Elements of Design: Mass in Landscape Design
There was a guy at one of the gyms at which I worked out who had a T-shirt that said “don’t be passive, be massive.” He was definitely the latter; you kind of have to be to pull off such…
Tag clifton landscape design
Elements of Design: Shape or Form
We often think of shapes as two-dimensional: squares, rectangles, circles, and triangles. This isn’t how we perceive them in the landscape, however. We see them in three dimensions, like cubes, spheres, and cones. Shape (or form) in the landscape can…
Nokesville Landscape Design & Driveway Case Study
A driveway? Really? I know, but bear with me – it’s totally worth it! Two springs ago, I met with a couple (they’re referenced in my post “Do I Really Need a Landscape Designer“?) to do a complete landscape master…
6 Screening Plants That Aren’t Leyland Cypress
UPDATE! There’s a new post up on planting for privacy – be sure you check it out! My name is Dave Marciniak and I hate Leyland Cypress. It’s unattractive before it fills out, it’s no prize once it does fill…
Plant Profile: Euonymus alatus ‘Compacta’
Common? Maybe. Still, there’s no denying that this is a showy plant in the fall. Just keep in mind that it wants to get to be a ten foot by ten foot plant. Sure, you can keep it whacked back…
Does This Tree Make My Yard Look Fat?
Can we speak frankly? We’re friends, right? This is an issue that I encounter a lot: A lot of folks are thinking too small when it comes to their trees. It’s a common occurrence: I go out to meet with…
Plant Profile: Golden Rain Tree
These beauties have mostly stopped blooming at this point (although I’ve seen an oddball bloomer here and there), and now the big, dangly seed pods are doing their thing. Koelreuteria is a good choice for spaces where you want a…
10 Myths About Hiring a Landscape Contractor
The other day, one of the industry blogs I follow highlighted a hit piece that someone did about hiring a contractor. I started to write him an email rebutting all his flawed points when I realized what a great blog…
Is Stamped Concrete Any Good?
It’s funny- for the longest time, I would have said no. Emphatically, in fact. After all, there have always been several flaws with stamped concrete, many of which are still a negative: Difficult to change- once a slab is poured,…