TRANSFORMATION!

TRANSFORMATION.... From an Abandoned lot to an Elegant Garden!

There are many reasons a home and garden can become abandoned, and what was once a loved garden can become obscured by rampant ivy, years of leaves and whatever opportunistic weeds survive. It is often a surprise when old flagstone and bricks, marble or other "treasures" are found among the debris, and we realize that once somebody cultivated a much beloved garden before neglect took over.

Th rehabilitation of these types of abandoned gardens (and homes) requires homeowners with the creativity to envision the rebirth of the interior and exterior spaces, and the patience and persistence to see the project through to its completion.

From the onset this project was intriguing. I walk through a house calling for a full rehab to a back porch propped up by a few 2x4s brought me into a garden covered with ivy, old tree stumps, and bits of old concrete, flagstone and bricks littered around. The homeowners presented me with a conceptual plan for the space and over the next year this plan morphed and adapted to what became the final result.

BEFORE: A view from the Garage

BEFORE: A View from the Back Porch

Our first step was to remove all the ivy, tree stumps, and debris and collect and save all the old flagstones, marble and brick to be reused in the new patio and walkways. We also installed a gravel pit drain in the far left corner as the gutters from the house had no outlet into the back alley and were draining into the yard close to the house. We then mulched the yard heavily with straw which suppressed the growth of ivy and other undesirable weeds as well as protected the soil from the construction process that the house was to undergo and increase the soil structure as in decomposed over the next year.

During the winter we pruned the crape myrtle whose branches were tangled in the overhead wires, and after the series of large snow storms of February, we were ready in March to begin the installation of the "new/old hardscape" and several weeks later the planting and mulching. At this point all rehabilitation of the house had taken place and the garden was all potential waiting for manifestation.

The patio is 50% old flagstone from the original garden and 50% newly quarried local quartzite flagstone from Vinci's Stone in Marriotsville, MD. The patio is dry-laid and the joints are filled with "gator dust" which, because it has a cement component, hardens and eliminates stone dust from constantly finding its way into the home and gardens. Local flagstone has a high mica content which glitters in the sunlight.

The walkways and Grill Patio is 100% recovered pavers from the original garden set in a herringbone pattern with polymeric sand in the joints, which again because of its cement content hardens. For these older homes, using recovered pavers is outstanding due to the natural aging that occurs that cannot be duplicated by new pavers.

A sitting wall borders the oval patio on one side giving vertical interest and a convenient place to sit and place potted plants on. The sitting wall is made from recovered Baltimore veneer brick and PA Bluestone whose edges get thermalled with an extremely high heat to remove saw marks. Since this sitting wall follows the curve of the oval patio, each capstone was cut to reflect the curve.

The brick grill patio and oval flagstone patio met in an interesting geometry which is especially eye catching from the viewpoint of the back porch.

Back towards the garage we planted an Okame Cherry which exploded in blossoms the following day! A Trellis which will have annual flowering vines frames the garage door and provides a division of spaces.

Finally all perennials were planted and mulched!

Although the transformation of this first year is startling, the true beauty of the space will develop over the next years as the perennials settle in, take root in their new home and grow and expand!

Once again a Beloved Cared for Garden!

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodel

Remodeling a Kitchen and Bathroom in Catonsville, Maryland

In a leafy suburb of Catonsville, we were asked to remodel a kitchen which had not been remodeled since the 1950s along with a dated pink bathroom.   Our client asked us to design and install a modern kitchen with a rustic and natural charm.  We also designed and installed a complete bathroom remodel.  The homeowner was not only looking for a kitchen and bathroom that appealed to her but also for a remodel which would increase the value of the home and make it more marketable as the homeowner is planning to sell the house in the near future.  A kitchen and bathroom remodels are the most likely to increase appeal to potential buyers and her existing kitchen and bathroom were a decided detraction from the house in general.  

The kitchen originally had metal cabinets, badly deteriorated countertop, old wall paper, outdated appliances and vinyl flooring.  A dated lamp hung in the center of the room.  

We installed new maple cabinets, manufactured a new concrete countertop on site, installed new ceramic floor tiles, marble wall tiles with a river stone border and all new stainless steel appliances.  The finishing touch was recessed lights over the window, wall paper removal and paint application.

The natural color scheme and use of natural tile materials on the wall behind the stove and counter as well as ceramic tile on the floor which imitated natural stone, brought a rustic character to an otherwise modern kitchen. 

The original bathroom contained vinyl flooring, pink tub, toilet and sink and maroon window curtain and shower curtain.  Taking into account the bathroom's small space and limited light we designed the bathroom with white tub, toilet, sink and white shower tile, adding a simple design of marble tiles around the window and shower border.

The window was made opaque with a floral design removing the need for a window curtain and eliminating the trapping of moisture between the curtain and window, this also increased the natural light in the bathroom. The shower curtain was replaced with a shower door. The floor was covered with ceramic tile again of a rustic stone design.  Wall paint was selected to complement the colors in the tile floor and to accentuate the marble design in the tub surround.

