With a five-foot mermaid figure sunbathing on the edge of a fishpond, Mona Roth’s backyard looks more like a portrait of a Hans Christian Andersen tale than a snapshot of a Midwestern backyard.
And if you can get past the fact that there’s a mythical creature just hanging out like it’s no big deal, you might notice the seven-tier waterfall splashing down behind her.
Roth teamed up with Land Works, Inc., a St. Louis-based company specializing in landscapes and water gardens, to design her masterpiece of a backyard. Land Works’ website says they make “dreams come true” and, while not all of my dreams are filled with waterfalls and mermaids, judging by what they did with Roth’s yard, it looks like they delivered on their promise.
Roth also installed a children’s play area to encourage the kids to go outside and enjoy their fanciful surroundings. And it doesn’t end in the backyard — Land Works also redesigned the front of Roth’s house with various rocks and grasses and an additional water feature to help it mesh with the new look in the back of the house.
So you might be wondering how to bring such creative and out-of-the-box ideas to a landscaping company and have it turn out like Roth’s — sophisticated with a touch of whimsy.
“What I liked is that they worked with a designer that came out got to know us,” says Roth.
Roth even had the chance to get to know Land Works before she decided to work with them. She visited the home of Barclay and Kelly Compton, the masterminds behind Land Works, to see what they had done with their outdoor space. So, working with the Compton’s style and talent and Roth’s vision, they collaborated on a plan to transform Roth’s outdoor space into what it is today.
“They worked with me to implement my style into the normal Midwest style,” Roth says.
But it’s not all fairytales and magic — reality hit when a pump went out on the pond and they discovered a draining problem with an adjacent cemetery. Land Works’ crew was there immediately to address the situation.
“Landworks worked with the cemetery and saw the problem with the grading,” says Roth, “they are very service-oriented.”
And when an original idea for flagstone around the pond appeared to not be holding up, Land Works went straight back to the drawing table to come up with a solution.
Roth says, “he was back in three weeks with a whole new idea and ready to implement it with his crew.”
Roth recommends that anyone considering embarking on a project such as hers search for someone who can combine innovative vision with a firm understanding of how to get the job done.
“Land Works’ crews were amazing,” she says. “You’ve got to make sure the company you choose can deliver what it promises.”
Originally posted 2009-01-28 21:55:29. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
