Photos: (right) Blanchford Landscape Group (Below) Goldberg & Rodler, Inc.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO be truly innovative in hardscaping? It can be easy to fall into a pattern of using the same materials and building the same design for client after client. But innovation and true out-of- the-box thinking can set one landscape design apart from the rest.
When it comes to creativity, every single detail matters, says Jeff Rossen, owner of Rossen Landscape in Great Falls, Virginia. Rossen says that nothing about their projects is cookie-cutter. “We keep everything high-quality by paying attention to the seemingly small details, which really aren’t small at all,” he says. “For instance, we don’t just end a retaining wall at a 90-degree corner. We might add a stone column or a hand-se- lected specimen boulder with moss growing on it. We might also curve the corner to ensure it flows with the rest of the landscape. The last thing we want is a random corner sitting in the middle of a landscape — it must all flow. How we achieve that is going to be different on every project.” Michael Pasquarello, a landscape
architect with Elite Landscaping in Berlin, New Jersey, says that landscape design- ers can fall into a rut of producing the same cookie-cutter designs again and again because it’s easy.
“But every project should be ap-
proached as if you were going to be judged for an award,” he says. “Most properties are unique in some sort of way so if your design strategy complements the relationship to the property, then it too should be unique in its own way.”
WHERE TO START?
Of course, designers are always challenged to work within certain confines while still allowing their creativity to flourish. The client’s ideas, wants, and needs — as well as their budget — may feel restrictive but can actually be a starting point for out-of-the-box thinking. “When clients show us pictures of spaces they like, we use them as tools to drive the concept of the design while still leaving plenty of room to honor their par- ticular space and give them something special,” says Claire Goldman, principal and head of design and business devel-
opment for R&R Landscaping in Auburn, Alabama. “To me, honoring a space means appropriately working within the confines of the area. We want to com- plement the architecture of the home and treat each property with respect in regard to water flow, special views, trees, and other natural objectives we plan to incorporate. The exterior and the interior should flow together, not compete with one another.” Mason Shaffer, garden designer with Blanchford Landscape Group in Bozeman, Montana, says that his design process definitely begins with respecting the site conditions as well as the archi- tecture of the home — and then blending the client’s wants/needs with those two elements. He also thinks about “experi- ence, first,” he says.
“I’m sure a lot of landscape contrac- tors are focused on selling as much hardscaping as possible, but I’d rather design for purpose, first,” he says. “I’ll put the furniture on the plan first and then design a patio for size and scale to make sure there’s enough room to walk, a good flow, and the space to accomplish what the client wants out of the space. Hardscaping is the most expensive piece of the plan, so it must bring a lot of value while also being respectful of the client’s budget.”
In terms of harnessing creativity,
Shaffer says that he loves to work on a property with various elevations. While many landscape contractors view a sloped property as a challenge, Shaffer sees it as an opportunity. “Some of my favorite projects have been those with spaces separated by elevation,” he says. “It allows us to add stairs built from natural stone and creates a much more dramatic effect of having these different ‘rooms.’”
Carrie Woleben-Meade, PLA, design principal with Mariani Landscape, head- quartered in Lake Bluff, Illinois, agrees that a slope can be an advantage to create something truly unique. “Instead of one, expansive patio, a
grade change can help to naturally break up the design with dynamic interest,” she says. “It gives you the opportunity to create different rooms for different purposes. Perhaps one is an entertaining space, and one is a lounge space.” Like Shaffer, Woleben-Meade says that hardscaping creativity must be able to work within the confines of the budget. But it comes down to an outside- of-the-box thought process. Not every element of the project has to be custom, she explains.
“I’ve been starting to integrate some
different techniques such as using a lot of steel for risers — something that would free up some dollars to do something
Have a project with amazing hardscaping? Enter by Aug. 9 for this year’s Awards of Excellence.
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professionals.org/aoe National Association of Landscape Professionals 23
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