One of my favorite things to do on this blog is to profile recent projects. It’s a fun opportunity to show what’s possible, and maybe brag a little. Hey, my clients let me create some great landscape designs for them! As I was thinking about … Continue readingOne That Got Away: Challenging Retaining Wall in DC
I grew up in a 1950s ranch house in Rhode Island. It’s the one in the photo above. You can see that there are two doors on the front of the house: the front door, which is in the center of the main structure, and … Continue readingWhat’s behind door # 1? Helping guests find your front door
At 3 am I came back to bed. I love my dog, but I’m not a huge fan of the refusal to do anything on last outs but a frantic need to do it at 0300. The cool, damp air had gotten me pretty well … Continue reading“You must only do big jobs” and other not-quite-accurate thoughts
One of the goals of this blog was to celebrate great, innovative design, and if it overlaps with landscaping? Even better, which is why I love sharing these garden tools for women! Ergonomic garden tools for women! This morning I came across a piece in … Continue readingWait, these landscape and garden tools for women aren’t pink and useless? Cool!
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
A lot of pricing questions are pretty vague and nebulous, to the point where they’re as useful as asking the guys at Top Gear “hey, what does a car cost?” The answer falls somewhere between a used Ford Pinto and a Bugati Veyron. Landscaping is … Continue readingHow Much Does a New Front Landscape Cost in Virginia?
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
First, some background as to what made me think of this post. When I’m avoiding work, I like to browse the discussion threads over on Houzz.com. I consider it a lazy form of consumer research, because you get a bunch of homeowners talking anonymously on … Continue readingWhen are your landscape design preferences stupid and wrong?
I finally wore Mindy down this fall and we adopted a dog. This is my sweetheart Bonnie, a German Shorthair Pointer (GSP) mix who came to us via the Mid-Atlantic GSP Rescue. Say hi, Bonnie! Anyone who’s met me knows it’s no secret that … Continue readingHow 40 Pounds of Dog Has Changed My Plans for 10,000 sq ft of Yard
It seems odd to write something about outdoor enjoyment on a day when temps have been in the single digits, but let’s go with it! Obviously there’s no end to the major changes that can make a huge difference in the landscape, but what if … Continue reading8 Simple Tricks to Get More From Your Landscape in 2021