Did we hire the right contractor?

Sedums providing grace and disguising what man created

The last couple of weeks, if you have been following, we have been taking you on a journey showcasing pieces of artistic landscaping. The beauty of landscape construction is it is never perfect. It was never meant to be. The true power of nature is in the details. Nature is busy, scattered, self-regulating, and adaptable. Nature however offers something us humans simply cannot. The beauty of nature is that in all things, the effort is never revealed. It has perfected being imperfect.

This is inspiring to us. In a way it is the goal of all craftspeople. The goal to be inspired by such power, draw from cues of execution, and implement without being seen. At times we get a taste, but never will it be fully attainable. In a way this is what drives all artists. The pursuit of mastery, and the knowledge that your final day will be the closest you may ever come, but never will you fully arrive. There is always something new to learn.

In the video below (click the link if viewing via email) we give you a brief view of some of the tools a stone artist uses to manipulate the hard granite stone to shapes that yield the desired result. Many people seeing this type of work for the first time are surprised at the effort and skill required to create such a work. It is not for the faint. It can be a tough go, but also very rewarding. Along the way you learn how to be efficient and smash your finger a little less, making it more fun as time goes on.

Tools for Stone Video (Click Here)

One thing is glaring though in this type of work, which is why it is not cut out for everyone. In a single word is, patience. In a second word is, details. Those two come together as essential requirements for building heirloom grade features.

When one of the above is lacking, it creates vulnerability in the process. This also ties back into the conversation at the beginning, which was about the elusiveness of perfection. The more lacking patience and detail become, the more the effort becomes revealed. This creates tension in the imperfect balance of natural inspiration.

Perhaps we are getting a little deep in the weeds on this one, but say with me a second. The goal of natural inspiration is not to actually recreate nature. That in it's core is not possible. Instead the goal, is to borrow from it the idea of seamless integration. Man made features and transition areas that appear smooth and stress free. They blend in a way that captures attention, draws curiosity, and exist without attempting to fight the forces of the natural world.

In implementation this is not exhaustive. However, it requires a specific vision of how priorities of nature work. Patience and attention to details matter, and working with someone that can piece all these together creates a recipe for success. We are here to help you achieve success when it comes to designing and building amazing backyard (side yard & front yard) experiences that will last a lifetime. The first step is to fill out the form via the button below and our team will reach out to you within 1 business day to help you get the process started.

Thanks for reading!