Drainage and Infrastructure Are Not Like Milk Duds
I’m still recovering from Halloween – 538 trick-or-treaters is a LOT Of kids – and it’s still framing how I look at things. Of the nearly $200 we spent on candy we have a bowlful left, and as I was…
Tag maryland landscape design
Deer-Resistant Shade Perennials for Northern Virginia
When I design a landscape for a brand new home in a subdivision that was until recently a hay field, I rarely get to use shade plants. Then there are loads of established landscapes all over northern Virginia, with towering…
What is a Concrete Turndown Edge on a Patio, Anyhow?
Sounds so fancypants, doesn’t it? I have a few projects underway that need one, and it’s a simple concept that sounds more involved than it is. When installing a patio, you want it to have a slight pitch so water…
Landscape Inspiration: Brick Details
I grew up in New England which means that the most commonly used landscape material was stone. Oh, did we have stone! I maintained a love affair with stone throughout my career, played with some other materials, and moved here.…
7 Tips For Getting Through The Landscape Construction Process
A few weeks ago I was talking shop with my good friend, architect Francisca Alonso of AV Architects. No matter what projects we’re discussing, the conversation always comes back to the people for whom we’re doing the work. Anyone in…
Endless Pool and Landscape Design in Alexandria, VA
Last year I was contacted by some folks in Alexandria, Virginia, with an intriguing project: they have a small backyard, and wanted to install an Endless Pool without giving up the entire yard or making the pool an overwhelming, ugly,…