As a retired landscape architect and builder I have had the opportunity to 'Practice' my trade on a diverse stage of clientele' project sites. All of which contained common archetypal landscape features. What made each unique was the choice and composition in the mix of building materials.

My focus today is in culling through the many hundreds of custom landscape features that I have designed & built for these clients over the past decades and distilling them into a handful of How-to manuals for landscape contractors and designers.

Essentially, the chosen few, showcase compositions of building materials that have unique characteristics. All of which can be applied to a diverse range of project settings. The diversity built into the manuals provide the builder with a flexibility of choice in finishes, from rustic to contemporary without compromising the inherent structure of the feature.

Archetype elements found in most garden settings (staircases, hardscape surfaces, walls, benches & counters, arbors and the like) are often built in monolithic materials vs a blending materials approach. Additionally, such monolithic features often require heavy equipment, skilled labor and mass stockpiling of raw materials.

An alternative approach is through custom modular fabrication to suit the project, utilizing a mix of two or three building materials in the feature's composition. This is a lighter touch - the Tai-Chi of landscape design.

Each manual in the series is a step-by-step guide to the Fabrication and Installation of unique landscape features. All of which have been optimized for cost, durability, and a pleasing aesthetic. None of which require skilled labor, heavy equipment or wasteful piles of raw materials.

This low impact approach is environmentally friendly. Your workload will lighten, and your budget will fatten, while putting a smiley face on your client's punim.