Robert Goodrich
President, W. S. Goodrich Inc.

Granite posts, bluestone water features, sandstone pavers, quartzite flagging, dry laid fieldstone walls, and cobblestone garden accents — all are upscale landscaping products that were at one time only found in the most exclusive homes.

Over the last few years, two conditions have brought about a radical change to this philosophy. First, there are a far greater number of homes being built in the upper price range. Not only do these homes beg for granite countertops, but they also need much more landscaping than a concrete walkway leading to a wooden stairway. Homes of this caliber need extensive landscaping to complement their architectural designs.

A second area where landscaping is being used more is in the mid-range homes, whether they are new residential construction or existing homes. No longer are homeowners settling for two or three small shrubs planted in the front yard. Few things add more to the dollar value of a home — or to your own personal satisfaction — than natural stone.

As an example, take the business trends of our masonry supply yard, located in Southeastern New Hampshire. Ten years ago, our list of the "Top 40" contractors consisted of 35 mason contractors, whose main focus was building fireplaces and stone veneers, with an occasional walkway or patio job. The remaining five were landscape contractors, working mostly on high-end homes. Today, our "Top 40" list is made up of 15 landscape contractors and 25 mason contractors, who are now doing much more in the area of landscaping.

This shift is even more dramatic when you take into account the rest of our customers. During the spring, summer and fall, our yard is filled everyday with pickups and dump trucks towing trailers, which are there only to purchase landscaping products.

Also, more garden centers in our area are using stone in their displays. They are finding stone walls and walkways help sell flowers, just as we have found that adding flowers, shrubs and trees to our displays helps sell stone. They're a natural fit.

The housing market has been hot for the last few years, which translates into an increased use of landscaping material. However, even if the housing market slows down, landscape products should continue to increase in sales. Unlike building a new fireplace, which is more often done when the house is initially built, landscaping can be easily added at any time to increase the appeal and value of a home.

We built a house five years ago, but just recently finished the final phase of landscaping. I say final phase, but I am sure that within the next year or so we will be right back at it, adding something new.

In the following pages, we cover just a handful of the wonderful ways that natural stone can accentuate various styles of landscaping and architectural designs. We hope the articles inspire you to create new and exciting ways to implement the wonder of natural stone into your surroundings or next project.

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