Stone Work--Some Before and After Photos
The photos at right illustrate before and after stages for a few zones on a dynamic project we designed and built in Lansing, NY in 2008 (hover on the photos to see captions).
The first photo shows the seasonal creekbed which runs through the property and under the driveway, via 3 culverts. Hiding in the weeds were some sterling native floodplain and wetland species--blue lobelia, joe-pye, etc. The driveway where it passed over the culverts was eroding somewhat, and down lower in the creekbed, the stone used to fill around the culverts was decomposing, which was unsightly and suggested more erosion to come.
The second photo is one of the two main culvert walls, in progress. The walls had lots of corners and edges which made the work more exacting but ultimately allowed for a natural and finished look.
The third photo is a section of the culvert wall more or less finished.
The fourth photo shows the area of lawn above the creekbed that we chose for siting the pond and patio. The eroded creek bank is below where the guys are standing. While no one can resist (myself included) making jokes about groups of guys standing around on jobsites, in this case our crew was taking one last look at the shape of the site, the angle of the creek, and the sun vs. shade questions, before marking the outline of the pond and digging in.
The fifth photo is taken from 180 degrees opposite the fourth--basically from behind where the guys are standing in the previous picture, and looking back out toward the creek and driveway. When building the pond, we discovered the soil on site was some of the best we've seen in Tompkins County, so we carefully staged it, worked with minimal compaction around the pond, and were able to move it all back into place around the pond to create the beds. Also in this view, the liner around the waterfall feature is still visible, but was trimmed out to a sight line at completion, so no liner is visible.
If you're interested in talking with us about how our stone work can enhance your landscape, and add the durable elegance only stone can bring, please feel free to contact us at dan@plantsmen.com , or call 607.533.7193--our office is rustic but is not a black hole, and your message will be returned within 24 hours.