Entertaining the thought of a beautiful patio gently nestled in a stunning perennial garden in your back yard is a dream shared by many hard working people. A "sanctuary," if you will, to come home to after a long day's work that would allow one to gently ease into the peace of a quiet evening.

Maybe your dream also holds the soothing sound of flowing water as you ease back in your chair and enjoy the glowing embers in your fire pit. And then - "SNAP!" - you are jolted back to reality with the thought, "I could never afford that." Actually, you can, as long as you keep the key elements in mind and here's how you go about doing just that.

  The ever-alluring elements of fire, the soothing sound of water, the  enchantment of beautiful colors, and the serenity of a defined space are the attractions here. Fire is just as lovely in a stone fire pit as a $17,000 fire place, and it can be enjoyed by m ore people at the same time.

You don't need elaborate streams and waterfalls to enjoy the soothing sound water creates when splashing over a boulder. Perennial flowers are nature's most beautifully adorned display of color and they're abs olutely inexpensive. Stunningly gorgeous flagstone creates a wonderful patio and seating walls to complete this very affordable ensemble.

Remember the effect of the elements and you'll soon be enjoying the lifestyle you may have thought was beyond your investing range. And, if you need help, give Earthadelic a call!

 Have you ever created a garden bed from scratch? What  shape did you choose to dig the border of that bed: was it angled with geometrical precision, or was   it a wavy, curving line? You might not know that choosing either of these styles involves two different schools of garden design rooted in the 18th century. There was the French style of gardening, in which garden beds and plants were given artificial geometrical shapes, versus the English "line of beauty" with its curving, winding and more "natural" designs. 

The Andre Project

The Challenge:  The Andres were working with a fixed budget, and were firm on the elements they had to have in order to move ahead with the project.

The Design Solution:  The design approach was filled with simple elegance. It features a flagstone walkway that gently meanders to a matching patio and fire pit capped in natural stone, along with a serpentine seating wall that creates an enjo   yable place to take in the fire. And finally, the entire outdoor living space is surrounded by a beautiful perennial garden and a custom, raised organic gardening bed for herbs and vegetables.

 

  The Installation Approach:  On the very first day, Steve noticed that his firepit was going to be larger than he had expected. Once this was brought to the hardscape team's attention, they were able to collaborate with him to ensure everything was exactly how he pictured it. The foundation was laid in a timely manner followed by the stonework. Our hardscape craftsmen produced their usual artwork by laying multicolored flagstone onto the firepit and the surrounding seating wall. When Steve saw the results after returning from work that day, his wide-eyed expression and smile let the team know they had exceeded the customer's expectations once again. The flagstone patio and planter were installed next, completing the project.

  

The Result:  The design approach was filled with simple elegance. It features a flagstone walkway that gently meanders to a matching patio and fire pit capped in natural stone, along with a serpentine seating wall that creates an enjoyable place to take in the fire. And finally, the entire outdoor living space is surrounded by a beautiful perennial garden and a custom, raised organic gardening bed for herbs and vegetables.