Travertine Pool Deck Installation on Concrete and Sealing  This homeowner has problems with her travertine installation on concrete decking and questions on sealing the stone.

We had a complete pool remodel ...

Landscape Design Software Suggestions  Hi, been in the business for 30 years, I still love the warmth of hand drawings, what if any landscape design software do you think best keeps the look ...

pavers over concrete patio 

We have a 15 X 18 patio (6 years old), no settling or cracks but is starting to flake on top...have had contractors look at it and they all say "it'...

Travertine Paver Durability - Sealers-Mold-Installation 

Hello Susan,

First, let me say that your site deserves an award, if it hasn't received one already, for the outstanding public service that it provides!...

Front Yard Planting Design 

Front Yard Planting Design

I just bought a 1930's bungalow that I love, but the front yard has problems! I just can not figure out how to fix ...

Water coming over property line 
My neighbor's rain runoff goes down the side of the house and under the fence and onto my property. I was wondering if there is something I can put along ...

Pavers Over Concrete --In The Dusty Desert  Here is a question regarding laying pavers over concrete where the area is very dusty.


We have a concrete patio slab and would like to put pavers ...

Landscaping in front of house  Hello. We are going to re-do the landscaping in the front of our house and need some help.

We are taking out what is there now and have figured maybe ...

Brick, pavers or bluestone? 
Hi,
We live in a beautiful Victorian home, it is white with black trim. Currently the main staircase from the back of the home is brick & concrete (built ...

travertine pavers look milky after sealing  I had travertine pavers installed around my pool area and had the installer seal them with a water based sealer. I don't know what sealer was used as ...

shaded back yard with dogs | should we use decomposed granite?  Here's a question about a shaded backyard for dogs and if decomposed granite is a good solution.

Hello,
We have three large breed dogs who have their ...

Backyard and Front Yard Privacy 
We bought a big house, quite plain on the outside and very close to neighbors, which i am not accustomed to. The people across the street watch us all ...

Cambridge Pavers For Driveway & Patio   Hi Susan,

Our patio dimension is approx. 12X18.

We have sandstone (Beige) vinyl siding with deep reddish brown shutters. You can say the shutters ...

Garden Pergola | Paint Color Fro Garden Pergola Designs  Hi Susan......Probably over a year ago I asked for your help in regards to hot tub placement ideas....well proud to say that the job is now complete with ...

Suggestions for a backyard slope with partial sun 
Very pleased to have found your site.
Hoping you have some suggestions for a sloped portion of my backyard that faces west and gets little sun after ...

stone wall bordering driveway - what are the best hardscape materials? 
We are thinking of building a long natural stone wall along the curve of our property. Our concern is that with 80 inches of rain in this part of the ...

new plantings for RI beach house 
Hi there!

I'm enjoying your website.
Last fall my husband and i took out all the OLD shrubs from the front of our house in RI{House is 24' across}...

Exposed aggregate - can I cover 
My pool deck and patio is covered with exposed aggregate. I want to remodel the whole area. Most contractors have said removed the exposed aggregate,...

landscaping a window well  I put a window in my basement this winter. My backyard looks like a disaster area.

I did it myself and tore out all the landscaping and patio I originally ...

landscape lighting in Texas 
The pic I have sent does not capture the whole area, but will give some idea of what pool shape is. I am looking for good quality walkway lights that ...

planting in a small space next to a garage  We are building a garage with a covered walkway to the house.

There is a space between the sidewalk and the garage wall that is 15 inches wide and ...

Walkout basement landscaping...what to do?? 
We have a walkout basement. It has a 10ft wide concrete patio that runs most of the length of the house. I would love to do some landscaping out back ...

Installation Of Travertine Pavers | Laying Over Existing Concrete  Questions on installing travertine pavers? Here are some answers as to the correct way to lay travertine or pavers.

Cost Of Sitting Walls 
I am trying to build a patio. However, I would like to know how much a sitting wall could cost. These walls are on the side of the patio, and their ...

Sod Replacement Estimate  I need a new 10ft tall deck and cement patio (20x16) underneath. The rest of my yard is nice lawn. How much of my nice lawn do think will be destroyed ...

Plants For Under a Deck  Laura wants to know what to plant under her deck.

What do you suggest to do with dead grass area under new deck? The ground is very level and we ...

Landscaping Question On Prices  A landscaping question on prices from a landscaper.

I can't even recall how I found your site, but I really like it. I am a landscaper who was curious ...

