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Best Practices: to me this means working in a partnership with nature to create as cohesive and self sustaining landscape as possible. Perfection can not be achieved but it can continuously be striven for.
For over 15 years I have worked with the land through site specific sculptural works, landscaping and nursery work and currently with the Southern Environmental Center creating Eco Scapes. Experiential landscapes that can be used to teach all who visit them about environmental issues like stormwater management, urban blight, creating habitat gardens edible landscaping and creatively interacting with our environment. Another recent partnership i have had was with Ruffner Mountain Nature Center in the creation of their rain garden and Dry creek bed landscaping in front of the new center. I have enjoyed trying to find a way to make things work with the elements.
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Arnold Rutkis graduated from The university of Connecticut in 1990 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree then went on to complete his Masters of Fine Arts from the University of New Orleans in 1994. He currently resides in Irondale Alabama where he works on his clients gardens, artwork and with the Southern Environmental Center on their EcoScapes. He has over 12 years of Landscaping experience and his unique artistic perspective assures a creative approach to your landscape issues. If you wish to contact him by e-mail, fax, phone or letter please contact him at:
stoneshovel
2201 5th terrace south,Irondale
AL 35210
Call:205 901 8600
Email:arnie@stoneshovel.com
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| Callicarpa Americana American Beautyberry |
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Thank you for visiting stoneshovel! I would like to share some of my strengths, favorite elements of the garden and select plants so you can get a picture of a typical Garden Design. I prefer natural to manicured gardens though I think structure is very important to a garden. Over the past 8 years my appreciation of Native plants has grown and i attempt to include them as often as possible. The native plant has an advantage over many other more exotic plants in that is adapted to our climate and seasonal fluctuations. I have worked in nurseries and on a golf course as well as with other landscapers who appreciate a variety of styles and approaches to landscaping. In my artistic studies i focused a good deal on what has been termed 'earth art' or 'environmental art' in which the land and particular qualities of the site were as important if not more so than the artists vision. I work hard to build the garden as bridge between my knowledge, a clients needs and the lay of the land. In this way the end result is a healthy landscape for the client and a healing place within the greater whole of our environment.
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| This is a stone paving area interplanted with herbs and sedums |
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www.stoneshovel.com all rights reserved 2009
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