12/31/2025
Allbright Project
*Warning* Long post to follow...
What a better way to end the 2025 season than with the before and after pictures of the largest and most extensive project of my career to date.
When I first met Bob and Elissa at their new build last January, I walked up to a foundation poured and that was it. This was the first time I have not had a house to take pictures of. I got my measurements and they sent me over the house design as a visual. Not to brag, but I think I got it pretty good in my designs as you look at the pictures!
I met them in February to go over this extensive project that had 10 different phases to it. After presenting it to them, they were pleased and proceeded to tell me it was exactly what they were looking for. These 3-D designs really help you visualize exactly what the project is going to look like.
I got started the first week of September. Of course all of my help had gone back to school. As I stood there and looked at the three semi loads of hardscaping material from County Materials, I thought to myself, " I am sure going to sleep good at night after each day up here!"
I started with the large retaining wall. It was 11' high and 40' long, approximately 670 - 80 lb retaining wall blocks (that was only half of them). To make this more interesting, the homeowners wanted steps from the upper covered porch to the lower patio. Done and done! Starting from the lower level, I built the two other walls up one layer at a time and inserted the step. This had to be repeated 19 times to achieve the final height of the step at the top. At the mid-point, I had to install the patio before I started my way to the top step. Also, while installing these steps, I needed to ensure enough low voltage wiring for the wall cap lights and garden bed lights so you could see at night. Finally, the largest wall I had built on my own was complete! All of the walls on this property were produced and delivered by County Materials. I had picked out the Tribute 2.0 Smooth face in Vision with a rectangle cap in Reflection. The landing steps were from Belgard in Midnight color.
Next came the upper grill pad and the lower patio. After doing a wall of that size, this was going to be a piece of cake! Each patio used County Materials Grand Fusion Paver in Vision. This is the first time in using this paver and I think it was the perfect application. I then used an Elements Paver in Reflection as an accent strip and finished the borders with an Elements Paver in Vision.
There were two more walls and a paver walkway along the east and north side of the house that used the same material.
On to the landscaping beds. Another company came in to do all of the concrete edging around the house and then I installed the plants, plastic w**d barrier, low voltage lighting, and the Lavender Quartz stone to the beds. Yes, I did install the wood fence along the top of the wall as well. On a side note, I have never had to work around so many other contractors on one jobsite! It was a bit chaotic but we all managed to get along and our timelines all worked together so we were not in each others space of work at the same time.
Once the beds were complete, it was on to the grading. The homeowners wanted instant gratification and upgraded to sod installation. With a lot of extra man power (~17 people and myself) we were able to install nearly 15,000sqft of sod in a mere half day!
A lot of extras went into this project as I was there and I was happy to accommodate all of them within a timely manner. Some of which included:
- Natural stone retaining walls for a raised garden bed
- Additional grade work throughout the property
- soil condition and remove stones from the newly installed pond
- additional landscaping beds around the detached shed
- burial of all of the downspouts
Just to name a few.
This project alone shows just what Green Thumb Landscape can do. My slogan is just that, "From walkways to retaining walls and perennials to shade trees... We do it all!" I am truly grateful that Allbright's' trusted me to make their landscaping vision a reality and I look forward to continuing to enhance their outdoor living spaces in the years to come.
A special thanks to everyone that helped me on this project. Without you, I would not have been able to get it done this season:
Lee McCarville
Tom Lindholm
Pat McCarville
Tom Hackl
Cole Nelson
Corey Haas (Sod installation)
Adam Wiegel (Sod installation)
Ryan, Rucker, Macton Weiskircher (Sod installation)
Reagan Jackson and his college buddies (Sod installation)
Owen Wyatt and his crew from the Mineral Point Football Team (Sod installation)
Fritz's Burner Service for running the gas line to the patio
Kevin Smits (Landscape design/installation advice)
Nate Gish (County Materials Rep)
Tim Brennen (Midwest Decorative Stone/Belgard Rep)
Marcia Wyatt and Aspen Ridge for the plant material and landscape stone
Central Wisconsin Sod
Reinders for the FX Luminaire Low Voltage Lighting
Sorry if I missed anyone. Thank you all.
Post Over! Thanks for reading.
