OUTDOOR PARADISE

Enjoying the great outdoors includes your own backyard

Compiled by Joseph Ritacco

Hardscaping, landscaping and waterscaping projects can add beauty, practicality and even a dramatic oasis to almost any backyard. Here, Kingdom Landscaping demonstrates and describes the creativity and expert workmanship that can bring new ideas to a backyard space and enliven your own property.

Family-owned-and-operated, Kingdom Landscaping, founded in 1995 by Tom and Jodi Tyler, is a business dedicated to creative design in the tri-state area of Maryland, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Tom and Jodi are personally involved in every project from start to finish, and all five of their children are actively involved in the business in some capacity. They can be reached at 301-416-0033 or via email at KingdomLandscape@aol.com.

Located in Sabillasville, Md., this project, installed in September 2019, includes EP Henry quarry steps, a cast stone retaining wall, and an Old Towne Cobble paver walkway. The house was situated at the top of a steep hill and the front yard had a sharp drop off. An area across the front of the house had to be built up and leveled in order to install a paver walkway and then build a set of steps and retaining wall to meet up with the basement entrance on the side of the house.

Pavers: EP Henry Old Towne Cobble 6x6/6x9 “I”

Pattern in Dakota Blend with Charcoal 6x9 Border Wall Block: EP Henry Cast Stone Cut Stone Aspen Retaining Wall with Chapeau 16 Bluestone wall caps

Steps: EP Henry Quarry Steps in Bluestone

Local Product Distributor: Sunny Meadows Garden Center

Installed in 2020 at Spring Ridge in Frederick, Md., this project included a paver patio (overlay on concrete), fire pit patio with sitting wall, and a walkway. The homeowners had an existing concrete patio that was unappealing and started to get some hairline cracks. They had built a small fire pit themselves in the yard away from the patio but decided that they wanted to make that area more permanent and hire a professional to do the work. It was suggested that they overlay the existing concrete with pavers and connect the two areas together for a seamless transition.

Pavers: EP Henry Bristol Stone Sonoran 6-Piece Random pattern with Forma Stone Border in Sand and Charcoal

Wall Block: EP Henry Coventry Wall Dakota Blend with Coventry Pewter Wall Cap

Fire Pit: EP Henry Fire Pit Kit in Dakota Blend

Local Product Distributor: Sunny Meadows Garden Center

Located in Black Rock Estates in Hagerstown, Md., this project, completed in September 2021, included a sunken fire pit patio with a customer planter box, as well as an upper raised patio, sitting walls, pillars, steps, a walkway, LED lighting and patio pond. The homeowners desired an outdoor living space where they could relax and unwind. The design of this project had several grade/elevation changes that needed to be addressed. The yard sloped not only away from the house but also toward the neighbor’s yard. Because the sunken fire pit area was surrounded by sitting walls, it needed to have a proper drainage system underneath the patio along with a permeable paver system to facilitate drainage to the stone base underneath. The homeowners also desired an upper patio, but to accomplish that it needed to be separated by a custom garden planter box that would act as a retaining wall and barrier between the two grade changes in the sloped yard.

Pavers: EP Henry Trilogy “Sun Valley” three-piece random pattern with Chiseled Stone 6x9 “Charcoal” accents

Wall Block: EP Henry Cast Stone Cut Stone “Birch” with Belmont “Bluestone” caps, stair treads, and pier caps on pillars

LED Lighting: Integral

Patio Pond: Aquascape Inc.

Local Product Distributor: Sunny Meadows Garden Center

Located in Fairplay, Md., this project, completed in May 2021, included an outdoor kitchen and paver patio with sitting walls featuring a custom paver inlay design. The kitchen included a bar with a footrest, built-in electrical outlets, a grill enclosure, cabinet storage, and a refrigerator, sink and pergola.

The homeowners’ dream for many years was to have an outdoor kitchen where she can cook and celebrate life with her family and 14 grandkids. She wanted an area that would have seating for at least 10 people, which was accomplished by combining the usage of sitting walls, a large patio table and a bar area. As a bonus, a custom paver inlay design on the inside of the cooking area was included. The location for the outdoor kitchen was in the backyard, which had a slight slope, so a retaining wall was required on two sides with additional drainage to direct water runoff away from and around the outdoor kitchen patio area. In addition, when designing and building a custom hardscape kitchen, all appliances must be on site so the wall block can be custom cut for a perfect fit. The homeowners also purchased a pergola, which required concrete piers to be installed underneath the patio for anchoring the four posts.

