When clients purchased a rundown Soapstone Valley property, it was hidden behind undergrowth and dying trees, and a sloped front yard channeled water into the home’s foundation.

Fine Earth Landscape was asked to unveil the beauty of the house and solve its drainage issues.

On the wish list: a flowering front garden and a landscape design that would frame the house instead of concealing it.

Fine Earth elevated the basement window well and installed a stacked-stone wall to raise the grade along the foundation. A stepping-stone path conceals a French drain that carries water via the driveway to a rain garden.

A Carderock stone planter by the door matches the stone wing of the house. Climbing roses, peonies and hydrangea mix with deer-resistant perennials, while summer camellias dot the front lawn.

Design Features

• Natural boulder steppers aide the elevated grade change
• Mondo grass in the driveway’s center absorbs water, while channel drains handle downspout and French drain runoff
• A custom gate welcomes the family via the kitchen garden entrance
• A new stone stoop incorporates Carderock to match the home

Award-winning Fine Earth Landscape, Inc., offers stability, reliability and a breadth of resources to meet your landscape needs, creating and maintaining delightful outdoor environments.

Fine Earth Landscape, Inc.

16815 Budd Road, Poolesville, Maryland 20837
301-972-8810 — fineearth.com