Bold Water Designs
I struggle to sit still some days while browsing through water feature examples. I just get so excited that I want to go out and build each and every one! Combinations of water and fire excite me, and then images of frozen water features send me into awe. Some natural water features make me wish […]
Design Formation Part 2: Developing the Form.
Alright, now that you have completed Part 1, Finding the Function, you have a good idea what you want to accomplish with your property. The next step is taking that function and deciding upon a form. Where will you place your garden, what produce do you plan to grow, how many people do you want […]
Design Formation Part 1: Finding the Function
A good landscape design melds form with function. What this means, is that a good plan is not only pretty, it also serves a purpose. Nor does it simply serve a purpose, it is also beautiful. If you are looking to create a master plan for your backyard, you are in the right place to […]
Gardens are so… Square!
For the creative-types like myself, there comes a point when you are tired of a standard square garden and everything planted in a row. This is the moment when it is necessary to combine garden and landscape into a seamless backyard beauty. My plan for this year is to plant strawberries under our fruit trees. […]
Fountains and Pondless Waterfalls
Winter weather is here again and my thoughts turn to dreams of lush, brightly colored landscapes, afloat with perennials, shrubs, and flowing water. I have known many landscapes through my work in Kansas and Nebraska, but none have seemed quite complete without a water feature. Water can be displayed in many forms, from large, open […]
What is a Landscape?
What is it that makes a landscape a landscape? The Merriam Webster dictionary defines a landscape as an area of land that has a particular quality or appearance. We, as landscape designers define it further as a grouping of outdoor rooms which display various plant materials and are anchored by hardscapes and water features. Too […]
Edible Plantings: Spice up your edible containers!
In the last few years, edibles have taken center stage in many gardens as people try to grow chemical free, organic food for their families. Edible landscaping has resurged as a major design addition in many home landscapes. The use of edibles in borders, adding fruit trees and shrubs, and potting up herbs has become […]
Gardeners are Romantics
Gardeners are romantics, dreamers, artists, composers, painters, wanderers, charmers, extremists, poets, sculptors, BELIEVERS. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and everyone is thinking about what to get for their special someone. St. Valentine’s Day got its history from ancient Rome, when Pope Galasius changed the pagan festival of Lupercalia on February 15th to the […]
What Kind of Mulch Should I Use? Rock or Wood?
There are many pros and cons to both rock and wood mulches. There is also a plethora of interesting opinions on both. You can find articles pointing to wood as the ultimate mulch and others who claim rock is the best. I hope to give you a good understanding of each so that you can […]
