We worked lots of compost into the depleted soil and added some organic starter fertilizer to promote root growth on the new plants.
Photo of a mid-sized rustic drought-tolerant and partial sun backyard gravel landscaping in Sacramento for spring.

L'objectif de ce projet était d'apporter de l'intimité et de la polyvalence à une cour arrière en duplex avec l'installation d'un nouveau patio, d'un jardin, d'un cabanon et d'une clôture en bois traité. Le projet comprenait l'enlèvement du sol existant, l'aménagement paysager, l'installation de clôtures, la construction d'un patio et d'un cabanon. Le client en a également profité pour installer une borne de recharge pour son véhicule électrique. __________ The aim of this project was to bring intimacy and versatility to a duplex backyard with the installation of a new patio, garden, shed, and fencing sourced from treated woods. The project involved removing the existing soil, landscaping, installing fences, building a patio and a shed. The client also took the opportunity to install a charging station for their electric vehicle.

A complete metamorphosis was needed to bring out the buried treasure hidden beneath this yard, and a family of five rattlesnakes had to find a new home! Here’s the short list of the awkward elements that had to be remedied: First, the neighbors’ living room window peered perpetually (like, all the time) and directly into the yard with no privacy whatsoever. None. Second, the vast deep end swallowed up the patio and provided no place for furniture, or walking. Only tripping and treading water was allowed. Third, the sunken lawn must have been an arena of some sort! Intentionally excavated from natural grade a full -42″ from the patio, for no good reason. Fourth, the not-worth-a-visit ramada was the focal point for the entire yard. See it up close! It’s gone. Fifth, the spa was shoved against the farthest wall and provided no invitation. It was so bad, it never had a photo taken! See the statue peeing between the two short columns? It’s over there. Peeing in the corner as all little boys are want to do. Sixth, the bbq and fire place were non-functional and equally uninviting, and here’s a better view of just how crowded the furniture is. Don’t fall in! Last, we will not mention the boulder pile droppings distributed around the yard. Oops! Sorry. The first order of business was to spend several weeks tearing out everything but the pool shell. Then another few weeks were spent wheelbarrowing in a few hundred yards of top soil (there was no access) to fill the matador pit flush to a more relatable -18″. The large gaping trough was then discretely hidden with large removable stones, so it was out of sight but still serviceable. Second, the neighbor was screened instantly with a row of mature Texas Ebony trees in a raised planter, that also housed a sculptural ironwood tree as the focal point of the property, soon to be reflected in the pool’s richer Midnight Blue pebble tec finish. A hundred or so yards of shotcrete filled not only the reclaimed deep end, but also created a sun shelf and spa ledge, now the focal jewel in the foreground as a 360 overflow vanishing edge spa clad in Pewter glass tile from Oceanside Glass, and viewed from all the interior living spaces. The BBQ was tucked around the corner out of sight but still easy access. The fireplace for two gave way to a large inviting built in banco, with a splashes of colorful fabrics to draw one out. The fire pit serves about 10 people easily, for hours at a time. Last but not least, the foreground of the pool became a sweeping entry shelf extending the full length of the pool, bedecked with fiberoptic starlights and six glowing bubblers set low, to just barely break the surface of the water, giving a lovely and tranquil sound while sleeping away with all retractable doors wide open. Simple. Serene. Self-evident. That is the remedy. If your project needs a similar touch, more or less, drop me a line and we’ll figure out a plan.

This client had recently moved into her “retirement home” and wanted to re-do and add on to the plantings for continual interest and beauty. There were many areas to clean up and remove years of weeds and neglect. Once that was done, new areas were established for new beds & bio-soil and boulderettes were brought in for contrast & retaining purposes.

