This is a pergola that I recently designed. It will be constructed with western red cedar (with green treated posts wrapped with cedar 1x material). Between the posts is an Anchor Highland (Sand) freestanding wall. The base of the wall is actually retaining the compacted gravel which will be supporting an Anchor Kingston (Fieldstone) brick patio. This was necessary because of the slight grade change in the proposed area.

Just another example of the level of accuracy that I bring to each of my creations: I've actually created a chart that I keep next to my keyboard with common lumber dimmensions converted to decimals of a foot so that I can draw precisely the size and scale of the material I decide to use. For example, a 2x8 (which is actually only 1.5"x7.5") is drawn as a rectangle measuring .6246' x .1246'. Also, a typical brick paver which might be 2 3/8" thick would be entered at .1976'. I prefer entering the data this way as the rest of the landscape plan is easier to draw with feet as the primary dimmension.

This structure is actually for my home, part of a long term landscape plan which will never really be complete (as I prefer it this way). This patio may not be completed untill 2011. Until then stay tuned for photos.

Why WoodScapes

Homeowners: See the difference for yourself: every plan I create is drawn with CAD. Even the best landscape designers prefer CAD designs over hand-drawn blueprints because of their clarity and detail that would be too time consuming to do with lead and vellum, not to mention the ease with which changes can be made. More interested in the wooden creations: Add a custom trellis to that empty wall on the side of your garage, or put a custom planter box in that empty corner of your deck. Do you live in a townhouse but want a way to grow some of your favorite vegetables or summer annuals? Add a planter to the corner of your patio to pick your homegrown produce.

DIYers: Have a project in mind but you’re not sure what all is involved for the best results?
Construct the yard of your dreams with the consultation of a professional. Maybe you need help getting started but want to do the planting or lay the bricks yourself or with your family. Are you planning a home improvement or remodeling project but need scaled drawings of the proposed area to get a building permit from the city or county?

General Contractors: Give your model home a custom landscape that stands out from the rest. Whether it is an entire landscape installation, front foundation installation with tree planting for curb appeal, or just a plan of the property to give prospective homebuyers.
Landscape Contractors: enjoy landscaping but don’t have the knowledge of plant material or the capability to create landscape plans that others can? Maybe once in awhile you just don’t have enough time to draw up a plan. I believe I can help you sell more work.
Other Construction Contractors: Are you building a deck for someone and want the sod removed with plastic and rock installed before you put up the frame? Or maybe you just poured a new concrete driveway for someone but don’t have the time to make minor grading changes with lawn and landscape repairs. Did one of your crews back the trailer over the angry neighbor’s landscaping? Allow me to take care of these problems for you.

Business Owners: Have an existing landscape that needs some maintenance? Do you want something a little different from the typical commercial property landscape? Just because you want something low maintenance does not mean you have to have the boring globe Arborvitae, 'Anthony Waterer' Spirea, and 'Stella d' Oro' Daylilies like everyone else.

Woodworkers: precise CAD drawings useful in creating templates and patterns for shapes not easily freehanded. Whether it is for hardware such as a concealed hinge template, an intricate profile for your woodturnings, or a large scale drawing of your woodworking plans. Since purchasing the software a few months ago I have actually created more woodworking plans, patterns and templates than I have landscape plans.

Other Useful Information

Benefits of choosing a smaller company: not paying the overhead of larger firms that charge excessively on labor just to pay the salaries of those in the office on top of those doing the actual work. Requests from clients not being lost in translation… too often what you tell the salesman does not get told to the installation crew creating disputes in billing, and dissatisfied customers. I take pride in the quality of work that I perform. I will personally create or install the project you have requested. Part of the reason I started a business of my own is because of the unreliability of poorly trained or just plain lazy crewmembers (even management staff) that misrepresented the company they worked for. In other words, I don’t trust anyone to be as thorough and efficient as I will be.

Why WoodScapes over other smaller companies: Many small landscape companies are people without extensive training. I am MNLA certified, and have 8 years of experience with the larger companies in the Rochester area. I have worked closely with the best designers in the area for years. I have been designing in the area for 5 years. Some in the industry think because they own a Bobcat and a dump truck that they are capable landscapers.

