These small simple streams are so much better than massive amount of volumes that some people are after. Having done this awhile I think professionals tend to "over-volume" the site. To create the big EFFECT!!! Woohoo!!! Look at me! I'm shouting!
Homeowners are looking for peace, tranquility, sanctuary, and a little harmony with nature. Let's give it to them. 
Well of course it is real, because it has water running through it. The real question is: Is it man-made or nature made???
These were taken last fall of a 3 yr. old stream/pond project. I am pretty happy with the way the stream came out. The idea is to create a seamless transiton between water and land, to give the viewer no good way to tell where the liner is rolled up. A combination of soil, rock and plants-when used correctly. Can make this happen.
Low plants that creep into the stream, or moisture loving plants the can escape the stream help in this endeavor immensely. The variation of rock sizes is extremely crucial, there placement in no readable pattern is more important than I can describe. The other point I wish to make here is to vary the stream width and depth. Some guys are okay at stream width . . . but they forget the depth issue. This is extremely important in selling the illusion-extremely.
So don't dig a trough or a gully, or a drainage swale. Go out and STUDY nature. After all she is your best teacher.
This is a plan view rendering/conceptual for a very complicated back yard. The client has a 9.0' grade change, exsisting deck, basement doors, and the need for a pool, pool-house, swim-in-bar, waterfalls, tube-slide and fire area. I think that's about it.
The only exsisting area below was a concrete slab that provided transition from the sliding basement doors out on to the lawn. The rest was grass and fairly flat but it goes uphill quickly where the poolhouse starts. it is also flat to the bottom where the area for the fire ring starts. The stone outcropping can hold up the spoils from the pool.
From the perspective inside the house we needed a backdrop and the homeowner wanted not only a waterfall; he also wanted a tube slide down through the "mountain" Behind this I designed a forest grove of conifer/evergreen to create the mountain effect.
Right now the architect has the plans to finalize the dimensions of the poolhouse. When that is done I will put it all to scale and come up with a master plan/planting plan. Let us hope this all falls through . . . this looks like a good one.
Spending time at a local trade show and 'short course" event. Coming away from here grateful to have seen old friends and had a chance to look at what's new and exciting. This is always great to be involved in. To feel the energy and the anticipation of the new year.
On the other hand I was somewhat disappointed by the offerings for designers at the short course. I am always puzzled by the lack of time that is devoted to designers. There is so much emphasis placed on other areas in the landscape industry-but it is the responsibility of designers to make it happen. We set the tone, we listen to the needs of the homeowner, the requirements of the site and implement the evolution of "great space".
The designer is responsible to find ways to put all this new material to use and create exciting vibrant spaces for the homeowner to enjoy, live and experience. We need to get better, all designers. We all need to be challenged, stretched and motivated to go to a higher level with our work. To truly create great space. When an event like the one I am attending does not do any of these things it's just a little tough to take. I just wish there was more emphasis placed on what we do. From beginner to experienced the challenges are many.
Found some freeware drawing program called Pixia from a guy in Japan, apparently it has been out for awhile, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I obviously hand draw everything but I an putting together some graphics for a beginner design class and I thought I would look at what's out there.
This is another example of a rendering to give the client an idea of how there space may become something completely different.
The process is to take images on the initial site visit, upload into a program where you can compare the shots taken, and evaluate which ones will make the best candidates to become usable as before and afters.
This ''after'' gives the homeowners a "visual" description of the potential possibilities, creating a richer dialogue between homeowner and designer. In this give and take the homeowner always comes away with more than expected, and the designer creates better work.
Right off the sketch pad, this is a 1st look at a site. They are interested in a waterfeature at the corner, so I wanted to try and capture how that might turn out.
Very raw, very fast, but we need to give the cutomer good visual ideas so they can express opinions and move the design process forward. This early feedback is good, maybe better for finding out what they don't want or like, as opposed to what they want/like.
With waterfeatures like this it is better to find ways to design a great backdrop, to help sell the illusion. Also the vertical elements flanking the focal to bring the complete scene to the corner.
This is a handout sheet for a class on beginning design. Part of becoming a good designer is learning that there are several design principles that are usually at work when someone creates a great design.
The homeowner/laymen walks into the backyard and remarks on how great everyting is, or feels----''it's great space''. having said that they have no idea that several factors, decisions, and principles have been put into play to create this great space.
Order is a third of the (order, unity, rhythm) trilogy that is a large part of the building blocks of landscape deisgn. A Designer starts with a Geometric or Curvilinear theme and builds off that decision, by applying the principles of this trilogy. Creating order, unifying the landscape so all the parts seem like they belong, and using rhythm in several ways to bring great excitement, drama, and interest to the final design.
