We are dedicated to creating beautiful outdoor living areas and landscapes where all the elements are used. Patios, walls, pathways, and water features are a few examples of design features to be explored and tailored to accompany an inviting planting scheme that will exceed every client's expectations. Our specialty is designing these urban oases to match the lifestyles, tastes and budgets of our clients. Our projects are installed with beautiful natural materials using timeless craftsmanship. When our technical excellence is combined with our problem-solving attitude, thoughtfully designed and masterfully constructed spaces emerge. We firmly believe that our client's investment in landscaping should be a priority when considering ways to enhance their home and enrich their lives. We encourage people to embrace living part of their lives in an outdoor setting that is as comfortable and well-appointed as any room in their home.

“I work with stone because stone is so much work. Physical labor stimulates thinking. The more engaged I am in working the freer my thoughts become. I appreciate stone for its abundance and its willingness to play along.” - Dan Snow, Master Dry Stone Waller

Our Love of Natural Stone:

Currently, natural stone is our favored material for all types of projects. Natural stone is ideal for use on older homes such as those found on the Madison Isthmus. Its natural and vibrant colors do not fades as those of manufactured products will. Natural stone also adds charm to both modern and traditional homes in a much more environmentally sound way when compared to manufactured materials.

No construction material lends itself better to future reuse more than natural stone. There is additional reward found in incorporating a portion of a home's history to a new design that carefully considers the future while appreciating the past. Natural stone is the ideal product for ensuring this thoughtful transition from one period to the next. Furthermore, with the introduction of natural stone, the invitation is set for subsequent generations to enjoy and incorporate its beauty into future designs.

Additionally, the primary alternative to natural stone is concrete and it's many faux-natural products. The use of natural stone replaces the need for concreted manufactured units and reduces much energy consumption. From an environmental standpoint, cement production (cement is the binding agent that holds sand and other aggregates together in a hard, stone-like mass) is one of the most energy intensive of all industrial manufacturing processes. Roughly .6% of total U.S. energy goes into cement production which is remarkable amount given the fact that in dollar value, cement represents only about .06% of the gross national product. Thus, cement production is approximately ten times as energy intensive as out economy in general. So in many ways, concrete brick and block has a very high cost on the environment.

Concrete vs. Natural Stone

There is a trend in hardscaping toward the use of concrete bricks and blocks because:

• They are relatively inexpensive.
• They come in uniform dimensions that are quick and easy to install
• They can be manufactured to mimic natural stone

While we willlingly work in these media at the request of our clients, we see both environmental and aesthetic resons for preferring natural stone in domestic settings because natural stone:

• It's ideal for use on older homes such as those found in the Madison Isthmus
• Its natural and vibrant colors will not fade as those of manufactured products
• It adds charm to both modern and traditional homes
• Is much more environmentallly sound than manufactured products*

NEW! Environmentally Sound Pavers

NS is proud to be the first installer in Dane County to begin using CalStar Products, PAVERS, an amazing and beautiful substitute for concrete pavers using fly-ash (the by-product of coal-fired power). These pavers have 85% less embodied energy, 85% lower CO2 and a 40% recycled content than their conventional counterparts.

From an environmental standpoint, cement production (cement is the binding agent that holds sand and other aggregates together in a hard, stone-like mass) is one of the most energy intensive of all industrial manufacturing processes. Roughly .6% of total U.S. energy goes into cement production which is a remarkable amount given the fact that in dollar value, cement represents only about .06% of the gross national product. Thus, cement production is approximately ten times as energy intensive as our economy in general. So, in many ways, concrete brick and block has a very high cost on the environment.