One of our summer projects 2011

Well it took a while to get started due to the wet rainy spring and a needlessly drawn out permit process, but we are on our way to building a new outdoor environment for a lovely family in San Rafael.

Here are a few progression shots.

Starting with a detail from the plans :

From Oranje project

Before shots
The existing pink flagstone patio was cracking apart - it had to go. It was becoming a safety hazard and pretty unsightly. Fortunately we were able to save a lot of the flagstone and offer it for a discounted sale through American Soil and Stone in San Rafael. Someone got a great deal !

From Oranje project

location of the new fireplace

From Oranje project

From Oranje project

We took off the pink flagstone on this round patio and resurfaced it , so it will match the rest of the new stone

From Oranje project

Building shots
The new resurfaced round stone patio

From Oranje project

laying out the steel

From Oranje project

The block work and new stone work

From Oranje project

detail of stone

From Oranje project

From Oranje project

Fill in the blanks.

As my friend and landscape designer Alida Blair recently said : “ In order to have great plants and planting schemes you need to create the spaces for them to reside in. “

Creative path work is one way to outline your planting spaces.
From there you can fill in the blanks, and if the chance should arise, instil some vertical interest by sculpting the grade.

Below are pix’s showing some blank spaces , the out line of paths and the space in between that was filled with plants.

From Before and After

From Before and After

From Beach House

From Beach House

Before the planting this was a barren slope of native grass.

From Heather Garden in Gualala CA

Before development, this was a slope covered with brambles.

From California Gardening

Cutting across and up a native hillside , the path of stone defines the planting spaces

From portfolioMay08.jpg

A drought tolerant planting with a stepping stone path dividing the space

From Alexander Valley

Low retaining walls , flagstone and a set of stone steps outlines the planting spaces.

From Hillside development

Blank slate development

From Paths

From Paths

From Paths