Rooted in Nature, Set in Stone: Our Work Featured in Boston Design Guide

This season marks a special milestone for our small, craft-driven landscape company: Roots & Rocks Inc. is featured in the latest issue of Boston Design Guide in an article titled Rooted in Nature, Set in Stone.

You can read the full feature here:
👉 https://www.bostondesignguide.com/blog/rooted-in-nature-set-in-stone/

For our two-person team, this recognition means the world — not because of status, but because it highlights the values we care about most: craftsmanship, connection to nature, and the artistry of stone.

Part of a Growing Presence in Boston Design Guide

This feature follows another recent Boston Design Guide highlight — a collaboration with McCormack Builders for a Japanese-inspired landscape titled Nestled in Nature. This Lexington hillside garden showcases hand-fabricated stone veneer, a custom water wall, and a meandering granite walkway shaped to mimic a flowing river.

👉 Explore “Nestled in Nature”
https://www.bostondesignguide.com/featured-projects/nestled-in-nature/

Seeing two of our projects honored by BDG reinforces everything we value: craftsmanship, collaboration, and a design philosophy rooted in nature.

Natural Stone Fire Pit

A Celebration of New England Craftsmanship

At Roots & Rocks, we approach every project with intention. We place stone the way a sculptor shapes material — thoughtfully, patiently, and with an eye toward balance and flow.

Boston Design Guide recognized this, showcasing the texture, technique, and restraint that define our work:

  • Large-format granite slabs with tight, precise joints

  • Hand-crafted stone veneer crisp, clean, and modern

  • Live-edge stones hand-split to preserve natural contours

  • Multi-level transitions that feel connected and organic

  • Plantings layered in mass to create softness against the stone

To be included alongside New England’s respected builders, architects, and landscape artisans is a true honor.

Designing With Nature’s Rhythm

Our featured Lexington, MA project embodies what we love most about landscape design: the interplay between rugged stonework and lush plantings, between structure and softness, between artistry and geology.

The space includes:

  • A meandering stone walkway inspired by natural riverbeds

  • Large-format granite steps carved and set by hand

  • Patinated quarry remnants that feel ancient yet refined

  • Native plantings that frame and soften every transition

It’s a landscape meant to be experienced slowly — a garden that invites exploration, texture, and connection.

Rooted in the Hills of Southern New Hampshire

Though the project itself is in Lexington, MA, its stone has a story that begins just across the border in Southern New Hampshire.

The granite used throughout the space was sourced from local quarries shaped by centuries of glacial movement and New England weather. Its natural patina, grain, and coloration echo the terrain that defines our region — from the rolling hills of NH to the stone walls and forests of Eastern Massachusetts.

Bringing this material into a Lexington landscape creates a sense of authenticity and timelessness. It’s not stone that was pulled from the client’s yard — but it feels like it belongs here.

That sense of belonging is what we strive for in every project.

What This Means for Our Clients

For homeowners in Concord, Carlisle, Groton, Westford, and across the region, our Boston Design Guide feature is more than a highlight — it's a reassurance that thoughtful, artisan-built landscapes have a place in today’s world of quick fixes and mass-produced hardscapes.

A Roots & Rocks landscape is designed to last generations.
It’s crafted slowly.
It’s built with intention.
And it’s shaped from materials that reflect the soul of New England.

If you’re planning a future outdoor living project, winter is the perfect time to begin the design process and reserve a build window.

Let’s Create Something Timeless

A landscape built with intention doesn’t start with stone — it starts with a conversation.

If you’ve been imagining a space that feels sculptural, grounded, and deeply connected to nature, now is the ideal time to begin. As a small artisan team, we take on only a select number of projects each season to ensure every detail receives the attention it deserves.

Early conversations not only secure your place in our calendar — they allow us to craft a vision that grows naturally from your property, your lifestyle, and the character of New England stone.

Let’s create something timeless — reach out today and start the process.

Stunning Multi-Level Natural Stone Outdoor Living Space in Groton, MA

Transforming a backyard into a functional, year-round outdoor living space requires thoughtful design, expert craftsmanship, and a deep understanding of the natural landscape. Our latest custom outdoor living project in Groton, MA is a perfect example of how natural stone, native plantings, and creative layout can come together to form a truly breathtaking retreat.

A Custom Outdoor Living Space Designed for Relaxation & Connection

For this project, our clients entrusted us with full creative freedom to design a space that felt immersive, inviting, and connected to the land. The result is a multi-level natural stone garden sanctuary with intimate gathering areas tucked into the landscape.

Highlights of the Design

  • Hand-crafted granite walkways woven throughout the garden

  • Multiple cozy seating areas for relaxation, conversation, and outdoor dining

  • Live-edge stone steps and antique quarry remnants used to transition grade changes naturally

  • Native plant gardens to support pollinators and maintain ecological balance

  • Locally sourced granite reclaimed from historic New England hillsides

Each space is thoughtfully connected to encourage exploration, reflection, and enjoyment of the surrounding environment.

Locally Sourced Granite with a Story

One of the most remarkable features of this outdoor living space is the material itself. The patio overlooks the very hills where this granite originated — the true definition of locally sourced natural stone. Using reclaimed and antique granite not only adds unique character but also reduces environmental impact.

Blending Landscape, Stonework & Nature

The seamless flow of stonework, steps, and plantings gives this Groton backyard a sense of belonging to the landscape rather than sitting on top of it. By designing with the existing hillside, we preserved natural contours and enhanced them with artisan stone elements that will stand the test of time.