Pavers: EP Henry Bristol Stone Sonoran 6-piece random pattern with 6x9 Old Towne Cobble Charcoal border.

Wall Block: EP Henry Terrace Wall Dakota Blend 3” and 6” multipiece pattern with 3” Dakota Blend rectangle cap

Countertop: Granite

Appliances: Provided by homeowner (grill, refrigerator, sink, cabinet, pizza oven)

Local Hardscape Distributor: Sunny Meadows Garden Center

This family loves its Bernese Mountain dogs: Bella, Bear, and Nanna, and these dogs love the water. When they recently moved to a beautiful home in the Catoctin Mountains, they would take Bear and Nanna hiking to local streams so they could play in the water. This became a regular pastime, and they wondered if they could provide their dogs with their own personal backyard stream and pond. In the beginning, they were considering a small pondless waterfall, but after an initial consultation, Mr. Bristor countered, “Go Big, or Go Home!” Installed in August 2020 in Smithsburg, Md., this feature holds 6,000 gallons of water and recirculates 23,000 gallons of water per hour through three waterfall spillways and the wetland filtration system, which is housed beneath the pond thus protecting the liner from the dogs playing in 12” to 16” of water. A beach edge was created so the Bear and Nanna could enter and exit the pond easily. Nanna considers the goldfish as her pets and follows them around endlessly. The Bristors also hosted their son’s wedding at their home, and the professional photographer chose the waterfalls as the background for many pictures. The pond is affectionately named “Bella Falls” as a memorial to Bella, who passed away before the couple moved to their new home.

Specifications: 18’ x 24’ Pond with Wetland Filtration System, Intake Bay/Skim Cove, and three 14’ – 16’ meandering streams with waterfalls and LED underwater lighting.

Products: Aquascape components including large and small AquaBlox, waterfall pump vaults, waterfall spillways, one 2,000 gph pump for wetland filtration, three 7,000 gph pumps for each waterfall, underwater LED lighting, underlayment, 45 mil EPDM liner, as well as boulders, gravel, aquatic plants, fish, moss, driftwood and landscaping.

Distributors: Turf Equipment & Supply – Aquascape Components

Sunny Meadows Garden Center – River Gravel

Homeowner – Boulders on Site

Completed in June 2022 at the Smithsburg Emergency Services location in Smithsburg, Md., this Aquascape pond (8’ X 11’) with a waterfall and stream, as well as a custom skim cove with bubbling rock fountain. The location had an existing goldfish pond that had not been maintained properly and had poor water quality and filtration issues. The office considered removing the pond altogether because it had become an eyesore and was no longer a source of tranquility and beauty, but opted instead to dismantle it, re-design the system and build a new Aquascape ecosystem pond in its place. Sunny Meadows Garden Center provided the Aquascape components, Rentals Unlimited donated a mini-excavator, and Ivy Hill Farm in Smithsburg donated plants for the exterior landscaping.

Products: Aquascape Pond Components including 2500 series Biofall, 45 mil EPDM liner, underlayment, AquaBlox, Waterfall Vault, Pump, boulders, and river gravel.

Local Product Distributor: Sunny Meadows Garden

Located in Fairfield, Pa., this Aquascape pondless waterfall, installed in May 2020, takes advantage of a natural hill landscape, and offers a water view to a recently retired homeowner who spent over 40 years in the Coast Guard. The pondless waterfall option is low maintenance and provides the relaxing sound of running water plus the natural beauty of waterfalls. The homeowners were pleasantly surprised by how realistic it looks, and the beauty of the lighting at night. The approved design was meant to blend with the existing landscaping.

Specifications: 22’ long x 6’ wide meandering stream with several waterfall cascades installed in an existing steep front yard bank.

Products: Aquascape components including large AquaBlox, Waterfall Vault, 5K-9K SLD Smart Pump, Underlayment, 45 mil EPDM liner, Underwater LED Lights, Boulders, River Gravel, and Aquatic Plants.

Distributors: Turf Equipment & Supply – Aquascape components Sunny Meadows Garden Center –boulders, river gravel and aquatic plants