We visited our friends Stephen and Michael at Annefield Vineyards last year and I was a little jealous. Not only is their tasting room/house a beautifully restored mansion (and the wines are quite good, you really should go, or at least look for them at your local … Continue readingLandscaping for Privacy and Better Neighborly Relations
I get a lot of requests from people interested in adding a pergola to their landscape. They’re cool to begin with and they’ve been made all the more popular by HGTV, etc. over the years. Is a pergola right for you, though? Here are some … Continue readingPros and Cons of Building a Pergola in Northern Virginia
As modern humans, we spend our days surrounded by solid, imposing “stuff”. We live in big brick and wood houses, drive two-ton steel vehicles to work on concrete and asphalt freeways, and go work in big concrete and steel buildings. It makes sense, then that … Continue readingTransparency in the Landscape
This week I stopped off to check in with a landscape design client in Fredericksburg, Virginia. This is probably one of my favorite projects of the year. I’ll do a more comprehensive post (showing plan and elevation drawings, etc) in a couple of weeks when … Continue readingFredericksburg Pool, Patio & Pergola Design
Step 1: Build a square deck. Step 2: Cut off all the corners. In all seriousness, building a round deck isn’t all that different from building a rectangular deck. I’ve designed several. The basic framing has the same considerations as any other deck. You need … Continue readingHow to Build a Round Deck
I’ll be honest, I don’t really care for multi-level decks. They can look stunning, but if they’re not well designed they can be a waste of money. After all, those additional levels can require additional materials and framing. Still, with the right design – and … Continue readingMaking Multi-Level Decks Work
“I want zero maintenance.” If you wanted to know how many times I’ve heard these words in my career as a designer, I’d say to take the number of presents under a spoiled kid’s Christmas tree and multiply by five hundred. Sadly, zero maintenance doesn’t … Continue readingPros and Cons of a Fiberglass or Wood Pergola
Yes, I do commercial design work as well. Not bid work- I’m a firm believer that when the only deciding factor is the lowest bid, everyone (including the client) loses- but work for property owners who believe the quality of the landscape design impacts their … Continue readingCommercial Landscape Design Project- Old House Vineyards in Culpeper, Virginia
The #1 most important thing? Scale. I hate to say it, but the majority of off-the-shelf trellises and arbors you can buy are woefully underscaled. Walk into your average big box store- or even many garden centers- and you’ll see sad, rickety little things made … Continue readingWhat to Look for in a Trellis
From time to time, I’ll get a request to design a deck for one of my clients. Decks fall under the whole “anything for the outside of a home” category that defines my business and they’re a lot of fun, so I’m always happy for … Continue readingDesigning a Deck