The final product was a fresh look which made the most of the small bathroom and brought a brightness to the bathroom which was absent in the original dated pink version.

A Peaceful City Garden

Baltimore is full of narrow city lots, often with a garage at one end and the town house at the other. Fences often surround them, and sometimes walls. It is only when one enters the gate or walks through the home or garage that one can see the beautiful and lush oasis' that have been created by the homeowners! What the city garden lacks in space is more than made up for in intensity of landscaping. City gardens provide a unique opportunity to create a garden space that is pure landscaping, lacking the usual lawns of their suburban counter parts. Homeowners enjoy grilling, gardening, entertaining, sunbathing, reading, and more in these beautiful and intimate spaces.


This "city garden" began as a rather bare yard with an old brick patio and a shaky privacy fence.

The homeowners decided to have us replace the fence with a brick wall, and re-use the existing brick to make new patio, as well as raise the garden beds with dry-stack Pennsylvania field stone walls.

The brick wall was selected to blend in with the brick on the existing carriage house and was a full 6 feet high to maximize privacy. The subtle pattern of end bricks was also carefully selected to reflect surrounding walls and the garage itself.


The homeowners had found a decorative terracotta which had been salvaged from an old Baltimore building. We were able to incorporate this into the wall at a prominent location where it was sure to be appreciated for many years to come.
A raised bed below the terracotta serves to blend the "old with the new"...


Pennsylvania field stone complete with moss provides natural borders for the raised beds, giving the appearance of having been in the garden for years.

The majority of bricks which made up the new patio came from the original patio itself, we brought in additional salvaged bricks from Baltimore which allowed us to complete the patio without the addition of glaringly new bricks.

The rectangular patio merged with a circular patio space which created a natural sitting area for the homeowners and guests.


As we came to a completion with this project it was wonderful to see how the garden looked as if it had been there for years. The moss covered stones, the old brick, the solid wall and the unique terracotta blended perfectly to create this private, peaceful city garden.

A rare glimpse from the alleyway taken before the gate was installed, a lush magnolia tree behind the adjoining fence adds rich color to the background.

Natural Sealant and Wax for Slate Hearth

This slate hearth is for the future install of a Woodstock Soapstone Stove .  The two circles are for two mosaics which will be installed after the installation of the Stove.  The slate needed to be sealed and polished because without sealing any oils or liquids can potentially permanently stain the slate and without waxing the full array of colors within the slate will be hidden.  Slate tends to look dusty without this treatment.  Slate is also a soft stone and the wax helps protect it. 

Not wanting any harsh or toxic chemical in the home, we chose to use three great products from real milk paint company.  Tung oil is diluted with citrus solvent to allow maximum penetration of the oil and it is finished with carnauba wax.

We were delighted with the result.  The tung oil brought out the full variety and depth of color within the slate and the carnauba wax gave it a beautiful luster.  The best part of all is the completely nontoxic result which does not compromise the aesthetic quality of the slate!

We purchased the tung oil, citrus solvent and carnauba wax from the real milk paint company which can be found at www.realmilkpaint.com.

The Koki Mosaic

The Koki Mosaic

This mosaic depicts a Taino (Indigenous People of the Caribbean) petroglyph of a tree frog (Koki). The mosaic is formed from chips of granite tile and is set in local central Maryland stone on the foundation of the log house which houses the workshop of SEVEN WINDS. The frog represents life and fertility to people around the world, the Koki (Caribbean Tree Frog) has found it impossible to survive anywhere in the world other than in the Caribbean until finally it was able to also survive in Hawaii. The Taino Koki also has connections with the rain (fertility for the Earth), and children, and is our Taino daughter's favorite mural!

The Three Snowy Owls continued

Close up views of the series of three Snowy Owls..

The Flying Snowy Owl

The Landing Snowy Owl

The Standing Snowy Owl

The name SEVEN WINDS

THE NAME SEVEN WINDS

Many people ask me the meaning of the name "SEVEN WINDS". The name comes from Seven Energies or Spirits which are all involved in what I do. The first energy (spirit) is of course the EARTH herself, the foundation of Life; without her we have nothing. The second is the MOUNTAIN, that which gives us all the stones, the form to our landscape and all the minerals and elements that we need to live. The third is the SUN which generates the warmth and power for the life on the Earth to be fruitful and sustainable. The fourth is WATER, which not only is essential for life but also shapes the stones, shapes even the Mountains and Earth. The fifth is the WIND or AIR, also essential for Life, which also shapes the stones and the Earth and also carries communications of all kinds. The SIXTH energy or Spirit is the "Ancestors" all those who came before us all around the entire Earth who have given rise to the collective understandings of how to work in healthy ways with the Earth, all her resources and eachother, the Seventh is the Spirit of all the tools we use to work, from the simple shovel used to pick up a stone to the modern excavators, from the simple hand saw used to cut a log to the mechanized masonry saw, to huge sawmill equipment. The name SEVEN WINDS honors these seven energies or Spirits that are critical to the work that I do.