As your funicular reaches the end of the track, you gaze out at your surroundings. The scene might be like the one above, or it could be a dawning sun climbing above a horizon, spraying lashings of ambers and yellows above the liquid, blue surface. Wherever the funicular takes you, the destination is important, but the journey should be too.
Residential Funicular Landscaping
You don’t need to be a fancy resort to have great landscaping. Former residential funicular clients, who own properties like the cabin scene above, have proven it again and again. With a bit of creativity and a few landscaping techniques, you too can create beauty along the tracks.
The Doghouse
We’re not sure when or where the trend started, but clients began putting up little structures resembling houses around their funicular’s motor area at the tops of hills. Because there’s no official name for these little huts, we like to call them doghouses. The doghouses not only add some flare to the funicular, but also protect equipment from the elements and serve as a barrier to keep kids, pets and critters away from machinery.
Stone
If arranged carefully, a few rocks can really pull a backyard together, especially when mixed with plants. Stone tiers give hilly yards a beautiful terraced look, make it easier for plant life to grow, and fight erosion. This landscaping technique requires a bit of digging, so it might not be for the casual do-it-yourselfer. Still, there are simpler stone landscaping options, such as rock gardens, rocks in plant beds and stone paths. If all of this talk about arranging stone is getting you excited, click here for a great do-it-yourself article.
Plants
Having the right pairing of plants helps to spruce up areas around residential funiculars. These plants also slow erosion, which is good for your funicular. Before you rush to your local nursery or greenhouse, consider future maintenance. Planting something in the wrong environment will lead to a lot of future upkeep. Plants growing outside of their natural habitat require more resources and care, which is why it’s better to plant native species. Once their root systems are established, they’ll almost take care of themselves, allowing you to enjoy your beautiful rides up and down the slope without worry. To find plants that work great for your area, check out this helpful resource.
Birdhouses
Not only decorative, they also bring birds. What sorts of birds you’ll bring to the area around your residential funicular depends on your region, the food set out for them, the structure of your birdhouse, and its placement. To invite the right feathered friends to your neighborhood, make sure you have a home that suits them.
Creativity
This is the most important element. After all, there are countless ways to landscape. All you need is your time, some resources, and a bit of creativity.
To get more information about our systems and some neat ideas about how to beautify the land around them, check out our residential funiculars page. It has some of the basics about the inclined lift systems available and a few images from our featured projects.
