Me and Chuck, Part 1

Me and Chuck, Part 1

This is the story of sweet girl, her bountiful garden, and the precious critter that stole her heart. Scratch that! This is the story of a working mother who scraped together every possible once of "free" time to till, seed, weed, and water the vegetable garden that she dreamed about over a very long, cold, and dreary winter. It is the story of a ferocious animal (OK, I've been reading too many children's stories), make…

Playset or Plants? Both of Course!

Playset or Plants? Both of Course!

Whenever I meet with a client and I find out they have children, I always talk about ways to get children involved in the spaces we are creating.  Sometimes it's easy, especially if part of the project includes incorporating a playset into the space. The challenge becomes, how do you make that playset feel like it's a part of the overall landscape and not just an afterthought. One great way to do this is to put it…

Building With Artaic Tile

From hauling 50lb stones this fall to installing 1 lb sheets of tile...not a bad transition for the winter. Watch this video to see us work on our latest project, a new hotel featuring a great new pool area complete with a tile water wall.

Boston Flower Show - Awards 2015

For this year's Boston Flower Show, we decided to do something a little different....not finish our display! Well. Not exactly. We were looking for a way to involve participants and incorporate an educational component to our display. So we decided to build a demonstration garden. The idea was to teach people how to split granite (so cool), shape patio flagging stone, and  demonstrate proper dry wall building techniques.…

Boston Flower Show

Did you make it to this year's Boston Flower Show? If not (and even if you did), check out this behind-the-scenes video on what it took to build this year's display.

Designing a Winter Garden

Do the winter blues have you down? Well take a winter garden tour through one of our favorite gardens and get inspired with some ideas to make your winter garden (almost) as interesting as your summer garden.

For the Birds!

For the Birds!

Looking for a way to beat the winter blues, Neil started creating these awesome birdhouses. Old tin boxes, salvaged slate roof tiles, metal strapping, recycled wood, and rusted signs are just a few of the salvaged gems that have found their way onto these structures. But these birdhouses are not just about style, they are completely functional for the cavity dwellers who call them home. Chickadees, tufted titmouse, and…

Some Kind Words From A Client

I have hired Magma Design for several significant landscape design and installation projects over the last decade. There design ideas are inspiring. They easily accommodate input from the owners as to personal preferences but also stretch your thinking. And the execution of the plans has been flawless. The work they have done for us has won awards. I have also referred Magma to friends who were highly pleased with their work.

Flower Show Construction Party!

Flower Show Construction Party!

With the birth of our second son this year, we decided to opt out of any winter flower shows. Instead, we thought we would reminisce about what it took to put past shows together. Wow, it's been a ton of work. Notice how much older Samantha and Neil look each year! These shows certainly added to their gray hair count. Join us for our trip down memory lane!