#18--Stoned Again

A trip to Wicki Stone in Great Meadows today yielded the tumbled flat bluestone for the dry garden as well as stone for another project we're working on. That way we were mixing business with pleasure...

Frank (shown for scale) tagging a 1.5 ton pallet of tumbled patio sized bluestone.
It's not easy to find pieces this size that are tumbled.

These big bad babies will be set in pea gravel to make a random level walking surface.

#17--Slow Progress with 1 month to go

Projects like showhouses can be of great benefit to everyone involved, but they demand a financial commitment of either hard cash or time. We were supposed to work today getting the vertical stones in place, but paying work has stalled that effort. We still have plenty of time but I don't want to get caught in the last minute rush to finish.

I did order furniture for the dry garden patio.

The top photo shows the table and the bottom the chairs.
Both are from Janus et Cie

I have always loved faux bois furniture and garden elements. Probably not what most would choose, but it's my nod to the Edwardian gardeners who first built the rock garden. I think it will add a softer element the environment while still being rustic. Plants will add to that soft quality. I also ordered some recycled glass boulders to play with.

The solar lighting scheme is inching along with some technical issues that are slowly getting resolved.

#16--Greenhouse crawl

Early this morning I went to one of the local production greenhouses to see what he's got growing for spring. This particular place is $1.00 cheaper per gallon pot than anyone else. He's got some specialties--rosemary, sempervivums and sedums in particular. He's not real big on labeling so you have to kind of know what you're looking at. Things get labeled when they're big, so the plug trays aren't necessarily labeled. It's a wild place where you walk in, pull your own order and if everyone is busy you count it up and leave a check. Not many folks do business like this anymore.

Here's two photos of the hens & chicks...It's a lot of motherships and their satellites! I love this tough old fashioned plant.

Notice not a single label anywhere...

#15--Creative Angst

I know myself well enough at this point to understand that part way through any project is the most difficult time for me creatively. I begin to question my original decisions and look my work with a harsh critical eye. The project at the Mansion in May is no exception. I am currently agonizing over the remaining rock placements, the path, the dry garden, the furniture choices, the lamp choices and the plants, plants, plants. This is part of my process, I understand that, but it doesn't make is any easier.

I got a boost from the press preview because all of my peers were definitely intrigued by what we had done so far. There weren't many press, but many of the other designers were there.

#14--Rock Star

The arch was finished today in anticipation of the 'in progress' press junket at the show house tomorrow. Many people were working today trying to get something done for the press to cover. We've been kind of on our own for the past few days and we're the only landscape design group with anything major done. It wasn't really planned, it was just when we could get everyone together to do it.

We also started the secondary stonework but didn't get as far with that.

Here's some photos of our rock stars--the arch and its creator, Dan Lupino.

Adjusting the keystone before dropping it into place
Dan, knocking out the temporary supports as his heart beats faster and faster.
Rock Star!!