Using a variety of fencing styles.....  Can different styles of fencing be used throughout a yard's landscaping?
I currently have a short picket fence surrounding a cottage garden in front ...

Lawn slopes towards house  The question: Will drainage pipes near my house still cause foundation problems?

Our lawn slopes towards our house, which has a 1.5 metre brick paved ...

Travertine Pavers on front stoop (Chicago)  Here are some questions regarding placing travertine pavers over a concrete porch, and my answers.

Hello,
I have 1 1/4" thick travertine pavers (versailles ...

Travertine - dry set or on concrete in California  We are redoing our 50-year + pool and have decided on travertine for around the pool and the patio. We are located in Los Angeles, CA and are trying to ...

Land FX and Vectorworks Comparison  Hi,
I am a landscape designer and I just read your software reviews and would love to know more. Specifically I am looking at Vectorworks and Land FX ...

Pet friendly backyard landscaping  We are going to be building our home on a our 2 acre property.

I am very neat/clean freak. We have 2 pups (min pin & rat terrier), who now use the ...

matching up patio design & color to brick home  Planning to build dark stained pergola over back patio against a dark red brick home (mixed with darker browns to blacks similar to your basket weave pic ...

travertine pavers over concrete kool decking around pool  I'm considering installing travertine pavers over my existing kool-deck concrete patio. I know your not a fan of that concept but three different companies ...

Planting ideas for subdivision entry islands  Hi-

I have been asked to revamp 3 subdivision entry islands with new perennials. You can see from the attached photos that the islands are full of ...

Front Walkway and Foundation Plant Ideas  I need some front walkway and foundation plant ideas. My 1960's colonial-style house sits on top of a small hill. My driveway cuts through the front ...

How durable is scored concrete - Creating a concrete patio or pavers  Should scored concrete or pavers be used for this patio?

We are working on a backyard landscape plan with an experienced professional landscape architect ...

Circular garden around a flag pole  I'm trying to design a perennial garden around a flag pole that is viewed from all sides.
The garden size is 20' diameter. The flag pole is in the center ...

landscaping for a townhouse wall  I have a new townhouse that is an end unit. It is a two story unit with light cream colored siding, no windows, no break in color, only a huge two story ...

Church needs street view facelift  Dear Susan,

We would appreciate your suggestions for a street view face life for our church. The large fir tree has died and will be removed in a month....

Steep Driveway Drainage  Two questions regarding steep driveway drainage:

My existing driveway has a fairly steep incline for about 20 to 25 ft. upward, then levels off for ...

Height and landscape design ideas for my front landscaping   Please, Please, Please help me with my front landscaping against the west side of my house (lots of afternoon sun). It definitely needs some inspiration ...

Plants In Front of Fencing  Q&A about plantings inf ront of fencing, which plants to use, how to arrange them, drought tolerant

Travertine Pavers Settle  I have been having trouble with travertine pavers settling and the polymeric sand washing out. Is there something i can do different to eliminate my call ...

Dog Yard Design  I live in NM so when I moved in, my small yard was mostly rocks, dirt and sand. The yard is only used for my 2 Rottie mixes. I'm tired of them bringing ...

Material to use for a front walkway  Hello,

I own a brick Queen Ann Victorian House with aluminum shingles in the roof. I want to know what kind of material i should use to build the front ...

Sealing Travertine  One coat or two when sealing travertine? We are gettting conflicting advice - the guy who is advocating one coat says we should pour it on thick! Thanks ...

Front Yard Privacy Plants 
Should front yard privacy plants be used here?

I bought a tract home in a subdivision in 1973 and after years of planting trees shrubs etc decided ...

Expansive soil issues  Hi Susan-
I want to build a 42" high, curved, patio wall (35' long-achieving an approximate 90 degrees), to enclose a front yard Patio. And I'd like ...

Garage Driveway Backout Distances  To be able to enter the garage from the side how, much room do I need to the boundary for practical reasons?

ANSWER

Hi Peter,
If I understand ...

Concrete Bluestone Patio Installation - Mortar or Polymeric Sand  I AM HAVING A BLUESTONE PATIO INSTALLED ON A CONCRETE FOUNDATION THAT IS ALREADY POURED. THE CONTRACTOR THAT I AM USING IS BUSY AND IS TRYING TO CONTRACT ...

paver stone border around concrete patio  I have a 12' x 10' cement patio, and I want to put a paver stone border around this concrete patio to add sq footage.

My siding is off white (almost ...

My New Backyard Landscape - Google Sketchup  Hello I recently purchased a home is Southern California. I have used your advice and tried that free landscape design software that Google offers and ...

