Maintaining your retention pond for beauty and function protects your business landscape and provides a positive addition to your community. (Photo by RStarovich)

The star-shaped mauve of the chrysanthemums complements the blue-green frills of the ornamental cabbage and chartreuse birds nest fern perfectly.

Drystone walls raised vegetable beds catching the glow of the morning sunrise.

all photos Gentle Gardener Green Design, 2015

Joe Cotitta Epic Photography joecotitta@cox.net: Builder: Eagle Luxury Property

Clematis Vine with Ghost ferns and pansies

This waterside dock provides a rustic seating area perfect for an early morning coffee and crumpet, and to keep you warm we have the RB73 outdoor wood stove. Also featuring the RB73 Bloxx logstore and bench seat, a great place to store your logs and gaze into the reflection of the fire on the water. Available in three sizes, and a choice of fixed legs of wheels. All models of the Quaruba include glass doors and smoke pipe.

Joe Cotitta Epic Photography joecotitta@cox.net: Builder: Eagle Luxury Property

Два года каждодневного труда с жесткими сроками и числом рабочих до 50 человек в день, и интереснейший проект большого природного сада стал реальностью. В нем все необычно - от бионической архитектуры и оригинального решения рельефа, до открытости ветрам, речным красотам и взорам гуляющих людей. Дом идеально вписывается в существующий и созданный рельеф, давая возможность плавно подняться на террасы второго этажа прямо с земли. Панорамное остекление создает теснейшую связь с садом, а великолепный вид на реку обрамляют выразительные посадки деревьев. В этом огромная сила его очарования для хозяев. Воплощение этого масштабного проекта позволило реализовать наш прошлый опыт устройства мощения эластопейв, в котором очень важно выбрать правильный цвет гальки с учетом потемнения от смолы, создания авторских живописных водоемов с большими камнями и водопадами, правда все предыдущие были бетонные и не мельче 170 см, для плаванья, а этот спроектировали- мелким, пологим и гравийным, предусмотрев зону зимовки рыбы, облицовки подпорных стен габионами -выполнили очень качественно, с двумя видами камня, устройства ландшафтного освещения с 18 отдельными линиями включения. Из нового опыта - устройство спортивной площадки с искусственным газоном на гравийном основании с мачтами освещения, создание огорода с грядками из кортеновской стали, налитие большого бетонного моста из плит через пруд. Все растения мы заботливо выбирали в Германии, уделяя большое внимание кроне, характеру формовки, многолетники в количестве 40 тыс. мы дорастили в нашем питомнике, часть кустарников и высоких сосен - из российских питомников. В саду высажено 500 тыс луковичных, благодаря им с апреля по июль он превращается в яркое море красок и фактур. В течение года после сдачи работы на участке продолжились. Нам доверили весь уход. По просьбе заказчика мы переработали некоторые зоны, сделав их более приватными. Для этого лучшим решением оказались кулисы из стройных кедровых сосен с Алтая. Зону беседки мы дополнительно отделили от гуляющих вдоль реки посадкой большой группы формированных сосен Бонсай. Практичное мощение, мощные холмы, скрывающие забор, огромные площади трав и многолетников, высоченные раскидистые сосны, очень интересные по форме сосны Банкса, живописный водоем, отражающий дом – вот слагаемые неповторимого облика сада. Уже в июне поднимаются массивы трав, высотой по плечи, добавляющие глубину и создающие ощущение возврата в детство, в бескрайние луговые просторы. В прозрачный водоем залетают поплескаться дикие утки, а кошки интересуются его обитателями- карпами Кои, засев в зарослях ириса болотного. Основа проекта: Михаил Козлов. Доработка и реализация: Ландшафтная студия Аркадия Гарден фото: Диана Дубовицкая

Cafe Primrose The grounds and animals of Wildflower Farm, the functioning homestead bed and breakfast that is home to Cafe Primrose. Meet Annabelle. She is attempting to break in the side door.

The idea of this project was to create a special environment that stimulates all senses in the human body, an environment that is vibrant and most importantly interactive for all ages. We began by searching for the right materials to create a specific feeling of time and space. Placement of the water feature was designed by studying how the customer used their home. The waterfalls and streams connect separate outdoor spaces and accommodate for all views outdoors and indoors. A sense of mystery is designed into every detail in this water feature. The layout of the ponds play accordingly with the sun for excellent reflections, and each rock formation has time designed into it. The environment is inviting, and interactive. Each person that walks out to explore the environment has his or her curiosity rewarded by discovering plant life, trickling streams, and several waterfalls only to be discovered by the inquisitive explorer. Photos by: Linda Oyama Bryan

Something to look AT: a mixed screen of evergreens, properly spaced. copyright 2015 Virginia Rockwell

View looking east toward the Lake House. The Japanese Islands are visible in the middle ground, as is the arched bridge connecting the islands to the shore. The 14-acre lake seems larger than it is because the islands and curving shoreline prevent you from seeing it all at once.