This project was the result of the owner’s desire to install a swimming pool and outdoor living space inspired by tropical resorts they had visited on family vacations. The one element asked for specifically was a large waterfall spilling into the pool. The challenge for the designers was how to achieve the look the owner’s wished without the use of clichéd items such as thatched huts and tiki torches. The designers decided lush full plantings using plants found in the northeast region that met certain design criteria would be the primary way of giving the tropical feel. Boulder outcroppings, irregular stone paving and fire bowls along the back of the pool would complete the look. The property is located in a newer subdivision with homes on both sides and a school to the rear. A walkway connects the neighborhood and the school along one side. The desired privacy would be addressed by the placement of plants and trees around the perimeter in mounded beds. Placing the waterfall to the rear of the pool helped block the view of the school beyond. The township had restrictions on the amount of impervious material allowable on site. The patio was designed to the maximum allowable size with square footage going to where it would be most usable. Planting beds were cut into the patio to decrease unnecessary square footage, divide spaces, and allow for more places to add plants and trees. A rectangular swimming pool was chosen to make it easier to install an automatic pool cover. The pool was designed, with input from the landscape designers, and contracted separately by the owner. The landscape designers chose the location of pool and waterfall so that it was prominently placed to be the focal point of the backyard. The pool includes a curving sunbathing shelf running from end to end, finished in a lighter color to make it more visible, with removable umbrellas for shade and to add to the resort feel. To tie into the boulders used throughout the design, a large boulder was used as a substitute for a diving board. The yard sloped down towards the back of the property which required a large amount of soil to be added and large boulder retaining wall along the back. For the planting design, the designers choose to focus on plants with larger leaves, various leaf colors and textures, and plants with large flowers in bold colors. These plants were then arranged into a loose lush planting scheme mixed with more traditional northeast plants such as pines, grasses, and roses. Unique plants such as hardy bananas were added for their tropical and exotic look. The full planting beds help to nestle in and enclose the living space. Broken flagstone was chosen for the patio and intentionally left irregular at the edges. PA flagstone was avoided and a stone with gold and brown tones was chosen. Boulder outcroppings added to the natural and tropical theme. The fire pit was designed with a large built-in bench to increase the amount of seating. The designers chose a rounded smooth shape and incorporated the same stone as the pool coping for the caps and bench. For entertaining guests the outdoor kitchen was outfitted with a large gas grill, beverage taps, refrigerator, sink and a dedicated lobster cooker. The kitchen was finished with granite countertops and stainless steel cabinets. Two strategically placed fire bowls, along with the low voltage lighting, add additional interest to the space at night. While the designers were faced with many challenges the resulting design incorporated enough elements to achieve the desired look and feel. Using plants appropriate to the northeast that fit the design criteria and carefully choosing hardscaping materials was essential. The owner’s feel they now have their own tropical theme resort right in their Pennsylvania backyard.

A complete metamorphosis was needed to bring out the buried treasure hidden beneath this yard, and a family of five rattlesnakes had to find a new home! Here’s the short list of the awkward elements that had to be remedied: First, the neighbors’ living room window peered perpetually (like, all the time) and directly into the yard with no privacy whatsoever. None. Second, the vast deep end swallowed up the patio and provided no place for furniture, or walking. Only tripping and treading water was allowed. Third, the sunken lawn must have been an arena of some sort! Intentionally excavated from natural grade a full -42″ from the patio, for no good reason. Fourth, the not-worth-a-visit ramada was the focal point for the entire yard. See it up close! It’s gone. Fifth, the spa was shoved against the farthest wall and provided no invitation. It was so bad, it never had a photo taken! See the statue peeing between the two short columns? It’s over there. Peeing in the corner as all little boys are want to do. Sixth, the bbq and fire place were non-functional and equally uninviting, and here’s a better view of just how crowded the furniture is. Don’t fall in! Last, we will not mention the boulder pile droppings distributed around the yard. Oops! Sorry. The first order of business was to spend several weeks tearing out everything but the pool shell. Then another few weeks were spent wheelbarrowing in a few hundred yards of top soil (there was no access) to fill the matador pit flush to a more relatable -18″. The large gaping trough was then discretely hidden with large removable stones, so it was out of sight but still serviceable. Second, the neighbor was screened instantly with a row of mature Texas Ebony trees in a raised planter, that also housed a sculptural ironwood tree as the focal point of the property, soon to be reflected in the pool’s richer Midnight Blue pebble tec finish. A hundred or so yards of shotcrete filled not only the reclaimed deep end, but also created a sun shelf and spa ledge, now the focal jewel in the foreground as a 360 overflow vanishing edge spa clad in Pewter glass tile from Oceanside Glass, and viewed from all the interior living spaces. The BBQ was tucked around the corner out of sight but still easy access. The fireplace for two gave way to a large inviting built in banco, with a splashes of colorful fabrics to draw one out. The fire pit serves about 10 people easily, for hours at a time. Last but not least, the foreground of the pool became a sweeping entry shelf extending the full length of the pool, bedecked with fiberoptic starlights and six glowing bubblers set low, to just barely break the surface of the water, giving a lovely and tranquil sound while sleeping away with all retractable doors wide open. Simple. Serene. Self-evident. That is the remedy. If your project needs a similar touch, more or less, drop me a line and we’ll figure out a plan.