Bluestone Quality - Striation - Quarried and Formed Bluestone  Some of my wet-installed bluestone is peeling. If replaced, should I expect this condition to occur. Is it the stone selection, or is this unavoidable?...

soil around house foundation  We had our foundation leveled about 4 years ago raising our house up about 4-1/2 inches. The area I live in has been in drought ever since. The soil all ...

Travertine Pavers and Freezing in Cold Weather  Would you install travertine pavers in Cleveland, Ohio around a pool deck? I'm worried about them freezing and popping.

ANSWER

I think they would ...

Patio Location - Where to Place a Patio and Keep Lawn Area  Hi
I have a walkout basement with sloped backyard. I had some filling done so around 18-20 ft of the backyard is relatively flat and then the steep slope ...

Outside dog area  We have a small area in our back yard that is fenced in so that our dog may be let out. We have never been able to grow grass so when he went out he would ...

3D Landscape Design Patio - Square Footage  Could you please tell me the square footage for the 3D brick patio design with the title "A lovely two level patio" ? I am very interested in this design ...

Dry Laid Bluestone and Installation Methods 

Here is a questions about dry laid bluestone and installations methods.

I have a 12' x 16' front yard and a 12' x 18' backyard. I'm planning to ...

Landscape Design - Plants for Front and Backyards  Various Q&A regarding planting design, plants to choose, backyard landscaping, front yard plants and general planting questions.

Landscape Garden Wall And Travertine Pavers 

Using travertine with a landscape garden wall.

Hi Susan,

You have a very nice site here. I found it while looking for something besides concrete ...

Front Patio - Brick Stoop - Concrete Pavers or Bluestone 

We have a front stoop that we are going to have repaired or replaced. It's a brick stoop with limestone steps and a concrete top. We are debating ...

Bluestone over concrete patio 
Question about laying bluestone over a concrete patio ....We are having a stone fireplace and pergola built, and are trying to decide what to use to ...

Blue colored landscape lights - providing enough light  I live in a community in Florida.
http://tivolilakesboyntonbeach.com/


Our HOA is considering changing our white landscaping lights (which also ...

Designing a Short Sidewalk For a Front Yard  Here's a question about designing a short front walkway and if adding a curve is advisable...and a few more things!

Hi Susan,
I'm the teacher who ...

Can bluestone or pavers be laid over concrete? 

I have a 15' x 20' concrete patio that is cracked and unsightly. I would like to replace it with a paver or ideally a bluestone patio. I have had landscapers ...

Back door to patio clearance   We have a back patio that needs to be replaced. My husband installed the back patio at the same level as the door and without the proper slope away from ...

grass and weeds on my decomposed granite 

I live in LA and put in decomposed granite as part of my garden. I love it, but I'm finding that grasses and weeds manage to take root?when I had ...

Kitchen garden at front entry 
My front yard is the only place where I have enough sun for a kitchen garden, and I'm wondering if I can mix edibles like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,...

Concrete or Dry Laid for Travertine Paver  Should you use concrete or dry laid for travertine pavers? Dry-laid!!!

My contractor is pushing me to use concrete for my travertine paver (3cm thick)...

inorganic (man-made) polymeric sand 

Can I fill joints that are 1 1/2 inch wide by many feet long on a concrete patio in New Jersey (freeze thaw) where the concrete squares are appox. 4 ...

Landscaping a Sloped Area - What To Plant  What to plant on a slope can be a problem. Read about solutions for plants to use in sloped areas.

Ranch Style Home in Desperate Need of a Facelift in Landscaping 

I have a Ranch style home on 2 acres of basically flat land with absolutely no landscaping whatsoever. The front of the house is flat, drab and very ...

Travetine Pavers and Installation - Sand, Polymeric Sand, Concrete  How should travertine pavers be installed and are they a good choice around a pool area? Should the joints be sand, polymeric sand or concrete?

I ...

pavers vs bluestone for a patio 
Which is better for a patio? Is there a big price difference? Which is cheaper. I am putting a patio in on Cape Cod appr 16 x 20.

ANSWER

Hi ...

Adding On To Cement Patios - Pavers-Bluestone-Concrete  If you are looking to add on to your concrete/cement patio to make it larger, here are some helpful ideas and Q&A of other visitors.

Which Concrete Pavers Are Less Expensive? 
I am in the process of having a new patio and pool deck done w/ concrete pavers. Could you give me information on the quality and price difference between ...

Landscaping a Driveway   Here are some Q&A on landscaping a driveway, driveway trees, and suggestions.