More on this has we go along. The great thing about the art and practice of landscape design is that you can never learn enough.
Well this ought to give you an idea of the size of some of these incomplete millstones that I spoke of in the last post. They are quite large, come in varying degrees of thickness and diameters. The cool part is some of them have had a lot of exposure to the weather which has created interesting patterns on the stone.
Another great aspect of this weathering are the millstones that have been in a lot of shade. Sandstone is a great host for moss and some of these stones are close to completely covered, we would take great care to remove them with as much moss as possible. Of course they would need to stay in a shady location for the moss to remain.
By the way that is not Bob in the photo, that is the fella that owns the property and asked Bob to come in and help him with the removal of the millstones.
I call them ''Bob's Wheels'' because Bob showed me the photos. These are from an abandoned quarry, as opposed to the junk pile at a quarry. The difference-look at post from a few days ago, you will see some shots from the junk pile there.
The story behind these bad boys; is at one time, they were slated to become millstone/grindstones. The quarry goes out of business and the property just sits quietly . . . for a long time, a very long time. The land sits quietly for decades.
Along comes a property owner not sure what to do, he finds a guy like Bob and the next thing you know, Bob finds me. I have some ideas of what I'd like to do with some of the stones, Bob and a few other guys have a few ideas themselves-they'd like to move them. The thing is; there are a lot of them and they are available for purchase. If you so desire. Please contact me and we will get a hold of you with sizing, prices, how to ship, where they are etc. Even take you on a field trip if necessary.I can tell you this. They are in Ohio.
So let your imagination run wild, tell me what you think they could/should be used for. I am looking at the possibility of table tops, fountains, art in the garden. Lots of ideas.
I am pleased to announce the dates for the Annual Symposium. Thursday September 28th to October 1st. This year TSF is going to be in Hood River, Oregon. Which is about an hour outside Portland.
There will most likely be a half-day of some sort of demonstration/building project going on, in addition to an always great line-up of presenters and lecturers. The topics can go from stone in the ancient times, to the very latest and greatest being performed in the World of Stone.
One of the other highlights is the great networking and fellowship that occurs at these events. Last yr. in one of the evening "networking sessions". I passed by conversations ranging from the Egyptian techniques on two handed stone carving, the unsolved ancient mystery of perfect right angle techniques in masonry high in the Andes, to the latest in web-site videos to teach masonry techniques. I ask you-where else can you get into this type of dialogue? Great Stuff! And this is just what I stumbled into while working my way around for another "refreshment'.
Info will be put on the TSF website has it comes in. I have even got the "scoop" on the TSF website, by putting the dates here first. But, I wanted to get this up as early as possible, so folks can start looking at their schedules and making plans. I will have more on the Symposium as I gather the inside info, and post more about stone related venues in and around the Portland area.
If you work with stone, have stone, sell stone, buy stone, or just plain ole' love stone this is the place for you to be. You will not regret it.
Another shot from the same area. The background stone has a lot of potential as "stand alone" sentinels in the landscape, as wings to a formal entry, property markers, etc.
The foreground sandstone does not have as much potential. Based on the lack of color range, and being gray it would be tough to compliment or contrast in a designed landscape. Seats, tables, carved out for water basins are the 3 biggest potentials for this type of sandstone.
This is a continuation from my last entry. Again we are looking at waste blocks in the stoneyard. A nice maroon color. These were going to be used in the fabrication of some sort of ornamental piece-but for some reason the block(s) were rejected.
Maybe the color line was wrong or the color was not consistent enough to meet the specs. At any rate here they sit, awaiting a different fate.
Personally; I think they would make great end tables out on the backyard patio.
This is a shot I took last summer at a wholesale stone yard/quarry/fabricator in Central, Ohio. I was drawn to this stone because of it's great color and potential to become a piece of art in the landscape. As stand alone elements or as a collection of pieces to create a "scene" in the landscape. Whether they are surrounded by plants or some sort of stone bed.
I have always liked going to stone yards and wandering through the back areas or junk piles. I just let my mind kind of wander and take in the scene. Also I look at the way the collections are piled together and think how I could turn that around and use that formation in some of my landscapes.
This is an example of a fast conceptual sketch done over the top a a printed out image, taken with a digital camera. when done quickly like this I am trying to convey a sense of what this space has the potential to turn into.
What I try to show is the relationship of vertical elements, some of the greenery. and any other focal that might have some importance-in this case the boulders on the left.
I also will do several versions of the same scene and then pare that number down to no more than two-any more would be the cause of indecision. I feel that is the optimal number to show clients. Then let them pick the conceptual that best fits any vision they may have had. If they had no vision, then hopefully one of the choices will have stirred some interest.
