61. Rhyne Designs 9th Anniversary
Here we are in February 2022 and Rhyne Designs is very excited to celebrate 9 years in business! As we all still struggle with the impacts of the pandemic, the demand for outdoor living spaces is higher than ever and that has kept Rhyne Designs very busy. The past year has seen many interesting projects all over the North Bay, with most projects in the beautiful Napa Valley, including a couple of very exciting ones that finished construction. I am proud to show off a few of Rhyne Designs’ best projects of 2021:
Built Work in 2021
It has been very exciting to watch a few big projects, years in the making, finally get built. This includes the landscaping on an amazing hillside overlooking the Napa Valley where a rocky, fire-scorched site is being transformed into a series of gardens around a new house. The driveway descends down a slope, with a floating stairway crossing over a rock outcropping and a reflecting pool for a dramatic approach to the front door. The back of the house opens up to panoramic views enhanced with a vanishing edge pool and lawn, with native chaparral plantings downslope. The backyard still has a little more work to finish up but stay tuned and better photos will be added to the Projects page in a few months.
Down on the valley floor, we are pleased to see the installation of new gardens on a four-acre parcel that includes a large vegetable garden next to a small formal rose garden. These add nice variety to the larger landscaping that is primarily native and drought tolerant plantings which complement some large Oak trees around the property.
Design Work Under Construction
One of Rhyne Designs major projects that completed design in 2021 is a five-acre property just outside of Yountville where a wine-making family is building a new home to host family gatherings and other events. This design included many great amenities ranging from a substantial outdoor kitchen and tree-lined dining area to a tennis court and a playground for the grandkids. We are thrilled to be on site in the past couple of weeks helping to kick off the landscape construction work!
New Design Work Underway
Last Fall Rhyne Designs was brought in as part of an existing design team for landscape design on a unique residential estate and farm project in Sonoma. The property includes a large cut flower garden as well as a vegetable farm, with a large amount of the harvest donated to local charities and hospitals. Outside of those farm areas, we have been creating designs for outdoor dining and event spaces and other ornamental landscaping for the existing house and barn. In addition we've helped to develop a cactus and succulent garden, and landscaping for a renovated historic guest house in the classic Cottage Garden style. This drawing shows one design concept for an outdoor event space with a long dining table among fruit trees and fun wavy edged planting beds.
And hot off the presses in December is the landscape design for another large property near Yountville that will include several acres of vineyards along with a new house and various outdoor living spaces. One of the highlights of the design is a bocce court and fire pit terrace placed to enjoy the afternoon shade from one of those classic large Oak trees that you see in the valley, surrounded by naturalistic drifts of native plants that won’t harm the tree’s root system.
Looking Ahead
On the business side, Rhyne Designs has made the change from a Sole Proprietorship to a Small Corporation as of the beginning of 2022, part of laying the groundwork for growth in the future for Rhyne Designs Landscape Inc. This past year has seen some serious climate ups and downs, with heavy rain at the end of 2021 that thankfully put a quick end to the fire season. However, these first few months of 2022 have been very dry. Hopefully we will see more rain in the next couple of months, but most likely California's historic drought will continue, emphasizing the importance of good landscape design that addresses water scarcity, fire hazards and other climate change issues. We are excited about the work ahead and look forward to helping more families realize their dreams of beautiful gardens and outdoor living!