This is of course, another view of the before and after series featured above.  This is the central set of stairs leading up to the road.  We opted to make it rather busy, curling as it does upwards and sticking close by the upper wall.  The steps themselves were coinstructed out of the same wall bricks as the make up of the wall itself, but capped by the coping stones, or “caps”, shown running along the top of the walls.

This also ranks among my all-time favorite projects.  The view from the kitchen and sitting room windows has enough angle to it to reveal a lake to the lower right of this photo.  Thus, on a dialy basis, you get the sense of looking from water into water, just at different levels.  There a few interesting surprises to this water feature, especially inasmuch as it cascades down into what becomes another but more naturalistic series of falls into a small pool at the bottom, complete with another, more private patio.

The view here is pretty spectacular though, isn’t it?  This home has the perch to allow this dynamite view of Reno, Nevada in the distance.  Needless to say, there is more to see, not possible to catch in one mere photo.  The view spans about 240 degrees, across the valley onto the mountains leading to Virginia City to the East and to the Sierra Nevada’s to the West. When the fireworks go off in Reno at July 4th, Bo and Sandy entertain a huge party who can watch them go off at the various locations they do, simultaneously. The view is refreshing and expansive, sometimes breath-taking when the big Western Sky has clouds and thunderstorm action.  The sunrises are worth the price of the lot as well.

The photo and post following this one will show in more detail the view back towards this gorgeous house.  We used a fairly pricey brick paver for this project and I have to believe it was a totally correct choice.  Rustic yet colorful, the curving lines allowed by the antiqued edges meant a sinewy and involving complexity that also captures the eye.

Here is some detail around this backwards gander at the Infinity Edge pool as it abuts the patio.  Notice the cantilevered protruding curve into the pond itself.  It goes out about 3 feet, suspended over the water, hiding this big spotlight underneath which delivers and incredibly deep Azure Blue color at night.  The richness of the water feature’s night color is a major feature of this entire place.

The patio itself is huge, a bit more than 1,000 square feet.  As well, as mentioned in the prior post, the sights and sounds of water are everpresent as the water from this pool cascades over the infinity edge into a catch basin, then is centralized into the beginnings of a series of waterfalls like a creek below the edge.  It ends in another pond, hard by a patio where the homeowners like to  relax, 16 feet below the rest of the property and where they often enjoy a book or some wine, away from it all.

We made a very conscious effort to put the level of water less than an inch below the suspended pavers shown here.  It gives a shimmering feel to it all, especially at night, and it keeps the water level as close as possible to the actual level of the patio itself.  I felt this made the entire water edifice more inviting and sumptuous in general.

Here’s an interesting place shown here just after completion from a house we did in Portland, Oregon.  The family there had that most interesting cat sculpture which I really liked, even as common as it is. For some reason, the placidity of this small sculpture fit in so well.  The rounded mounding looks great and the low-lying plants surrounding this cute cat won’t get large enough to hide it, either, for the most part. Plus its grey tone is color-nuetral so it fits well within the riot of color later when everything blooms. The thing is, a sculpture such as this just adds an element to any garden.  In this case, its simplicity and rounded form augment a similar geological sensibility.

The plants selected here are all shade tolerant, naturally, and a few were actually selected for their scent.  There’s a rosemary one cannot really see and a few Artemesia varieties which almost always produce a tangy smell.  Needless to say, at least regarding my work and preferences, lavender will be there somewhere. Nor is this a particularly deeply-shaded spot.  Notice the dappled sunlight, enhanced owing to the thinning of branches in the birch trees behind nd above.  Some sun is almost always preferable to none at all and gives just a bit of pizzaz to almost any flowering species.

The Rhodedrendrons are magnificent bloomers, as always, and this particular variety savors the deeper shade elements. For a small bed, this little item has always been one of my favorites, especially since it is pretty much the fiorst thing someone sees when they enter the back yard from the gate behind from where this picture was taken.  Serene and shady, this one was a real neat spot.