Our season has come to a close and we’ve been reflecting on the past year at A Yard & A Half. Our landscaping cooperative has continued to see exceptional growth both in sales and in opportunities for our team. We’ve added 7 new members to the cooperative and more owners are involved in decision-making than ever before. We’ve also learned a lot! From the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives Conference in Austin, to expanding our…
In 2013, a client in Cambridge asked us to help with the renovation of their beach house, located in an environmentally sensitive site between the shore and a wetland. We assisted with permitting for invasive plant management, consulted with the architect on the system to recapture and use 100% of the house’s roof water, and designed hardscape and plantings to tie the new house to the landscape. This week, one of our crews installed the second…
Codman Academy Charter School in Dorchester, MA occupies a storefront in one of Boston’s low-income neighborhoods, sandwiched between units of affordable apartment housing. Their “playground” was a packed dirt yard abutting a parking lot. The school, which uses trauma-informed design to help at-risk students feel more grounded and safe, looked to the Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design (COGDesign) to create a more appropriate play space. Designer David McCoy of Geographia Landscape Design developed a beautiful plan for a…
A low wall serves dual duty, breaking the space into two more usable, flat terraces, and creating an informal place to sit. So-called “seat walls” can also enclose a raised bed, lifting plants to a height where we can appreciate their details. Lanterns or candles atop the wall can provide subtle and romantic outdoor lighting. Posted from WordPress for Mobile
After excavation, the crew installs a layer of filter fabric to prevent base materials from mixing with the soil. On top goes angular stone, compacted with a vibratory compactor. A layer of sand provides an even setting bed for the pavers. We’re using Brussels tumbled pavers from Unlock, which come in wedge-shaped pieces to form circles and fan designs with minimal cutting. The crew lays out pavers and granite cobblestone accents, and checks the level…
On day 2, Rene and crew regrade the back yard, using a Bobcat for the rough grading. They separate out topsoil for reuse on site. This avoids the cost of both disposing of perfectly good soil and bringing in new, as well as the environmental cost of trucking to and from the recycling facility. The crew leader lays out a circular patio and walkway. Lines help to establish the finished level of the patio, and…
Prospective clients often ask what A Yard & A Half’s installation process is like. We’ll be documenting the transformation of this Newton back yard over the next couple of weeks to show you. Day 1 – The designer/project manager reviews the entire plan and contract notes with everyone who will be working on site. DigSafe has pre-marked utilities on site, and we locate these and property lines. The back yard slopes down several feet from…
