Category: Landscape Design

  • Stone Walls Shouldn’t be Imposing

    Stone Walls Shouldn’t be Imposing

    I often see landscapes built like a fortress.  A tall and stark stone wall blocks the grounds.  The formidable wall tells visitors to stay away and “Don’t tread on me.” Stone walls keep the eye from moving through the landscape.  They say look at me and nothing else.  They are a blazing  neon sign saying “Closed.”…

  • A Berm for Curb Appeal

    A Berm for Curb Appeal

    Here are some great landscaping ideas for your front yard featuring a berm planted to give curb appeal to a lovely colonial.  A fieldstone wall compliments the colorful plantings. By John Holden

  • Why Should You Hire a Landscape Designer?

    Why Should You Hire a Landscape Designer?

    What are the benefits of hiring a landscape designer?  Why should you hire a landscape designer? There are at least three situations where you should hire a landscape designer: The most obvious reason, you don’t know about garden design.  A good landscape designer can help you get the results that best meet your needs. You know about gardening but…

  • Front Yard Landscape Design by an Oxford CT Landscaper

    Front Yard Landscape Design by an Oxford CT Landscaper

    The video above is a beautiful colonial in Oxford CT where we were the landscaper of choice.  I hope you enjoy the tour of this lovely home.

  • How I Got My Groove – The Stages of a Landscape Design Career

    How I Got My Groove – The Stages of a Landscape Design Career

    Unlike now, when I graduated UCONN I didn’t have real-world landscape design experience. I designed landscapes by the book and my designs incorporated the latest cool plants at the nursery.  If the book said a plant grows in the shade to 10 feet tall I put it in the shade where it could grow to…

  • Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper

    Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper

    As a Monroe CT landscaper this landscape was a challenge to design.  The stately colonial perched on top of a hill and doesn’t look like part of the landscape. My goal was to make the home look like it fit in. Tricks of a Monroe CT Landscaper I made the home look like it fit in…

  • Creating a Landscape Design Base Plan

    Creating a Landscape Design Base Plan

    Today I got to work drafting the base plan for a Newtown, Connecticut, Landscape Design. First, I calculate the scale to use so my landscape design will fit on the paper.  Most landscape designs are larger in area then they seem when measuring the site. Now I make a draft of the base plan based on the…

  • Newtown CT Landscape Design Site Analysis

    Newtown CT Landscape Design Site Analysis

    Today I completed the site analysis for a landscape design in Newtown, Connecticut.  A site analysis is the first, and most vital step, when you measure and assess the site you are designing. Landscape design is about getting a feel for the site.  How much sun does the space get?  What type of soil is on the site? …

  • Where to Begin Your Landscape Design?

    Where to Begin Your Landscape Design?

    In my job as a Newtown, Connecticut, landscape designer I often meet people who have chosen to improve their landscape. Some have moved into a new home and need a front yard planting.  Others have an overgrown landscape that has literally eaten their house. Often future clients are unsure where to start developing their landscape. …