Improving runoff patterns on a grade

QuestionHi Marc, I have no idea if you are the right person to ask about this, but from reading your past answers, you certainly seem to know your stuff. So here goes: I have a house which sits on a slight g

addhoc landscaping

QuestionDear Jonathan: I am a trained industrial designer and sculptor with more than 25 years of working expereience here in Venezuela and abroad.Recently Ive turned my interest towards landcape design and I am cur

Adding curb appeal

QuestionHi Marc, We have a 2-storey house which sits on a lot which is 50 feet wide. the distance from the curb to the front of the house is 30 feet. Both the driveway and the front lawn are flat. Despite a nicely s

innovative concepts in urban planning

Questionhi. I am student styding in an architecture college. In the present semester we have been given a topic in our seminar on liability of innovative concepts in urban planning. Firstly i didnt undertsand proper

our flagstone on hot tub

QuestionWe purchased in August and notice a little bit of the flagstone rock from hottub that just falls off and did not worry much. Lately big chunks are coming off and falling into the pool, there has been freezin

meyer lemon tree

QuestionHi, I have a meyer lemon tree that is about 3 feet tall and 3 years old now. Its in a large pot, and had 7 lemons on it (picked on Thanksgiving Day) for the first time. Its inside now for the win

Landscape Design Pricing

QuestionQUESTION: Im just starting out in Landscape & Interior Design. Im not sure how/what to charge for my design plans or what to consider a good/fair price for work that I will not be performing. A p

schooling

QuestionCan you recommend classes or a school where I can get enough education in landscape design to be considered by a good company for an appointment as apprentice? I have a background in art so I can draw, I thi

raised river rock garden bed

QuestionQUESTION: Hi Marc, I live in Southern California and want to have a raised garden beds for my backyard. I have priced wood and WOW its expensive so I started to research River Rock (I

Ground Cover (preferably evergreen)

QuestionWe have a small court yard garden where conventional grass will not grow (due to trees that screen back of garden and large Yew tree which dominates). Can you suggest living ground cover which would

big yard

Questioni have a fairly large back yard with no trees or landscaping and a nasty looking fence from the neighbors behind us. Its too large of a yard to probably do what we would like as it would be cost prohib

Drainage...

QuestionMy wife and I purchased our first home in September of 2007, and were excited that our property was nice and flat! This meant great possibilities for patios and gardens...however, when the January thaw came

Cactus

Question I purchased a single stem cactus from a vendor at a Farmers Market about 4 or 5 years ago. It was planted in a round starter pot about 3 inches in diameter and 4 to 5 inches tall. The plant was

masking a brick wall

QuestionQUESTION: My back yard is long and narrow, with a 7 high brick wall running the length of it. On the other side of the wall is a church parking lot. I want to plant something down the length of t

Desert plantings

QuestionHi, I live in Borrego Springs. Our lot is totally desert natural. Palo Verde trees, mesquite, indigo, creosote. We have planted Texas rangers, a couple of olive trees. My proble

Landscaping next to a raised house foundation

QuestionHi Sean, First thanks for taking time to look at this! Second, this fall I removed a very large overgrown tree next to our south facing exterior wall. The ground slopes down along the wall starting w

bradford pear trees

QuestionHi Sir, My church has Bradford pear trees planted about 10 to 15 feet from the church building, 2 feet from parking lot on one side and 2 feet from sidewalk on opposite side. These trees are around 10 to 20

turning old concrete slab to veggie garden

QuestionHello. We have an approximately 30 year old 22X16 concrete slab patio which has several cracks running from a drilled hole for an umbrella stand (which was not put in by us) the length of the slab. Each sect

decking

Questioni am having drainage promblems so i deceided to deck my back yard i have a german shephard puppy can you give me any ideas what to put on the decking to stop it from smelling when the puppy goes the toilet t

Refacing cement steps

QuestionHi Sean, We have a cement slab for our front entry. It is currently faced with blue green flagstones that I hate. Can the flagstone be removed(i.e. pried, hammered, chipped off) and the sla