Private residence landscape, Richmond, Va.

   Just ask landscape architect William H. Spell and Jim Farinholt, owner of Precision Landscaping Co. The two men worked together to tame what Spell describes as, “a killer view with a nasty hillside” in the Richmond area with a lot of planning and close to 300 tons of stone.
   Farinholt explains that the difference between the client’s home and the edge of the property, which adjoins a canal adjacent to the James River, is about 70 feet in elevation.
   “The client had some stone outcroppings in the backyard that were very interesting, and he wanted to do some landscaping around them,” Farinholt says.
   Farinholt says he referred the owner to Spell to interpret the difficult site and develop a plan that would make the space usable, reduce erosion, and create aesthetics.
   Spell designs both high-end residential and commercial projects, and the contractor says in looking at the site, “I knew it was definitely over our heads from a design-build standpoint.”
   Spell says the client’s primary instruction was that he wanted to take advantage of the river.
   “I looked at the hillside and there were some wonderful granite boulders that were partially exposed,” he says. “I explained to the client we could carve out a sitting area, add some stone walls, and create a stone pathway to the sitting area.”
   Both men say the project was definitely a collaborative effort between them and the client.
   “We drew it as a concept,” says Spell. “I had a survey of the property and we had an idea. It was a struggle to get it to a point where we felt we could begin construction. Finally, I showed the client a color illustrative plan. They liked it and gave us the go-ahead.”
   “A lot of our projects start in the field where we bounce some ideas,” says Farinholt. “It saves a lot of time because we get to know what the clients are leaning towards and then if they like the ideas we proceed and Bill develops them into a full set of drawings.”
   In this case, the main idea that caught everyone’s attention was a recirculating water feature designed to mimic a stream that cascaded toward the James River. The construction of waterfalls and cascades helped define where the pathways to the lower terrace were placed.
   “The idea was to make the setting as natural as possible,” says Spell. “Duplicating nature is challenging and it has its downfalls. Creations such as this require some special maintenance with an eye toward beauty and what it will take to allow the landscape to mature gracefully.”
   Both Spell and Farinholt estimate it took approximately a month for Spell to finalize the concept into working plans for the project. Farinholt then spent six weeks with a six-person crew turning the plans into reality.
   The contractor says it took 250 tons of crushed stone that served as base material for the patios and other fill. Another 40 tons of rock went into the stacked walls and patios themselves.
   “We matched the stone that was on the property,” says Farinholt. “The granite on the site was old and weathered with lichens and moss.”
   Supplying the new stone for the project was Richmond-based Luck Stone Corp.
   “We did plenty of grouting, but most of the job was to look natural; all the walls were dry-stacked,” Farinholt says. “The patio flagstones that are set on a granite screenings base were also laid dry. We used the flagstones to tie into the natural areas on the slopes. They were all mortared with a dry-stack look, so you don’t see the mortar.”
   Farinholt adds that the combination of dry-stacking and mortared construction is a Precision Landscaping Co. specialty. His background is in dry-laying of walls and walks, but he added the masonry component to the business more than a decade ago.
   “We do the full package because I got tired of subbing the masonry out,” he says. “I decided we needed to have a full-fledged masonry side to the business so we were controlling our jobs in a better way, and it’s been a great marriage.”
   To finish the project’s look, Spell brought in Kathy Brooks, a fellow landscape designer who has an implementation crew to help fill in the little plants growing out of the cracks around the rocks.
   For that reason, Spell says although the project was finished last year, it looks even better this spring.
   “It took awhile for the little plants to grow in,” he says. “Coming out of the gate it wasn’t as attractive as it is today.”
   While appearance is a key component to the project, Spell adds that it has provided another benefit: By controlling erosion, it’s also protecting the hillside for the future.
   Still, the designer says the visual appeal is probably what’s made this job a success.
   “There’s a little stone bridge over one part of the stream, and the path goes down to a little sitting area,” he says. “There is an incredible view of the canal and the river. The James is a very attractive river at that particular point.
   “The client has been very pleased with it.”

Client: Private homeowner, Richmond, Va.
Designer: William H. Spell, ASLA, Richmond, Va.
Contractor: Precision Landscaping Co., Richmond, Va.

This article first appeared in the March 2005 print edition of Stone Business. ©2005 Western Business Media Inc.