Mike Farley
Whether we think of them this way or not, watershape and landscape designs have the ability to create emotional responses among our clients. In that sense, we're actually in the business of provoking those feelings. When we do things right, the conjurings are positive and are at their best when we successfully forge links to our clients' treasured experiences. If we miss the mark by not properly considering
By Mike Farley As someone who has spent years digging into the history of landscape and watershape design, it comes as something of a surprise to me that, alongside the luminaries who dominate discussions of the origins of familiar design approaches, motifs and styles, stands at least one practitioner who is not
The numbers are eye-popping: Just about one percent of all the water on Planet Earth exists as fresh water suitable for human consumption. And depending on where you live in the United States, anywhere from a quarter to almost half of that precious resource
Concrete is an utterly amazing material, but it's so widely used — so pervasive in our world — that it's easy for the average person to take it for granted and barely give it a second thought. As watershapers, of course, we don't have the luxury of
It might sound a bit strange to put it this way, but when it comes to design work, one of the most useful things you can do is to think about how you think about design. If you're like me and have been working as a watershape designer for more years than you care to count, much of what you do is now
Those of you who've followed this column for any length of time know that it's all about my hunt for resources that will help me become better at what I do. As I see it, my job here is to share what I discover in the hope that my own information-seeking journey
The 19th Century poet Eden Phillpotts once wrote, "The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." I've always loved that line and the way it shines a light on the rewards of
Reviewing a Decade of ‘Book Notes’