Why Permeable Pavers Are a Smart Solution for Water Issues
If you’re dealing with standing water, runoff, or erosion in your landscape, you’re not alone. Poor drainage can damage your property, weaken hardscapes, and create ongoing maintenance headaches. Fortunately, there’s a solution that’s both functional and attractive: permeable pavers. Unlike traditional concrete or asphalt surfaces, permeable pavers are designed to allow water to pass through […]
Building a Spectacular Front Entrance
One thing we pride ourselves on is keeping our customers for many years. This is just one example. Last Fall we showed you the back patio we installed. https://artofstonegardening.com/building-a-spectacular-stone-back-patio. Over the course of 4 years, we have transformed the entrance, side, and back of this Gainesville, GA home with stone. This blog focuses on building […]
Stone Path In the Woods
New clients in Dahlonega, GA contacted us to re-vamp their walkway that went from the front of their house to a side deck, through the woods in the backyard, and ending at a lower-level patio. Issue #1: Water was not draining. Their path was simply dirt and mulch, with rocks acting as the edging. Not […]
Rock Solid Renovation: A Backyard Makeover
When a young couple in Dawsonville reached out to us about their backyard makeover, we knew we had our work cut out for us. Their newly purchased home had plenty of charm, but the backyard was in need of some attention. It required significant TLC to transform it into a space that the family, their […]
Solving Water Issues and Creating Usable Space
When we were hired for this project, the homeowners had just moved into their new home and were frustrated with the narrow, unusable backyard. They wanted a functional outdoor space but were also dealing with some serious water drainage issues that needed to be addressed first. Tackling the Drainage Problem The first thing we noticed […]
10 Best Practices for an Environmentally Sensitive Site Analysis
At Art of Stone Gardening, we approach landscape design with a deep commitment to environmentally sensitive site analysis. This means thoroughly understanding the unique characteristics of each site before making any decisions. Environmentally sensitive site analysis – meaning taking into account the site and it’s environment before buying plants or installing landscapes and hardscapes. The […]
Why Go Dry?
What is a dry creek bed? Dry creek beds are a good solution for drainage and erosion problems, but they do not completely solve them because water goes where it wants. Water tends to take the path of least resistance. The three main essential components to a dry creek bed are location, the size of […]
You Can’t Paint a Dirty Wall (or Sidewalk)
We had a client this past year whose concrete sidewalk needed a facelift. It was old, dirty, and created a lackluster pathway leading to the entrance of an otherwise beautiful home. The homeowner previously tried to pain the sidewalk in an effort to hide the ugly concrete. Have you ever heard the saying you can’t […]
How to: Watering in the Winter
In case you didn’t know, watering your plants in the winter is integral to ensuring their survival. Winter weather is cold, dry, and windy, a villainous trio of conditions out to wreak havoc on your garden. The low humidity and strong dry winds of winter can cause root damage, which affects the health of the […]
Keeping the Soil Where it Belongs
Because our business involves disturbing land, we are very aware of the need to keep soil in its place. I was reminded of this recently by a walk in my neighborhood. I live a few streets away from the Etowah River in Lumpkin County. While on my walk, I looked through the woods and noticed […]
