Steve Lambert

Stone steps and boulders lead up to the Hot Tub and Vegetable garden above.

This is the picture of one of our medium pondless waterfalls in Dexter,MI. It is all self contained and makes a beautiful accent to any back or front yard landscape. Photo by Cory Mann

Photos © Anice HoachlanderOur client was drawn to the property in Wesley Heights as it was in an established neighborhood of stately homes, on a quiet street with views of park. They wanted a traditional home for their young family with great entertaining spaces that took full advantage of the site. The site was the challenge. The natural grade of the site was far from traditional. The natural grade at the rear of the property was about thirty feet above the street level. Large mature trees provided shade and needed to be preserved. The solution was sectional. The first floor level was elevated from the street by 12 feet, with French doors facing the park. We created a courtyard at the first floor level that provide an outdoor entertaining space, with French doors that open the home to the courtyard.. By elevating the first floor level, we were able to allow on-grade parking and a private direct entrance to the lower level pub "Mulligans". An arched passage affords access to the courtyard from a shared driveway with the neighboring homes, while the stone fountain provides a focus. A sweeping stone stair anchors one of the existing mature trees that was preserved and leads to the elevated rear garden. The second floor master suite opens to a sitting porch at the level of the upper garden, providing the third level of outdoor space that can be used for the children to play. The home's traditional language is in context with its neighbors, while the design allows each of the three primary levels of the home to relate directly to the outside. Builder: Peterson & Collins, Inc Photos © Anice Hoachlander

Damon Lang

A garden room made of double glass.

This charming planter is placed near the front door of the house.

In the heart of the McIntyre Historic District, a Registered National Historic Landmark of Salem, you'll find an extraordinary array of fine residential period homes. Hidden behind many of these homes are lovely private garden spaces. The recreation of this space began with the removal of a large wooden deck and staircase. In doing so, we visually extended and opened up the yard for an opportunity to create three distinct garden rooms. A graceful fieldstone and bluestone staircase leads you from the home onto a bluestone terrace large enough for entertaining. Two additional garden spaces provide intimate and quiet seating areas integrated in the herbaceous borders and plantings. Photography: Anthony Crisafulli

Cambridge Paving Stones Were Used for the Driveway and Entry Walk

Eichler in Marinwood - At the larger scale of the property existed a desire to soften and deepen the engagement between the house and the street frontage. As such, the landscaping palette consists of textures chosen for subtlety and granularity. Spaces are layered by way of planting, diaphanous fencing and lighting. The interior engages the front of the house by the insertion of a floor to ceiling glazing at the dining room. Jog-in path from street to house maintains a sense of privacy and sequential unveiling of interior/private spaces. This non-atrium model is invested with the best aspects of the iconic eichler configuration without compromise to the sense of order and orientation. photo: scott hargis

This is one of several custom made gates for a Tuscan Villa style home in Newport Beach, CA. Dynamic Garage Door worked closely with the proud homeowners to achieve a rustic style gate that transmitted the essence of Tuscany's rugged riviera homes. The gates features world-class European hardware including mortise style locks with roller catches and decorative iron pulls that feel authentic to the touch because they were made much in the same way tradition has dictated for centuries. The goal was to achieve an architectural gate design that would harmonize, not compete, with the home's earthy elements including the rock walls and neutrally toned color scheme. We chose oak as our reclaimed barn wood species for its brown tones that differ from your typical pine species which give you a silver appearance. Oak give off a warmer, brown coloration that is closer to the tonalities found in Tuscan homes. Nothing gives is more impressive than reclaimed bar wood gates because of the unique lumber characteristics that were given by mother nature over decades and centuries, nothing that can be achieved over night. Dynamic Garage Door craftsmen are highly skilled in preserving these lumber surfaces and keeping them intact. We developed designs and techniques that keep each piece authentic and true to its charming age. Just like wine, reclaimed wood will get better and better over the ageless decades and centuries to come. There is literally no maintenance on our reclaimed wood gates because each passing year is a new layer of gorgeous character that will pass the test of time over and over again! As an added bonus and value to our already high-end gate designs, we craft each one of our gates on galvanized steel frames which will ensure our gorgeous gates will not only look fabulous but last a lifetime! Contact us today for prices and perhaps design ideas you might not thought of yet or with your own ideas that others have declined to build for you. Consultation Center: (855) 343-3667

Rodney Rose Autumn Skies Landscapes

Pondless Waterfall Pondless Waterfalls are simply a re-circulating waterfall and/or stream without the presence of a pond. You can enjoy the sight and sound of running water without the maintenance of a pond. The waterfall is undoubtedly the most beautiful and favored feature in a water garden. If space is lacking in your yard or you have safety concerns with a pond, go Pondless! The name basically explains it all. It’s a waterfall and stream, without the pond. So why would you want a waterfall without a pond? The truth is that a Pondless Waterfall isn’t for everyone, but it can be a great alternative for someone who isn’t quite sure if a pond is right for their family. Safety Because there is no pool of water, a Pondless Waterfall is a great option if you are concerned about safety issues associated with a traditional pond. Cost Cost can be a big factor when considering the type of pond you want to build. In most cases, the price of a Pondless waterfall will be less than a pond, because there is less labor involved, as well as less rock and materials. Operating costs are also less. Because you’re not dealing with an established ecosystem, it’s not necessary to run the pump 24/7. Space The small size of the Pondless Waterfall means you can build and enjoy a beautiful waterfall anywhere in you yard. Maintenance - Taking care of your Pondless Waterfall is easy. Filling the reservoir every few weeks to compensate for water loss because of evaporation is all that’s required. Flexibility Perhaps the best part of the Pondless Waterfall is the possibility for the future. If you change your mind later, wishing you’d build a pond, that’s ok! If you leave enough room around the base of the waterfall, it’s easy to add a pond onto a Pondless Waterfall. Complete System It might be difficult to imagine a waterfall and stream without a pond. Where does the water go? A Pondless Waterfall works much like a regular pond. The hole, deeper than a normal pond, is dug then lined with rock and gravel, and filled with water. The water is then circulated from beneath the rocks and gravel by a pump that sits on the bottom, inside a Snorkel Vault and Centipede Module. A pipe runs from there up to a BioFalls Filter and into an overflowing waterfall, where it falls back into the reservoir. Since the water level never pools above the level of the rock and gravel fill, it give the appearance of a waterfall without a pond, when in fact, the “pond” is there but not visible. The Pondless Waterfall has made many water-lovers who were previously unable to indulge in the sweet sounds of falling water, very happy. It’s a great alternative for those who are trying to get their feet wet, or looking to fit a little bit of paradise into their own backyard. In other words, when all else fails … go Pondless!

Allan Block Retaining Walls

Larry Merz