Work that Stone!

Out around Spokane we’ve got a lot of different terrain to work with, so we can justify almost any landscaping style as something that’s representative of the region. Truth to tell, we love nature and like big, rough, natural water features that stand out, but still blend in with the environment as it is.

That’s all cool, but there’s something to be said for just dropping the whole “nature” thing! There are times you want to make a bold statement with your landscaping, and times when you just want to add a personal touch. That’s why we also do engraving and stone working. We’ve got a whole other business – Garden Stone Creations – devoted to stone engraving, but we also blend it in with our landscaping efforts.

Here a few cool ways to combine engraved stone with other landscaping features.

Address: The postman’s not going to miss your house if your address is carved in stone at the top of an ornamental cairn you’ve built up at the foot of your driveway. Add your name (“The Johnsons”) or if you’re feeling classy, give your property a name (“Nifty Acres”) and put it on the engraving.

Poetry and Prose: We can carve some verses on one or more stones bordering your water feature or hardscape. Depending on the feeling you want to evoke. This could be a bit of favorite philosophy (“Don’t worry, be happy”) a lyric (again, “Don’t worry, be happy”) or something wacky, (“Don’t worry . . .” okay, you get the picture).

Pictures: We can add silhouettes and other pictures to your stones. These are cool conversation pieces, and another way to make your landscape your own. Every water feature or hardscape is unique, of course, but I admit that the untrained eye might just see a big ol’ pile of rocks and other stuff. Add a bold accent that fits you to a “T:” an animal, a portrait, or even a flag, if you’re feeling patriotic.

Polish: Like I said, we love a natural look, but a bit of polished stone can make your landscape features glow. For instance, if you mix rough and smooth stone around a water feature you’ll catch the sunlight in two different ways: from the water and the surrounding rock. Polished stone is nice to touch and sit on, too. Remember that landscaping is about building livable environments: places your kids will play and where you’ll hang out whenever you’ve got the time. They’re not just for looking at!