Landscaping a wooded lot
Mature trees are an asset for any home, adding value to the property and reducing energy costs. We like big trees. We love that feeling of a home that’s tucked into capital-N Nature. Every silver lining has a cloud, and…
Why every landscape designer needs a blog
Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. I read voraciously as a kid and I always envisioned myself locked in a cabin somewhere, with just a typewriter and a dog for company, grinding out the next great novel.…
2017’s Holiday Poem
‘Twas the end of December, and out in my yard My branches were barren. The ground had gone hard. That night I was greeted with chills, wind, and frost And the knowledge that yet another season was lost. My backbone…
Landscape lighting transformer basics
12 volt lighting is like magic. You’re taking regular household line voltage and stepping it down to something that’s much safer and easier to work with. A rough knowledge of landscape lighting transformer basics will help you plan your system,…
Lighting for ponds and waterfalls
In 2017, we built several water features for a client who was turning a pretty blah property into their retirement home. The rear of the home was mostly glass and looked out onto a steep, unusable hillside. In other words,…
The limits on winter landscape projects in Virginia
Story time! December of 2009, I met with Bob and Marilyn to walk through the layout of their front walk. The crew was coming the following day to rip out the existing walk and we wanted to get all our…