I don’t make any secret of the fact that I prefer natural stone to pavers, segmental wall block, or lick and stick stone. “Flagstone” can mean a pretty diverse array of stones and … [Read more...]

What if you could get a Virginia landscape grant to help pay for your project? Would it help you make the decision to move forward? I know, I sound like this guy, but stay with … [Read more...]

We’ve all walked on a badly built stepping stone path. The first couple of stones rock or wobble a bit, and then suddenly you take a step and WHAM you’ve hit the lever arm … [Read more...]

It’s amazing how capable we are of holding two completely contradictory “truths” in our heads at one time. For example, “I love my neighborhood” and “I need to not see my neighbors … [Read more...]

I get it: when you think of modern landscape design in Virginia you probably don’t think of me. A glance through my portfolio shows a lot of chunky wood and stone, big massed … [Read more...]

I’m just old enough that I remember the Christmas Wish Book, that fat, glossy, full-color catalog - was it from Sears? - loaded with toys and other stuff to fuel my suburban … [Read more...]

“I just can’t handle it any more. We’ve tried everything we could think of, and it’s just constantly a weedy, muddy mess that feels like a total waste.” He sounded frantic. … [Read more...]

Guess what? July 2nd, I celebrated NINE YEARS of being my own boss. Ring that bell! In that time I have learned so, so much. And I've gotten to work with and mentor newer … [Read more...]

There’s a certain appeal to gravel paths and patios. They somehow manage to at once be both casual and formally elegant. A gravel path says “let’s go somewhere, and you don’t need … [Read more...]

In Roman days, genius loci referred to the protective spirit of a given place. Today, we refer to it as the atmosphere or general “feel” that a location has. I’ve been to public … [Read more...]