Shade Plants or Groundcover For a Shady Yard Area  I have too much shade in my back yard, so grass doesn't grow on one side of the yard. I would like to fill it with shade plants and mulch or ground cover....

Foundation Plants For a Church 

For more detailed, professional help with designing your front foundation planting, take a look at my ebook Designing With Evergeen Shrubs . There'...

Help For Front Yard Which Is Eroding  We have a sloping front yard that has no plants (mostly dirt and trees). rain is causing erosion. do you have any advice to slow the run off?
Thanks....

How much to charge for a 20x30 foot paving stone driveway?  I have a 20x30 driveway and would like to know how much I should charge for the job? It's just basic three size stone, but I'm not sure how much to estimate ...

Water Feature - How To Design With Plants  I'm doing a design at a water feature.

This is at the main entrance at a college. It is a pre-existing feature. I believe the liner has holes but fixing ...

Walnut Travertine Tile  Will a travertine walkway in the walnut travertine tile or beige color look good in the front of my house?

The front of my house has stucco and deep ...

Decomposed Granite Driveways | Tar and Chip Driveway Paving Materials  I am looking for a product to mix into the decomposed granite to assist with preventing a sloping driveway from continually eroding every time we get an ...

Driveway and Walkway  We are updating our driveway and walkway which are next to each other. We are looking to have a concrete driveway with paver border and paver walkway....

Landscaping Steps Outdoor Stairs Bluestone  Read about questions and answers regarding landscaping steps, including bluestone.

Landscaping For The Front of House  Here is a question about landscaping for the front of a house.

Hi, my name is Gilbert Taylor and I am a beginner in yard landscaping. I have been ...

Pavers with concrete base  Should pavers have a concrete base?

I received an estimate for my pool area which is around 1200 sq feet. I'm getting pavers put down & they want ...

Concrete Pavers - Changing the Color of Existing Patio Pavers  Is it possible to add some sort of colorant to a sealer to slightly change the color of a concrete paver?

We chose CST Vienna Classic pavers in Antique ...

Backyard Privacy - Creating Screening in Dry Soil  I have been struggling for several years to decide what to plant for privacy in our backyard.

I'm open to having Evergreens or non-evergreens. We ...

Brick Patio Costs With Retaining Walls 

I live in Central Jersey and want to built a 25 foot x 25 foot brick patio with retaining walls . What is the typical price range to have this done?...

travertine pavers and concrete pavers | combining materials  I've been given some VERY nice travertine pavers for use in a new front porch and steps project I'm about to start. I also have left over concrete pavers ...

garage back out area - backout driveway ideas  Could you please define this term for me...people keep taking about it but I have not idea what it means.

ANSWER

A garage back out area is the ...

Travertine Pavers and Freeze Thaw Conditions  Can you install tavertine pavers over concrete in a freeze/thaw climate. If so how?


ANSWER

Ric,
The beauty of travertine pavers is that they ...

Cobblestone Courtyard Ideas old world look with new world budget  Here'a a question regarding cobblestone courtyard ideas when granite is just too much money!

We are building a house and wanted to do something nice ...

Combine pavers and asphalt  Here's a question about combining asphalt and pavers.

My driveway extends into a backyard/courtyard that is fully covered in asphalt (about 20' x 30'...

Redirect water flow from the house 
What can I do to redirect the flow of rain water from my house? I have included a picture to show you my problem. The majority of the water flows from ...

Raised patio 
I have a large bay window with sliding glass doors out to the backyard and want to make a raised patio down to the yard from that. I wondering if it ...

Travertine Filler and Travertine Maintenance  Here's a question regarding travertine filler and travertine maintenance.

We had a travertine courtyard patio installed this past April. It looked ...

Deck Design, Patio Design or Both  This is a question about whether to create a deck design, patio design or both .

Susan,

Our house is a 2 story on 2 acres with a very undersized ...

Bluestone Patio Filler In Joints | Sand and Polymeric Sand  This is a question regarding bluestone patio filler in joints and what to use other than sand. I recommend polymeric sand.

I have customer with a ...

Patio on Sloping yard | Walkout Basement | Landscape Retaining Walls  Here's a question about creating a patio on a sloping yard with a walkout basement.

I have a walk out basement to our backyard. The yard slopes off ...

Landscape Bricks | Laying Them and Patio Designs  Here's a question about landscape bricks and laying them against the house as part of a patio design.

Is it okay to put brick right up next to the ...

Patio design and construction-installation-concrete  Hi Susan,

Thank you for providing the opportunity to ask a question on your site.

