The Cairn & Cedar Journal.
Articles, reference guides, and working notes on Vermont landscape design — material guides, plant references, drainage principles, and the underlying philosophy of how we build.
— What this is
Working reference for Vermont landscape design.
Not blog posts. Working reference for clients, contractors, designers, and the curious — what we use ourselves to make design and construction decisions.
— Articles, by the numbers
— Articles
Eight working references.
Click through to any article for the full reference. Each is self-contained.
Vermont Stone: A Working Guide
What every Vermont landscape stone is, where it comes from, what it does best — Panton schist, Goshen stone, Vermont granite, fieldstone, and what to avoid.
Native Plants for Zone 4b
The plants that actually belong in Chittenden County — natives, near-natives, proven cultivars. With size, bloom time, pollinator value.
Frost-Line Construction in Vermont
Why 48 inches matters, what frost line is, what happens when you ignore it. The principle behind every footing we pour.
Cedar Species & Joinery
Eastern white cedar vs. western red cedar, how to size structural posts, why mortise-and-tenon, what hardware survives 25 Vermont winters.
Drainage Principles for Vermont Properties
Why most Vermont landscape drainage fails, what proper drainage looks like, how to design for spring melt and summer storms.
Landscape Lighting Design Principles
How to light a garden so it reads beautifully without being floodlit or dark-sky violating. The three layers of garden light.
The Cairn & Cedar Method, Deep Dive
Site visit, design, quote, build. The four-step Method explained in detail, with real timelines.
Sustainable Landscape Practices for Vermont
What we actually do — concrete decisions about materials, methods, and maintenance. Not a tagline; a working philosophy.
— Recent work
These principles in practice.
Lakefront master plan, 240 ft of dry-laid wall.
Three terraced rooms framed by stone wall and cedar pavilion.
Read project →
Seven dry-stone-walled terraces.
North-facing slope re-graded into seven terraced garden rooms.
Read project →
Bluestone courtyard with cedar screen.
1,400 sq ft contemporary courtyard with reflecting pool.
Read project →