running fountains to mimic the unique spaces for which New Orleans is most appreciated. As a specialist in “problem solving for yards,” Beverly makes it possible for any space, no matter how bleak and forlorn, to reflect natural beauty. Her area’s of knowledge include paving, masonry, courtyards, arbors, pool design, horticulture, landscape architecture and resolution of drainage problems. The works of local artists are reflected in Beverly’s vision through her use of custom furniture, fountains, sculpture and other types of exterior adornment.

Serving both commercial and residential clients, Beverly Katz’s Exterior Design is one of the region’s few woman owned and operated landscape construction and maintenance companies.

Educated in Interior Design and Liberal Arts at the University of Texas in Austin, TX, she continued her education in Interior Design at Dominican College in New Orleans. She has studied Theory at the University of New Orleans, and Finance in Tulane University in New Orleans. She is licensed landscape contractor and a licensced horticulturalist. She is also certified with the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD). She is a much in demand lecturer in her field.

Active in many civic organizations, community service is an important part of Beverly’s life.

“I create special places that are irresistible and welcoming, “ Beverly says. “They provide an escape from the world and an environment in which to enjoy one’s own piece of nature. I strive to impact a relaxed, sensual feeling that can not be duplicated anywhere else in a home, or in the world even.”

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