Using Recycled Stone in the Landscape

There is a sort of 'Alchemy' applied when working with recycled stone. 

We had a project last week that required us to use a Fieldstone that was pulled off of the interior fireplace during the renovation of the house.

The project required us to wrap two front entryway posts with this natural stone. Using fieldstone to make a square feature can be difficult. Building with used fieldstone makes it even more complicated. 

Fieldstone is round and irregular by nature. Any type of stone can be considered a 'Fieldstone' as long as it has been weathered above ground for some time.
The weathering gives it an aged looked and usually rounds sharp edges. In Santa Cruz, we usually use Sonoma Fieldstone, because it is harvested in California.

Using a stone that is round or has rounded edges can make our job more interesting, when we are trying to create a square column. 

The stone work was capped with recycled Bluestone. The patio at the entryway is made of Bluestone, so incorporating it into our feature helped to bring everything together. 

Landscaping in Santa Cruz:

Slate Entryway Steps

We worked hard this last week to finish a stairway at our clients house in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The design for this project was to create a pathway from the driveway to the front door. We came up with a modern looking, staggered stairway that is veneered with 16 inch 'Multi Color' natural slate.

After initial grading and excavation, we begin the layout and forming. 

Time is taken at this stage of the project to get the design and layout perfect.

Making sure the forming is right will allow the the next stages of the job to go more smoothly.

After the forms are up and secured, we install a grid of 1/2 inch rebar to give strength to the new concrete. The rebar grid is laid on 12-16 inch centers, leaving 2 inches on any side of the rebar from the ground and forms. 

We then pour and finish the concrete. Since we are going to be veneering the steps with natural stone slate, we only need a rough finish on the concrete.

Although the finish is 'rough', it is still very important that the steps are completely flat.

After the concrete has cured, we begin laying the slate. We start with the risers of the steps so when we lay the flat work, or 'treads', they can be set over the risers.

We use Thinset to glue the slate to the concrete. 

The slate is carefully spaced and cut into place when needed.

The 'Multi-Color' slate is a very common slate, and has some rich colors.

The 'nose' of each step tread is bullnosed, using a special diamond blade on the tile saw, prior to installation.

The steps are then grouted with a colored, sanded grout. 

We will also be coming back next week to seal the slate with a 'low sheen' stone sealant.

Please visit my Facebook page and website for more info and pictures of other stone installation projects in Santa Cruz.

www.livingwaterslandscaping.com

Front Yard Landscaping in Santa Cruz, Ca.

We Just finished this front yard landscaping project in the West Side of Santa Cruz. It is a simple design, but has a beautiful impact on the house and neighborhood in general. It includes some sod, plantings, landscape lighting and a brick entryway staircase.

We used the Amaryllis Path Light by Aurora Lighting to illuminate the entryway stairs. They are an elegant, flower like low voltage light that are very functional and add an artistic statement to the new landscape.

Please visit Living Waters Landscaping.com for more information on our services.

Pondless Waterfall Construction in Ben Lomond Ca

Boulder Fountain in Boulder Creek

Here is an example of a simple boulder fountain we just built in Boulder Creek, Ca.

A minimalist design gives this feature a very meditative feel.

Asheville landscaping: Dry Stone Walling

We have been working hard this week to complete a natural stone, dry stacked retaining wall. 

Dry stone walling is an ancient craft. Some say it dates back to more than 5000 B.C. 
This is a picture of a dry stacked wall in Peru, laid by the Incan people.

Dry stone walling is a technique that requires no concrete or mortar. The stone is stacked tightly together and gets strength from the connection each stone has with each other.

A properly built dry stacked wall can last for hundreds of years. 

Below is a video from the landscaping and dry stone walling project we just completed. We used a Moria Ledger stone that was capped with an Autumn Flame Select stone for this wall.



Please visit or website for more information:

www.livingwaterslandscaping.com

Landscaping in Santa Cruz: The Evolution Of A Mailbox

~I got a call from a client of mine in San Jose last month to re-work his front yard landscape.
We installed this waterfall into his pool last year and he was very happy with our work.


In the design phase of his new front yard landscape, we noticed his mailbox could use an upgrade.

He had installed this mailbox in the early 1980's. It had since become overgrown, and almost hidden, in the Juniper hedge.


We decided to remove the hedge and build a new veneer stone mailbox pillar. 


