paving

Slippery Slopes
Back in June 2002, Stephanie Rose began her Natural Companions column by writing, ‘Everyone knows that hanging a pool, pond, or spa off a slope can make quite a dramatic statement, which is probably why so many great watershapers love working on hillsides. ‘But the project doesn’t begin and end with the vessel,’ she cautioned. ‘In fact, placing a watershape on an
One for the Ages
I recently enjoyed my umpteenth visit to the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens.  It's an amazing estate in the city of San Marino, Calif., a well-heeled enclave near Pasadena, and was established by Henry Huntington, nephew and heir to transcontinental-railroad magnate Collis Huntington.  This is a place that shows you what a serious fortune could buy in the early years of the 20th Century.I like the library and appreciate the art collection, but the reason
Cooling the Flock
Sometimes, it’s the unexpected that gives a place its true spirit. That’s been very much the case for The First Church of Christ, Scientist, a 1975 addition to Boston’s historic Back Bay district.  The site features a campus plan devised by legendary architects I.M. Pei and Peter Walker, with grounds organized around a
On the Ground
Every time I open a landscape trade magazine, I’m bombarded by ads from just about every paver manufacturer on the planet.  From the newest faux-stone concrete pavers and ADA-compliant bricks to granite, flagstone, mica and other slab species, we have more choices than ever before for our projects.   Some professionals approach this wealth of possibilities and play it safe – not caring so much about what’s the latest and greatest but focusing instead on what’s most familiar and time-tested and being interested in little more than providing clients with surfaces that can safely be walked on. Fortunately, however, there are lots of us who take a different view, putting care and thought into the materials we select for our walkways, patios and terraces and working closely with our clients to make certain the resulting surfaces meet their needs.  In other words, there’s
Graceful Transformation
Everything about this project was classic and beautiful.  For one thing, the home has the soft look of a French country chateau.  For another, it’s located in Hancock Park, one of the oldest of Los Angeles’ upscale downtown neighborhoods.  And when you add in the fact that it sits on a half-acre-plus lot on a quiet street, we had the pleasing sense that we’d landed on a refreshing oasis at the heart of a bustling metropolis. We also enjoyed the privilege of working here with Andres Cardenes, a wonderful architect who had collaborated with these clients on and off for several years.  In their latest endeavor, he had come in to refurbish the home along historic and formal lines – something that often happens in this neighborhood, which boasts numerous restored and beautifully maintained homes across a range of architectural styles. Our firm, New Leaf Landscape of Agoura Hills, Calif., had worked with Cardenes on previous projects.  When he called, he talked a bit about the situation and let us know that he thought we’d be a great fit because of the way we
Medical Arts
Not long ago, I did a pair of columns on healing gardens and their benefits.  If you’ll recall, I preached the importance of persuading hospitals in particular to include these spaces in their overall site plans as a means of providing garden environments for patients, patients’ families and hospital staff:  These spaces reduce stress, help patients heal more quickly and give everyone who visits them a soothing sense of tranquility.   I’ve attempted to the greatest extent possible to practice what I preached, and through the years I’ve installed numerous health-specific gardens at local assisted-living centers, Alzheimer’s care facilities and even at a center for emotionally-challenged children.  But truth be told, I haven’t met with much success with our local hospitals, despite the fact that healing gardens have caught on with countless such facilities coast to coast. I don’t know quite why this is, but we
Refined by Need
Last month, I opened a two-part discussion on healing gardens, a trend in landscape design that’s become popular among managers at hospitals and other healthcare facilities who desire spaces where patients, visitors and staff can spend a bit of time in nature to heal, set aside stress and otherwise regenerate themselves. In the time since I first became involved with these spaces, I’ve also seen demand for these gardens – known in other contexts as “tranquility gardens” – grow among
Concrete with a Difference
Think about what happens when rainwater falls on an impervious surface in a big outdoor parking lot studded by the occasional tree:  The water dampens the surface, which instantly becomes saturated.  Only a minute percentage of water that penetrates the trees' canopies to reach their curb-bound planters becomes available to the trees' roots.  The rest almost immediately starts flowing to drain grates or perimeter drainage details and is lost to a stormwater-collection system. The trees are helped only marginally by the life-giving rain, and the water
Pride of the Yavapai
The area surrounding Phoenix is graced by the presence of numerous Native American tribes and nations.  In fact, Maricopa County hosts one of the largest concentrations of such communities in the United States. As Phoenix and its suburbs have sprawled in recent years, several communities have had to forge constructive relationships with these sovereign nations to make continued growth possible.  At first, there was often tension and conflict, but now relative tranquility and cooperation flourish to the point where it's a cultural environment that defines the character and charm of
Pride of the Yavapai
The area surrounding Phoenix is graced by the presence of numerous Native American tribes and nations.  In fact, Maricopa County hosts one of the largest concentrations of such communities in the United States. As Phoenix and its suburbs have sprawled in recent years, several communities have had to forge constructive relationships with these sovereign nations to make continued growth possible.  At first, there was often tension and conflict, but now relative tranquility and cooperation flourish to the point where it's a cultural environment that defines the character and charm of