Bridgehampton - The bones of your surrounding landscape require imagination, planning and patience to get that perfect combination of function and charm. Entertainment and pool areas all call for attention to accessibility, functionality, and safety. Take the opportunity to create your pathways, walkways and retaining walls to integrate color, textures and shapes to the overall look of your home.

Keep in mind not all entries need to be straight lines, and that goes for driveways as well. A stone path that gracefully winds its way up to the front door gives a warm welcoming country feel.
Sometimes a little swerve adds to the interest and enchantment factor. For curved stone walkways use garden hoses to lay out the desired shape. The width should stay fairly consistent from one end to another.

Natural stone walkways are irregular shapes and give a more natural look to the entrance. Regular hard-edged Bluestone pavers approximately three inches thick create a more solid look that may tie in with your porch, and/or existing patios. Setting the stones in cement and not sand may be a tad more costly. However, from my experience as a homeowner and landscape designer, this is the very best way to achieve a crisp clean walk and also to avoid weed growth and seasonal insects in between and under the stones.

How wide you want the walkway is also very crucial. Rule of thumb is to make the pathway as wide and gracious enough to have two people walking side by side. I sometimes design the walkway to accommodate four feet or even wider depending on my overall composition.

Here's another thought - avoid (if possible) having stone walkways run under large trees. The large tree roots will eventually damage and distort the masonry and in turn, the walkway may hinder the tree's growth.

Retaining walls function to separate different grade levels on your property. And also can be a charming addition.

Stack stone walls, stone paths and walks set into the earth allow for a rustic, aged look and when positioned in the perfect environment are so charming. Locally, we like to use regular bluestones, or irregular bluestones. Sandstone was a favorite choice of famed Sagaponack architect Norman Jaffe. Sandstone is pale peach and varied. Naturally beautiful. Another interesting stone is misty rose flagstone, this stone is slightly softer in texture and like most stone walkways they would need to be sealed.

Another very important consideration in placing your stone walkway is, will it be cutting across a lawn? Keep the surface of the walkway on the same level as the surrounding lawn. This way you will be able to mow right along the path.

Grading, if necessary, allows you to sculpt your landscape area. Any deep gullies, shallow drops and or high levels need to be addressed. According to your design plan, you may need to level off certain areas and build up others. Sometimes, when digging a pool; the extra fill soil can be used to help build and shape a berm (raised slope) for screening and sound absorption, or even just for beauty and interest. Shaping and grading also functions to allow for proper water drainage. And often dry wells are necessary. Best to face the music at the very outset than to find your beautiful landscape investment flooded at the next deluge.

Retaining walls function to separate different grade levels on your property and can also be a charming addition. When building retaining walls think about the height, and if the top surface can possibly double as additional seating. This concept works so well when entertaining. And along with your thoughtful and creative planning during the next phase of your landscape plan - the landscaping possibilities are numerous.