We also designed a front entryway staircase using dry laid natural stone.


The new design will open up the front of the house and make it feel more welcoming.

With all the clearing done we start with the excavation and foundation for the pillar.
This picture also shows the new entryway steps. We used large Mossback slabs to create this custom and natural looking staircase. Some of the Mossback slabs weighed more than 800 pounds! 


The footing for the pillar was 18 inches deep and two feet wide with a rebar every 8 inches. The footing for the pillar is very important. Make sure you do not cut corners on this part of the project, if you are building a pillar yourself. If you are in an area that freezes in the winter, you will need to put your footer below the frost line or the ground will heave and your pillar could fall over. Check with a  local contractor in your area to get necessary depths for concrete footings.


After the footing has set, we begin the block work.


The finished column will be 4 ft tall. 


Block is mortared together with rebar laid on the top of each corse of block to create a grid of rebar throughout the column.

The mailbox was then installed into the column. 


After the block is laid and filled, we install the stone veneer. We chose the El Dorado 'Durango Mountain Ledge' stone for this project. 


We used a 'dry stack' walling style with this project. 

With the dry stacked style, we 'back mortar' all the stones in place using a polymer-modified veneer mortar. This way there are no visible grout joints. 


Each stone is individually cut to create a custom fit and a very natural look.

With the stone work done, we cap the column with an El Dorado Chiseled Edge Textured Column Cap.

Feel free to visit our website or Facebook page for more information and to see the different services we offer.


Living Waters Landscaping.com

Landscaping in Santa Cruz: Bonsai in the Garden

Asheville Landscaping: Japanese/ Bonsai Garden

I recently revisited a project we worked on a couple years ago to see how it has looking.

In this project we teamed up with a Bonsai artist to create a beautiful Japanese style garden. 

We installed a large pond and waterfall with a meandering stream that was framed with lots of stonework. We then accented the landscape with both potted and planted Bonsai trees. Some of the trees are nearly 400 years old!

Adding Bonsai to a garden gives a newly installed landscape an established look and feel.

Working here in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where this project was done, allows us to use a variety of plants and trees in the landscape. In the Santa Cruz Mountains we have a diverse selection of ecosystems, from Riparian corridors to Redwood forests and Chaparral hillsides.

With few days of freezing temperatures and the costal fog, we can play with lots of plantings in our projects. 

   Using potted Bonsai in the project gave the garden points of intrest to to stop and see as you walk through the yard.

We made Redwood pedestals for some of the potted trees to keep them out of the soil and aide in visual interest.

 Adding wood elements to your garden brings a wonderful harmony and contrast to the stone and plantings.

Along with the Bonsai Pedestals, we have a custom Redwood fence with a traditional Japanese Shoji entry gate as a backdrop. 

We also constructed a wooden bridge over the stream, and a Redwood viewing bench at the edge of the patio.

We added the planted Bonsai along the edge of the patio as an anchor and focal point to the garden.

Please visit our website to see more projects we have worked on in the Santa Cruz Mountains:

LivingWatersLandscaping.com

Or on Facebook:

LivingWatersLandscaping/facebook.com

Pondless Waterfall Rebuild in San Jose, Ca.

Santa Cruz Landscaping: Veneer Stone

When choosing a veneer stone for your retaining wall or other masonry work, be sure to look at your options to make sure you are geting the look and feel you desire for your landscape.


There are many types of Faux Veneer Stone products to choose from. 
ElDorado Stone and Cultured Stone make some beautiful products. 


Faux veneer stone is a lightweight concrete product that is cast into a variety of shapes and colors that mimic actual stone almost identically. Faux stone is easy to work with and can be installed much faster than natural stone veneer.


However, there is nothing that compares to the beauty and color of Natural Stone Veneer.
The project featured here was constructed using a Natural Stone Veneer.
We used Wolk Creek and Autumn Flame stones for this wall.

 Stones are carefully selected and cut into place to create a one of a kind piece of functional art. 


Natural Veneer Stone is slightly harder to work with because of its weight and its density, which makes it harder to cut. 
Natural stone can be more expensive than faux stone, depending on the stone you choose to work with.


This project called for a 'Dry Stack' look. This means there are no grout joints between the stones. The result is a more naturalistic feature.


After all the stone is mortared to the wall, we cap it with a bull-nosed cap stone and seal the entire wall with a semi-gloss laquer finish.