Richard and Brooksie's Backyard 'LillyPad'

   

Well, my first introduction to this job, besides knowing both the wonderful clients, Richard and 'Brooksie', of Trilogy Fame, and the wonderful contractors, Janice Rieves and Joe Kenlan, was this beautiful truckload of Crab Orchard stone that Janice pulled up with in Joe's truck that fine morning. Ta da!

Janice, an Artist if I ever knew one, even matched this truck load, in hue, if not demeanor, to a 'T'! You know, if there is one special treat that I enjoy the most in the construction business, it is getting to work with other artists, who have an appreciation for color, as well as form and function. That pretty much completes the pie, for me. And it makes for some tasty pie, as you shall soon see...

This lovely load of stone, was to be arranged as a landing pad for the well deserved feet of Richard and Brooksie, who have a beautiful new backyard to enjoy.

By the time I arrived on the scene, Janice had already layne out the countours of this giant 'lilly pad'.

 

What was left for yours truly to do, was to remove all of  the soil with in this shape, about 5 inches down.
First, I removed the top layer of grass, which we used for turf on the lawn, and then established my depth, along a clean line, so that I could attempt to maintain it as I moved across the area.

While I didn't hit too many roots, this soil was rock hard, and rock filled, and pretty slow going. Fortunately for me, Richard himself was happy to help out, as was Janice, and by and by, together, we knocked it out.

It was nice to work with a client in this way, and in many ways, this seemed to be sort of an an ideal to aspire to. Richard was very good to work with.

Once we finally had a moderately flat cavity, carved into the surface of the ground, Janice and I re-established, and enforced, the shapes edges, using metal edging. Janice is nice enough to let me help with this fine tuning of the edge, perhaps because she knows how fastidious I am about graceful lines, and she is seeking easy and graceful passages herself, in her work for her clients landscapes. I feel quite honored that she, a very accomplished sculptor and landscaper, is willing to trust my senses in this.

Janice in 'the zone'- (aka 'the janisphere')

A sculptor at work, getting tuned in/in touch with the earth,
a beautiful thing.

Once we had the edges established for good,

it was Gravel Time.

Richard practices Zen Gravel Leveling, Quite adeptly.

Janice practices Zen pogosticking, not as adeptly.

Back in the Janisphere.

"A little help from our friends"

And finally, 

Vioala! I perfecly smooth pad of gravel, on which to...

position

A creek bed of stepping stones, cascades, and emerges...

So here is a question to ask the earth-plodding-anscestors of yore. If a Wee Leperchaun offers to help you with your landscaping job, do you consider this a boone?

Mia, gladly 'helping', to get me back in shape!

Good thing I've got 3 eyes.

Well, in this case yes. Mia, a force of sheer CHARISMA!

And Finally...

through all of our hard work together, chipping and moving and stacking, arranging, and fine tuning,

all of the pieces fell into place!.... 

And the result is the gorgeous landing pad/vista point that Richard and Brooksie had ordered up, to relax and enjoy the cathedral like space of their forest/backyard.

This is why Brooksie and Richard called a Landscape Artist!

Many Thanks to Brooksie, Richard, Zoe and Mia...

for being such a wonderfuly welcoming, helpful, hospitable, and even (on several occasions) entertaining family to work with.

I feel confident that I speak for Janice as well, when I say that it has been a real pleasure!