“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Clare Boothe Luce The minimalist movement that started in the 1960’s thrived on simplicity in both content and form. It devolved into the excesses of the Reagan era in the 1980s, and then saw a resurgence in this country during the ‘great recession’ we experienced at the beginning of […]
Philosophical Notes on the Land and Landscapes
Luxurious Outdoor Escapes
The pinnacle of quality in landscape design has to do with a these fundamental concepts (among others). These are some of the absolute tenets of our work. Respect for and stewardship of the land, regardless of size. This requires tuning in to all of elements of the place – light, air, sound, weather, orientation, grading […]
Plants for the Senses
One of the most important tasks our designers undertake is to include ‘notes’ of all five human senses into clients’ landscape designs. We’re devotees of landscapes that proactively bring the outdoors into the personal everyday experience through sound, sight, taste, smell, and touch. Some plants just invite more attention than others in the landscape. It […]
The Garden Path
Paths and walkways are the connections through your entire property – the trusty workhorses that make stepping into and around your home’s outdoor places a pleasure. Paths are useful and practical – they are the movers of people, pets, and stuff. They are the civil engineering facet of landscape design, a foundational infrastructure on which […]
Landscapes and the Meditation Connection
Plant, root, grow, bloom applies for both landscaping and people. Keeping a space clear for plants and trees to grow is as important as clearing a space for daily mindfulness. If we crowd our schedules, we might crowd out important people. So too does the landscape suffer if designed with an overabundance of plant materials. […]
Being Mindful of the Land
A unique feature of Outdoor Craftsmen’s landscape design is the high level of detailed land planning that takes into account the best use of the natural environment, including topography, situational qualities (like steep hillsides or proximity to roadways), and the organic beauty of the place. Many of our clients live on properties that have qualities […]