This beautiful landscape design was a unique project. When presented with a very steep incline, a large hill and only approximately 30' of level space, the Gary Duff Designs team got down to work, chopping down trees, and removing barrels of soil. After flattening out the space, this experienced team was able to implement each desired feature, from pool and play area to patio and privacy. This complete re-design and demolition resulted in an intimate, yet open, backyard living space.

We recently deep cleaned two different tiled floors at a property in the village of Coningsby in the centre of Lincolnshire. The floor was split into two areas one laid with natural Sandstone and the other Riven Slate tiles. Both tiled areas had been sealed previously but the sealer was clearly not doing the job as the floor had a very dull finish due to dirt being absorbed into the tile. The floors were in need of a deep clean to remove the ingrained dirt and remaining sealer so the first step was to soak the tiles in a strong dilution of Tile Doctor Pro-Clean and then work it in using a rotary machine fitted with a black pad and a stiff brush along the grout lines. This did the job and there’s a great photograph below that shows the difference this made. To extract the now soiled cleaning solution the floor was rinsed using water which was then extracted using our wet pick up system. Once the floor was clear we were able to see where more work was required and the process was repeated until we were happy the floor was thoroughly clean and free of any remaining sealer. To get the floor dry a number of turbo air dryers were setup around the floor and we left for the day to allow the floor to thoroughly dry off overnight. The following morning we tested the tiles to make sure that both were dry which they were. We then applied Tile Doctor quality sealers to both floors; two different finishes were required for the different types of floor so we applied three coats of Colour Grow sealer to the Sandstone flooring as this impregnates the pores in the stone protecting it from staining and enhancing the natural colours to provide a natural look. We than applied four coats of Seal and Go sealer to the Slate floor, Seal and Go adds a nice subtle shine and works well on Riven Slate to highlight the different shades. The customer was delighted with the results and left an excellent review which you can read below: The floors look absolutely beautiful. I am very pleased with the service. J. Gibbons, Coningsby She wants us to return soon to seal the other stone areas in their property. As you can see from the photos the before and after is very striking. The floors were ready to take light use that same afternoon.

the front entry with lemons trees in containers. the bottom of the containers were removed giving the tree roots access to the soil Emily Murphey
Example of an arts and crafts home design design in Sacramento

The aim of this project was to bring intimacy and versatility to a duplex backyard with the addition of a new patio, garden, shed, and fence, sourced from treated wood. This project involved removing the existing soil, landscaping, installing fences, building a patio and a shed. The client also took the opportunity to install a charging station for their electric vehicle. Deck - small craftsman backyard ground level privacy deck idea in Toronto - Houzz

Inspired by the owners' travels in the Mediterranean region yet rooted firmly in Texas soil, this single family residence is designed to provide a secluded, comfortable environment for observing nature, relaxing, entertaining, living, and working. The oddly shaped site determined a house that is removed from the street, resulting in a long drive through a wooded area that leads to the gently sloping house site. The house is designed around a large, central public living area. The basic "H" shaped plan reaches out to define the entry court as well as the rear yard area. The building can only be seen in small vignettes as one moves around and through it, and is finally understood from inside the main room. The public space is central to the plan, where rooms overlay and flow through and into one another. Private rooms are tucked away in more remote parts of the site. The guest bedrooms are located at a slightly lower level, and a remote study, reached by a ship's ladder, overlooks the main living area and enjoys its own roof terrace. The central part of the house is designed as a solid, strong, "original" building to which other wings are added as if built over time. The client desired that the house appear to be of no discernible style or period, and seem older rather than newer. Built By: Dalgleish Construction Co. Photography By: Paul Bardagjy

We Transform your Outdoor Space into the Garden of your Dreams Our talented and creative team will ensure that your property reflects your tastes and preferences. We will beautify your outdoor area by providing a parking area for your kids or install a spacious patio where you can host parties for your family or friends while enjoying the beautiful weather. We will analyze your soil, study its features, the availability of light and shade, and then decide the appropriate layout and the plants most suitable for your garden. Our experienced team is skilled in soft landscaping work like planting, levelling and hard landscaping skills like paving, installation of lights, or constructing flower beds. We provide hedging and pruning for plants to ensure they are healthy and have a long life. We discard spent blooms and remove diseased branches of plants so that they grow to their maximum potential.

