Landscape Design for Virginia, Maryland and DC
A few weeks ago I posted that a property I designed and oversaw in Fredericksburg was going to be on the garden tour Tuesday, April 24th. After lots of running around and frantic work to make it as ready for prime time as I could (the plants were just installed last year), I learned a [...]
I meet with a fair number of homeowners who say “I either want a firepit or a fireplace.” This uncertainty is actually a great place to start discussing how they’re going to use the space and how much they’d like to invest in the space, because an outdoor fireplace and a firepit are used very [...]
When I was designing landscapes in Arizona, one option we had available to us was travertine marble tile. These were actual tiles – typically 12″x12″ and less than a half inch think – so they had to be laid in a mortar bed on a concrete slab. Shortly after landing in Virginia in 2005, I [...]
When I was studying interior design I was fascinated by universal design. While I don’t trust Wikipedia for everything, their definition nails it: Universal design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products, and environments that are inherently accessible to both people without disabilities and people with disabilities. I think universal design is brilliant. [...]
On behalf of a contractor client I’m working with a great couple who are building a new custom home in northern Virginia. As part of the landscape design, they wanted to incorporate a paver front walk and a paver driveway. When they saw the proposal, they were surprised by the cost of the driveway and [...]
You’ve decided to use flagstone in the landscape. Good call! You may not be done making decisions, however. If the stone will be used in an application where you see the edge of the piece (step treads, wall caps, etc) you’ll have to think about the finished look. Thickness The first thing to consider is [...]
Ok, your framing is up and you have the solid foundation for a deck. Now you have choices – what decking to use, and what type of railings? Decking I break decking up into four categories: pressure treated, composite, exotic hardwood, and other. Here’s a little more info on each: Pressure-treated lumber: this is the [...]
Last week I talked about the ledger board and the footers, the first steps in building your deck. Today I’ll cover the next steps. Posts The standard spec for a deck is for it to be supported by 6″x6″ pressure-treated posts. Not only are these sturdier than 4″x4″ posts (the old standard), they’re big enough [...]
When I took this business full time in 2008 two of my first clients were Pat and Allyson Kearney, owners of Old House Vineyards in Culpeper. In the intervening years I’ve done a lot of work for them, including landscaping their home, a new wedding pavilion at the winery, and most recently the tasting room [...]
My name is Dave Marciniak, landscape designer and owner of Revolutionary Gardens, and I use jargon. I’m deeply sorry. However, the fact is that when it comes to building everything has a name. It’s easier to use the technical term than a long-winded explanation. A great example is the French phrase “l’esprit de l’escalier.” It’s [...]