When you open the back doors of the home of Nancy and Jeremy Campbell in Granville, you don’t just step out onto a patio. You enter an extension of a modern living space that just happens to be outdoors. Their patio’s unique design and setting provides the comfort and style of indoors while enjoying the natural beauty and fresh air of outdoors. It all started with a rather desolate back yard. “It was completely blank, there was nothing back there,” Nancy remembers of the patio space of this 1972 split-level house they bought five years ago. With a blank slate to work with, the Campbells knew the key elements of what they wanted for their new outdoor space when they sat down with Travis Ketron of Ketron Custom Builders to design it. “We knew we wanted something covered so we could use it in the rain, and in the winter, and we knew we wanted a stone fireplace,” Nancy recalls. Travis translated the Campbells’ vision into a design to satisfy outdoor entertaining and relaxing desires in all seasons. The new outdoor space is reminiscent of a vast, rustic great room complete with a stone fireplace, a vaulted ceiling, skylights, and ceiling fans, yet no walls. The space is completely open to the elements without any glass or doors on any of the sides, except from the house. Furnished like a great room, with a built-in music system as well, it’s truly an extension of indoor living and entertaining space, and one that is unaffected by rain. Jeremy comments, “We haven’t had to cover the furniture yet. It would have to be a pretty strong wind to get wet.” Just outside the covered patio is a quartet of outdoor chairs adorned with plush cushions and colorful pillows, positioned perfectly for users to bask in the sun. In the design process, the fireplace emerged as the anchor of the space and set the stage for the outdoor space both aesthetically and functionally. “We didn’t want it to block the view. Then designing the space with Travis, the fireplace became the center,” remembers Jeremy. Placed directly across from the two sets of French doors leading out from the house, a Rumford fireplace and extended hearth of stone in neutral earth tones is the focal point of this outdoor living room. Seating for entertaining and lounging falls easily into place around it providing optimal viewing of the private, wooded back yard. When temperatures cool off, the fireplace provides ample warmth and a cozy setting to experience the change of seasons. “It’s a great fireplace for the space,” Jeremy says of the unique design of a Rumford style fireplace. “The way you stack the wood in the fireplace is different so as to get more heat. It has a shallower box, burns hotter and puts off more heat. Wood is placed in it vertically, not stacked.” Just in case the fireplace doesn’t provide enough light for late-night soirees, there is additional outdoor lighting mounted from the ceiling to make sure the party always goes on. Travis brought the idea of the Rumford outdoor fireplace to the Campbells. “I learned about it a few years back from some masons, and I was intrigued by the idea then,” he says. “We like to do stuff that’s out of the norm, and this fireplace fits the space and function very well.” Travis adds, “People want unique things that are designed for them. That’s our style to do that for them.” The patio also extends out to an uncovered area set up with patio tables for grilling and dining. Gray pavers flow throughout from the covered space to the open-air area. Their continuous flow mimics the feel of flooring that extends from a living room into a dining room inside a home. Also, the earth tone colors throughout the space on the pavers, fireplace and furnishings help the entire space mesh nicely with its natural surroundings. A little ways off from both the covered and uncovered patio area is a stone fire pit ring. Removed by just the right distance, it provides a separate place for young adults to gather and enjoy the night. Adirondack chairs and matching tables surround the outdoor fire pit, offering seating for anyone who doesn’t wish to stand and a place to set down ingredients for yummy fireside treats like s’mores. Padded chairs outside the reach of the pavilion and the nearby umbrella the perfect place to kick back and relax in the sun. The colorful throw pillows and outdoor furniture cushions add some needed color and a touch of personality. Enjoying the comforts of indoors while being outdoors is exactly what the Campbells are doing now, particularly when lounging on the comfortable wicker furniture that dominate most of the area. “My favorite part of the whole thing is the fireplace,” Nancy says. Jeremy concludes, “There is no television, it would destroy the ambiance out there. We just enjoy listening to music and watching the fire.”