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Looking back a year, could anyone have predicted that not only would a pandemic reshape our lives but also ignite home design trends? Highly doubtful. And yet, that’s precisely what has occurred. We have spent so much more time at home thanks to COVID-19 that it spurred substantial moves to improve our home spaces – […]
When we think about shade in the garden, we typically think about large, established trees, with many of them likely in place long before the house was built. Yet, creating shaded areas is easier than you might think and faster than waiting 20 years for a tree to mature. Also, the benefits of adding shade […]
For many of us, spending more time at home this season meant investing time and resources into our yards. But were you able to see all your landscaping dreams realized? Adding a swimming pool, spa, or hot tub, is the ultimate way to create a backyard oasis that not only provides a long season of […]
The Stuart Mill Project Video This week we are shining the spotlight on our Stuart Mill project. It’s wonderful to have such a gorgeous home for inspiration when designing an outdoor space. The stunning architecture of this Virginia home gave us the cues to design an outdoor kitchen and gathering space that looks like it […]
It seems that as Americans, we are in one of two camps: traveling to Thanksgiving festivities or hosting family and friends. In the Mid-Atlantic, we are fortunate to have some sunny and mild November days, so we likely can enjoy our outdoor space one more time before winter stays for good. Add Some Warmth Of […]
When it comes to carving out a life we love, WalletHub recently validated that it’s not just one thing but a combination of factors that measure what makes a house a home. It’s no surprise that McLean scored well in the survey of 1,200 small cities with populations between 25,000 and 100,000. 42 key indicators […]
by Ed Ball 1. PREVENT DEAD SPOTS AND WET LANDS — Get your irrigation systems on and adjusted You want to schedule the turning-on of the irrigation systems as early as possible, but now that we’re in May just make sure they’re adjusted for spring time. You don’t want to over-use your irrigation and over-water […]
by Ed Ball The Most Frequently Asked Question I Received at the Home Show was… Drum Roll, please… “Hi Ed, I’ve been having some water drainage issues, and I need help, what can we do about it?” With the triple amount of rain we had in 2018, naturally, everybody’s property has/had to deal with significant […]
by Ed Ball Most people would probably agree that New Year’s resolutions are mostly broken rather than kept — that said, below are some of my favorite alternative resolutions for 2019 that may be worth a try! Note: I will ignore losing weight or exercing more or eating healthier which seem to be on everybody’s […]
by Ed Ball 1. 3D is better than 2D! For starters, even though we may not all prefer 3D at the movie theatre, when it comes to landscape design and home construction, a 3D virtual illustration is always better than 2D drawing. For starters, it’s difficult for people to look at 2D drawings and then […]
How Drone Technology is Changing the Game for Business and Consumer in the World of Landscape Architecture, Design, and Construction by Ed Ball Typically, when you think of drones, you think of ariel photography and cool panoramic video shots of outdoor landscapes and scenes, but the real potential and power of drone technology lies well […]
by Ed Ball “Water can flow or it can crash.” Those are the simplistic and yet profound words of the great Bruce Lee – the martial arts legend and actor as he discussed the philosophical nature of his fighting style Jeet Koon Do during a TV interview. Ironically, this famous Bruce Lee quote happens to […]