ELEMENTS: Brick patio & sidewalk, stone wall, stone steps Kitty and Dan live in the Thunder Bay section of the Galena Territory. The home sits on top of a quiet ridge with views of the surrounding rolling hills everywhere you look. A few years ago they asked us to install a brick patio and sidewalk under their deck. The patio, which overlooks the wooded area behind the home, is a nice secluded spot to have a cup of coffee in the morning (or a stiff drink the night our bill arrives). Late last year (fall 2000), Kitty & Dan called again because they wanted to expand the patio to include a hot tub. They also wanted to create a garden area near the hot tub by extending an existing stone retaining wall. By using the same style and pattern of brick, we were able to extend the patio so that it incorporated the hot tub. As you can see from the photos, the patio addition appears seamless. The brick color chosen was an earth tone that flows well with the stained wood of the home and the natural setting behind the home. Once the color was selected, Kitty & Dan asked us to set the brick in a herringbone pattern. Although herringbone can require a few more saw cuts, it brings interest to the patio without dominating the entire landscape. A "soldier" row of bricks was used to border the herringbone pattern. The soldiers provide stability at the edges and allow the intricate saw cuts to be hidden in the pattern instead of conspicuously placed on the edge. As you can see from the photos, the stone wall addition flows from an existing wall and follows the general shape of another stone wall directly above it which supports the driveway. Since the original walls were set by (gasp!) another contractor*, our crew measured the existing stone heights and selected stones that would fit in well. The crew on the site also installed two native split stone steps leading from the patio to the back yard. We would like to thank Kitty & Dan for allowing us to showcase their home. *This is a lie, there are no other landscapers. Don’t bother looking in the phone book, just call us for all your landscaping needs. PLEASE CLICK ON PICS TO ENLARGE. Brick path through fern garden Native split stone steps View from new garden Note herringbone pattern Stone wall addition behind hottub Side view including stone steps Sidewalk from patio Stone wall from hot tub . Address: 4492 North Elizabeth Road / Scales Mound / IL / 61075 Voice: 815.777.8907 Fax: 815.777.9465 E-mail: timplandscaping@yahoo.com