Landscape Design for Virginia, Maryland and DC
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 [...]
Water can cause a lot of damage. Any time you have a slope you have the potential for water and erosion issues, and it’s my job as a landscape designer to address identify and address these issues. There is no one size fits all solution to erosion issues, but we can start by understanding the [...]
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 [...]
Whether we’re discussing landscape design, interior design, or architecture there’s no denying that the little details make all the difference. Garden ornaments can be that finishing touch, providing a little structure or even a focal point for a space. MJ and I were out driving around this weekend and I picked up this great piece. [...]
The landscape industry is a very cyclical business. Spring is flat out insane, summer slows a bit, the smaller crazy time hits after the kids return to school, and it winds down beginning after Thanksgiving. I’m usually off from Christmas to New Year’s, January is trade show month, and it begins again in February. While [...]
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 [...]
Happy New Year! As is tradition, MJ’s mom came down from Massachusetts for Christmas. Since sitting in the living room staring at each other is only fun for so long, we did the tourist thing and went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. If you haven’t been, you really need to go. [...]
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 [...]
Winter and I have a challenging relationship. I don’t love the way business slows down for a few months, I’m not a fan of the fact that it causes my construction jobs to take longer, and let’s be honest – I’m not a fan of being cold and wet. Winter in this industry often leads [...]
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 [...]