Serving the Stewartville and Rochester area and throughout SE Minnesota. Surfers: I am sorry, but I currently cannot ship wooden products across the country. If you are looking for someone who ships around the country you may want to try http://www.trellisstructures.com/. They are the only website I have found with as high of quality and as wide of selection of product. Hopefully someday I will be able to compete with them.

Since I am just starting out, I will admit that I won't be able to take on projects too large for one or two people to complete in a timely manner. If you're looking for someone to grade and sod an acre lot, or if you want a retaining wall that is 100 feet long and 6 feet tall you should give someone else a call. I know the process of these tasks, but somethings need to be done promptly. I won't leave pallets of sod sitting in your yard days at a time, or leave an excavated trench for a retaing wall's base exposed to the unstable earth behind it for the amount of time it would take me to build something that many other companies could finish in a fraction of the time. But if you are looking for someone to install something more managable I can guarantee you will have a hard time finding anyone else who will do as thorough of a job as I will.

Landscape Design & Installations

In 2007 I was able to design and install the landscaping for this new home in my hometown of Grand Meadow, MN. The concrete curb edging was done by a company that specializes in that product. The only difficulty with this project was in dealing with the concrete curb edging people. They put my project off for weeks, when in fact they were taking and completing projects within a matter of days in Rochester. One of which just happened to be a model home that I was working at while waiting for them to allow me to finish my project in Grand Meadow.

Outdoor Structures Continued

In 2006 I built this garden arbor for the most recognizable name in Rochester's nursery & garden center market, also my former employer. It was an honor to have been asked to build this for him. I built the arbor and the extensions only. The homeowner is more than capable of handling the extensive landscaping himself.



This arbor features clear western red cedar lumber, custom lattice panels, and laminated arches.

Outdoor Structures

RCTC S.M.A.R.T. Gardens Arbor, July 2006


During the summer of 2006 I assisted the RCTC Horticulture Department in building this arbor.
If I remember correctly there were 22 6x6 posts which were set by the landscape installation class that spring. Over a period of a couple months, after work and on weekends I completed this rather large structure.






Each 6x6 post was wrapped with western red cedar 1x12s.
OMC Hospital in the background.

Experience

Landscape Experience: I went to Rochester Community and Technical College and received my associate degree in Horticulture in 2003. The landscape design instructor at that time (a very accomplished local landscape architect) inspired me into becoming a landscape designer. From 2002-2007 I worked at 2 of the larger landscape nurseries in Rochester as a member of the installation crew as well as a job foreman. This experience gave me a better understanding of the time it takes to construct a particular project. In 2008 I was given the opportunity to become a member of the design team with my former employer. It was a very memorable season, during which I drew over 200 landscape plans using a new CAD software specifically engineered for the landscape industry. Knowing I did not want to completely change my career, I did however decide to leave the company I worked 5 years for, despite the uncertain job market in this economy.

The horticulture industry was kind of an easy choice. I grew up working on a family farm 30 miles south of Rochester so horticulture/agriculture is deeply rooted in me. As everyone in the industry in this region knows, this is a seasonal career. Because I never really had an interest in plowing snow or collecting unemployment I found work in other construction trades throughout the winter months.

Woodworking Experience: About 10-12 years ago I started taking an interest in all types of woodworking. My specialty is in custom outdoor structures and furnishings such as arbors, pergolas, planters, and potting benches. On the other hand, I have experience as a cabinet maker and trim carpenter. I enjoy combining the 2 by putting the same methods of joinery and fastening used with cabinetry into my outdoor projects. Because of their consistence in quality and stability I prefer the workability of cabinet grade hardwoods and plywood over any dimensional lumber. However, no completed indoor project is as satisfying to me as seeing a western red cedar arbor or pergola standing in a well-designed backyard landscape. Below are a few photos of my indoor creations.

*Note: These are just a few examples of the quality of work that I am capable of. I share them with you to represent my skill as a woodworker, not to sell cabinets or other indoor projects.

Landscape Designs

Which would you prefer to receive from your local landscape contractor, something that the designer sketched on some notebook paper in 5 minutes, or this fully colored print with detailed patterns and textures, including shading and opacities.

I take pride in the amount of detail I put into my drawings. Where some designers may measure a site to the nearest foot, I measure everything to the nearest inch. Every design I create is done
with a CAD software made for the landscaping industry.

The estimates that I compute for your project are done so with the same amount of attention to detail. I prefer to make a detailed list of the work to be done before I throw out numbers to you on site during our first interview.