Pine grove

This is the last work of the year. Behind the two bedroom suites at PBV. Was just a mess of natives and invasives. Started the planting, and will finish in the spring. jc

new work at pbv

Before and 'in progress' shots. I will plant this in the spring, and be placing the goddess (partly visible in the right foreground, riding a lion) in the enclosed area, filled with gravel. jc

Been a while

A beautiful lace leaf Japanese maple in Charleston. They often don't get the color down there, but they seem to improve with age .It is growing away from the house by necessity, but I have been pruning it for ten years now. One of my favorites. jc

filligree

While driving by and I was so struck by the back-lit filigree lace at Pleasant Bay Village that I turned around and took some photos . jc

This year's stream

For some reason I didn't post this finished project. The patio is at the top of the stream. I like to think of the irregular bluestone as a pond that feeds the stream. The frogs found it early on and like to sit on the lily pads. Love that. jc

Pleasant Bay Falls

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Two waterfalls at Pleasant Bay Village that I haven't posted yet I don't think. Both at least ten years old. The one into the pool is the only return, as the old underground pipes were leaking. jc

cottage like

The bricks and fence were there but the garden had gone to seed, so I replanted informally with some gravel and a lots of color. The rosemary, which was already there, loves the protected full sun. jc

colors

I know. I keep posting this same shot. It's just too pretty. jc

New work with patio, update

My most recent water feature just planted, and some beautiful flowers. jc

Flowers

Been a while. This is the site I used for the one year gardens last year. Much better this year. Great hydrangeas. The new wall and plantings look nice, but in a year or two they will be spectacular. All perennials. jc

New work with patio

Adding plants to the patio and stream. I think of this as I would any composition. I try to balance colors and testures, with the added factor of time. The trees - two to five feet tall now - will get as tall as fifteen feet, so I have to take that into account. And the ground covers are practically invisible now, but I expect them to soften most of the edges eventually. jc

New work with patio

Finished hardscape. The patio will need more stone dust watered in. Planting is next. jc

Progress shots of a new waterfall with stream. There will be a bluestone patio at the top. jc

cat in the circle

I was having some trouble with photos so I wasn't posting for a while. I'm back. I've shown this before but I put new stones down yesterday and it is all bright and shiny.jc

finished new wall

Both ends of the new wall. It was an ordeal, but it looks great. Look forward to planting it. jc

Spring colors

Flowering peach, plum, magnolia, azaleas and coral bark maple in Chatham. jc

more new wall

Latest progress.

new project

Finally got started on a new water feature. I'll show progress photos.
Had a nightmare with the wall. Mason decided his estimate was off by about, oh... 100%. Made me physically ill. Through goodness and generousity of owner it was resolved. I'm sure it will be nice, but now I just want it over. Will post photos if it also. jc

more new wall

Progress shots on the wall. I asked them to match the style of some walls I did earlier. They are better masons. jc

new wall

Before and in-progress images of a wall I've sub-contracted. Getting too old to do that much work myself. jc

ribbon figure #1

Close to the finished piece. Grinding the edges and cleaning the welds is something I will have to solve. jc

stream into pool

This is the second stream into the pool at the house in Charleston. I don't think I have posted it before. It is just off the master bedroom window. jc

new work

This is the first in what I hope will be a series of interesting works. It is one ribbon cut from a sheet of mild steel, heated and twisted. It's still connected to the sheet at the bottom. Maneuvering gets tricky. It is rather beyond this point now. I discovered that it was not stiff enough to stand without welding, so I've been welding some of the curls together. As the first piece in a new technique, I'm discovering what happens as I go. I am already envisioning future possibilities. jc

House tour

These are images of work that I did at a private home in Chatham. It was on a garden tour several years ago. Click on the labels for more photos. jc

drawings

More sketches and plans for the wall project. Basically approved but the constructions drawings are being looked at now. I wonder if anyone else still does construction drawings by hand. Not difficult geometry, but time consuming. I feel very old school, but I don't do them often enough to learn autocad. jc

January 2010

I missed December 1st in all the excitement of rehearsals and whatnot, But these are quite nice. It hasn't been the year I expected, but the next one begins. jc