We are considering adding patio to our yard and already have some ...

Travertine Paving | How To Install  What would be your suggested way of laying Travertine 25mm paving my client has bought?

We are putting down a 100mm scaslping base, but I have been ...

driveway design - re-designing driveway shape - ideas  Here's a question for a driveway design and ideas...a re-design of an existing drive.

Is this a good idea or will it look odd? We'd like to reclaim ...

Concrete Pavers - Painting -Staining- or PaverArt  Here's a question regarding painting or staining concrete pavers...and the option of PaverArt .

I have built a patio extension out of 12" pewter ...

Wildlife and Gardening | Xeriscape Plants | Drought Tolerant Landscape  Here is a question about xeriscape plants and creating color in a landscape design.

We live on 2 1/2 acres in San Antonio Texas, we are in middle ...

Curved Brick Walkway 
Hello, I am interested in using dry laid bricks in a walkway around my house. This walkway will be curved around my front garden bed, connecting my straight ...

Fast Growing Shade Trees  Looking for fast growing shade trees? Here are some of the top shade trees to use.

Front House Landscaping  Here are some front house landscaping ideas, especially for small yards. Front porches are also covered so take a look for some creative landscape ideas.

Foundation Drainange | Landscaping Against House  Here's a question about foundation drainage against the house and how to prevent water getting into a basement.

Hi...
Our house is built in very ...

How To Install a Patio | Using Old Brick As Foundation  How To Install a Patio

I am planning to do a bi-level patio in my backyard. I have a split level house and the top level of the patio will come out ...

Drainage Systems For Yards | Landscape Lawn drainage  Questions about drainage systmes for yards? Find some answers regarding lawn drainage, dry wells, drainage pits, erosion control, and driveway drainage

Tree Roots 
This is a question about tree roots. We currently have a Tulip tree in our front yard, 8 feet from the home. The roots are now impacting our basement ...

Swlimming Pool Ideas  Swimming pool ideas questions and answers on pool waterfalls, pool deck pavers, pool fence ideas, pool coping replacement, etc.

Privacy Trees, Plants And Fence  Here are some suggestions for creating privacy in your back yard.

Brick Driveways  Here's a question about brick driveways and using them on an area that is steep.

I was thinking of redoing my driveway in a tight brick design. But ...

Foundation Water and Decomposed Granite Path  A question about foundation water, grading and using a decomposed granite path.

My husband and I want to create a path down the side of our house ...

Driveway Edging | Pavers | Belgian Block  How To Approach Driveway Edging Regarding Pavers and Belgian Block

We are having an asphalt driveway put in. I had originally chosen to have a 7ft ...

pavers over a raised concrete porch?  Can I use pavers over a concrete porch?

Okay I have a very small long but narrow concrete front porch that has one very steep down that actually needs ...

Landscaping and Planting Ideas For Walkout Basement   What are some basic landscaping and planting ideas for a walkout basement?

Our daughter lives in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula. She has a 100 ...

Bluestone Installation - paving joints - dry laid stone or mortared   Read this Q&A seciotn on bluestone installation. Info on paving joints, dry laid and mortared bluestone (which is best), laying over concrete, etc.

Creating a play yard for our daughter  Hello!

My husband and I are trying to determine the best way to "block off" an area for our daughter's play set. We bought her a rainbow swing set ...

Patio Materials  Patio material questions and answers, versus a deck, scoring concrete, patio edgings, adding pavers to concrete

Decomposed Granite - Walkways and Patios | Sand  Here are some decomposed granite Q&A for walkways and patios. How and when should DG be used and where to find it.

Laying Bluestone Over Concrete  Laying bluestone over concrete can be done. However, the concrete must be in excellent condition. Read more about whether you should do this or not.

Professional Landscape Design AND Costs  Here's a great question about professional landscape design and the costs of both the design and the project itself.

Hello there,

I am planing ...

Front Yard Landscaping  Here are some Q&A on front yard landscaping, including, cheap ideas, using shade trees, keeping front yards fromlooking boring and so on.

Travertine Installation and Sealing | How To  Travertine Questions on Tumbled, Chiseled, Installation, Sealing and Cleaning

Butterfly Landscape Project 
I am looking for a foundation plant, that attracts butterflies and has winter attraction as well. My soil is moderately heavy clay loam with moderately ...

Extending Patio With Stone or Pavers  A visitor asked about extending his patio with stone or pavers. different paving materials can be used for this. Bluestone, pavers or brick are all options.