Simply Wonderful
Through the years, I've spent lots of time in Philadelphia, both on business and visiting with family and friends scattered throughout the area.  I've been there so many times, in fact, that I started hunting a bit farther afield for 
Setting a Front-Yard Stage
  Last time, Bruce Zaretsky discussed the importance of making a good first impression with a home’s landscape, starting with defining a pathway to the main entry.  Here, he picks up that discussion while setting a broader front-yard stage. Today’s homes have many entries:  front doors, service entries, back doors, garage doors and more. As a landscape designer, it is always my goal to 
Levelling the Bidding Field
  It shouldn’t be too surprising that, as a designer and builder who cares about quality and craftsmanship, I’ve spent some time thinking about bidding and ethics. As I see it, bidding against other contractors to win the opportunity to install a project is a fair and worthy exercise if the project’s specifications are 
2011/9.1, September 14 — Curb Appeal, Fallingwater, Craftsmanship and more
September 14, 2011 WATERSHAPES.COM FEATURE ARTICLE Kicking Up ‘Curb Appeal’ You don’t get a second…
Test Your Knowledge #16
Why did Hisashi Koze swim the South China Sea?
Quality Don’t Come Easy
    In 2001, as part of his ‘Aqua Culture’ column in WaterShapes, Brian Van Bower penned a thought-provoking piece entitled “Quality Don’t Come Easy.”  In it, he decried what he saw as a dearth of quality craftspeople in the watershaping trades — and in the broader construction industry as well.   “Time and again,” he noted, “I commiserate with colleagues who just can’t find good people who are dedicated to 
Ripples #27
  Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck   Partying Prince Harry Jumps (or Falls)  Into Nightclub Pool Fully Clothed   You remember Prince Harry — the other one. The younger brother who developed quite a reputation as a wild party animal, whose judgment was not always up to British royal snuff. One episode that comes to mind: the time he dressed as a 
Marilyn and Watershaping
    A comment I’ve been anticipating (and dreading) has recently crossed my desk. It came from a reader who expressed exasperation with our newsletter’s use of celebrity-centered items; she was particularly offended by our link to a generous dose of Marilyn Monroe’s skin in a recent edition of “Ripples.”   I’m sorry that any offense was taken, but it’s a plain fact that items like these get people to 
Revisiting Fallingwater
  Aided by the fact that my sister lives within easy driving distance of Mill Run, Pa., I've visited Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater several times through the years and have had the good fortune to see it in spring, summer and fall.     It's an amazing place and has been documented with 
Kicking Up ‘Curb Appeal’
    “You only get one chance to make a first impression.”    How many times have you heard that in your life? There’s a good reason for it: First impressions last – and that’s particularly true with a home.     This is why real estate agents typically bring up “curb appeal” when advising clients about how to sell at the best price. Why? Because if prospective buyers drive up and sees a messy, weed-plagued yard, chances are good that they will simply roll on by. And even if they stop, the negative initial impression will be hard to shake as they