MEDITERRANEAN, TRADITIONAL, CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES, MALIBU, CALABASAS, SANTA MONICA, THOUSAND OAKS, SHERMAN OAKS, WEST HILLS, PACIFIC PALISADES, NORTH RANCH, AGOURA, AGOURA HILLS, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SUCCULENTS, ECLECTIC, OAK PARK, DECOMPOSED GRANITE, AUSTRALIAN PLANTS, CALIFORNIA NATIVE, CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS, SUSTAINABLE, RAIN CAPTURE, SOIL HEALTH, RUSTIC, ENGLISH GARDEN, DROUGHT TOLERANT, DROUGHT RESISTANT, LAWN REMOVAL, WATER CONSERVATION, WATER CONSERVING, WATERWISE, LOW MAINTENANCE, CLIMATE, FRONT YARD, BACK YARD, BACKYARD, PATIO, POOL, SOUTHWESTERN, ASIAN, WALKWAY, SUCCULENT POTS, GRAVEL, EDIBLE, LANDSCAPE, POOL, GARDEN, GARDEN DESIGN, SUCCULENT GARDEN, SUCCULENT POTS, REBATE, SUCCULENT WALL, LIVING WALL, DRAFTING, HARDSCAPE, HARDSCAPING, LIGHTING, FOUNTAIN, WATER FEATURE, LOW WATER, DRIP IRRIGATION, FIRE PIT, SANTA BARBARA, OXNARD, VENTURA,

This environmentally minded client in Milford Michigan. contacted us to create a rain garden. They were both master gardeners and had a very specific plants that they wanted to utilize in the waterwise location. The area was a small triangle shaped piece of ground between two driveways. We creatd a natural depression in the center of the garden for the rain to accumulate once the rain barrel was to capacity. The soil that we removed was used to fill the small raised planter bed that we constructed. This would keep the water away from the foundation and give the homeowners a spot to add a Green Japanese Maple and Hydrangea who like it a little drier. We then installed natural michigan fieldstone boulders as a transition form the grade level to the rain garden. Black onyx stone was used to frame the entire garden and it works very well with all of the colorful plant material. Landforms Inc.

Inspired by the owners' travels in the Mediterranean region yet rooted firmly in Texas soil, this single family residence is designed to provide a secluded, comfortable environment for observing nature, relaxing, entertaining, living, and working. The oddly shaped site determined a house that is removed from the street, resulting in a long drive through a wooded area that leads to the gently sloping house site. The house is designed around a large, central public living area. The basic "H" shaped plan reaches out to define the entry court as well as the rear yard area. The building can only be seen in small vignettes as one moves around and through it, and is finally understood from inside the main room. The public space is central to the plan, where rooms overlay and flow through and into one another. Private rooms are tucked away in more remote parts of the site. The guest bedrooms are located at a slightly lower level, and a remote study, reached by a ship's ladder, overlooks the main living area and enjoys its own roof terrace. The central part of the house is designed as a solid, strong, "original" building to which other wings are added as if built over time. The client desired that the house appear to be of no discernible style or period, and seem older rather than newer. Built By: Dalgleish Construction Co. Photography By: Paul Bardagjy

If you decide to keep your Pilea in the same pot for a while and take good care of it (water just once a week or when the soil is dried out), you will probably discover a few baby Pileas growing next to the big plant. You can either keep them in there or remove them carefully when they are at a minimum of 2". Credits: instagram.com/houtje.touwtje

The aim of this project was to bring intimacy and versatility to a duplex backyard with the addition of a new patio, garden, shed, and fence, sourced from treated wood. This project involved removing the existing soil, landscaping, installing fences, building a patio and a shed. The client also took the opportunity to install a charging station for their electric vehicle. Example of a small arts and crafts backyard patio design in Toronto with decking - Houzz

This Berkeley property had overgrown vines, concaving fences, rotted deck, dead lawn, broken concrete, and poor drainage. After removing about 30 yards of soil from this lot, we were able to begin leveling and sculpting the landscape. We installed new concrete pathways, synthetic lawn, custom swing and arbor, Thermory wood decking with metal railings, paver patio with masonry stone wall seating, and stone mosaic water feature with stainless steel wire to match. Many elements tied together nicely in this modern Berkeley backyard.

We Transform your Outdoor Space into the Garden of your Dreams Our talented and creative team will ensure that your property reflects your tastes and preferences. We will beautify your outdoor area by providing a parking area for your kids or install a spacious patio where you can host parties for your family or friends while enjoying the beautiful weather. We will analyze your soil, study its features, the availability of light and shade, and then decide the appropriate layout and the plants most suitable for your garden. Our experienced team is skilled in soft landscaping work like planting, levelling and hard landscaping skills like paving, installation of lights, or constructing flower beds. We provide hedging and pruning for plants to ensure they are healthy and have a long life. We discard spent blooms and remove diseased branches of plants so that they grow to their maximum potential.