Bring Your Outdoor Space to Life

If you're considering a natural stone patio, outdoor kitchen, or custom landscape design in Groton or the surrounding Massachusetts towns, we’d love to help you bring your vision to life.

👉 Ready to transform your backyard? [Contact us today for a consultation.]



Before & After Video

Drone Flyover

🍁 Why Fall Is the Best Time to Plan Your Future Landscape Project

Why Fall Is the Perfect Season to Plan Your Next Landscape Project

When the leaves start to turn and the summer rush slows down, many homeowners assume landscaping season is over — but for the team at Roots & Rocks, fall is actually the best time to start planning your next outdoor project.

Here’s why:

🍂 1. You Beat the Spring Rush

Spring is when everyone wants their patios, walls, and gardens installed — which often means long wait times.
By starting your design and planning process in the fall, you get on the schedule early, secure your spot, and ensure your project is ready to break ground as soon as the weather warms up.

🪨 2. Ideal Time for Design and Planning

Fall gives you the breathing room to think creatively. With fewer outdoor commitments and cooler days, it’s easier to meet with designers, review material choices, and fine-tune your vision.

Our landscape design process starts with on-site consultation, concept planning, and detailed budgeting — steps that are best handled when the rush of summer is behind you.

🌳 3. See Your Property’s True Structure

When plants have dropped their leaves and the garden is bare, you can better see your property’s contours, sunlight, and drainage patterns.
That makes it easier to design natural stone patios, retaining walls, or outdoor kitchens that fit your landscape perfectly.

🌤️ 4. Be Ready to Enjoy Spring, Not Wait for It

Planning in fall means when the snow melts, you’re not waiting in line — you’re already building. By the time your neighbors are just scheduling consultations, you’re sitting on your new granite patio, enjoying the first warm days of spring.

🌿 Start Planning with Roots & Rocks

Whether you’re dreaming of a granite fire pit, outdoor kitchen, or full landscape transformation, Roots & Rocks will help you design and prepare everything this fall — so you can break ground early and enjoy your space by spring.

📍Serving: Groton, Concord, Acton, Littleton, Westford, Carlisle, Harvard, and surrounding Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire towns.
📞 Contact: Schedule a Consultation


Secret Garden in Carlisle, MA

Our clients had recently completed a major sunroom renovation. We were hired to create a small secret garden patio large enough for a bistro set. After discussion with our client who is a nature photographer, we decided to create a stone flower mosaic. We utilized a combination of Freshwater Pearl granite for the stairs and flower petal, and used our local Ashby tan granite as the flowers center. To cut down on installation time, this patio was fully constructed offsite.

Granite vs. Bluestone: Which Is Better for Your Patio in New England?

When planning a new patio, one of the first and most important choices you’ll make is the type of stone. In New England, two of the most popular choices are granite and bluestone—each with its own strengths, character, and aesthetic.

At Roots & Rocks Landscape Artisans, we specialize in custom granite patios across Groton, Acton, Concord, and surrounding towns. But we’re often asked: “What’s better—granite or bluestone?”

Here’s our take, from both an artisan’s and homeowner’s perspective.


Granite Patios: Timeless Strength and Natural Texture

Granite is one of the hardest and most durable stones available for landscape use. Quarried right here in New England, it offers:

  • Natural variation: From soft grays to warm pinks and deep charcoal tones

  • Textured surfaces: Split-face finishes provide traction and visual interest

  • Extreme durability: It resists weathering, staining, and cracking even through tough winters



Why choose granite for your patio?

  • It lasts decades without fading or spalling

  • It gives your outdoor space a timeless, authentic New England feel

  • It pairs beautifully with fieldstone walls, gardens, and classic architecture



Bluestone Patios: Sleek and Sophisticated, but Temperamental

Bluestone is a type of sandstone with a smooth, elegant finish and cool blue-gray coloring. It’s a popular choice in upscale landscaping due to its clean lines and uniformity.

Pros:

  • Consistent tone and color palette

  • Modern, high-end aesthetic

  • Easy to cut into geometric shapes

Cons (especially in New England):

  • More porous and prone to flaking or scaling

  • Color may fade or change over time

  • Can become slippery when wet

  • Not as strong under heavy furniture or freeze/thaw conditions

Which Stone Is Right for Your Patio in Groton, Acton, or Concord?

Choose granite if you want:

  • Long-term durability in New England’s freeze-thaw cycles

  • A patio that looks better with age, not worse

  • A natural, earthy feel that blends with the environment

Choose bluestone if you prefer:

  • A more modern, uniform design

  • Sleek patterns or formal garden layouts

  • Short- to mid-term use with light wear



Roots & Rocks Recommends: Go Granite for New England Patios

We’ve built patios in Groton, Concord, Carlisle, Acton, and beyond, and granite continues to be our top recommendation. It’s the most durable, low-maintenance, and visually timeless material available. Plus, sourcing local granite reduces environmental impact and supports New England’s quarrying tradition.

See the Difference for Yourself

If you’re considering a patio build or upgrade, let’s talk. We’ll walk your site, listen to your goals, and recommend the right stone for your lifestyle and property.

Contact us today!



Or check out our Portfolio to see real examples of granite patio projects in your area -

Small Space Big Impact in Concord, MA

Back again at one of our favorite properties in Concord, to tackle the shady north side of the house.  This portion of the yard is a transition space from the driveway to the backyard and it has always struggled to grow grass.  Our plan was to use large slabs of Rockport granite as stepping stones to bring you through the newly installed cedar fence with hand split granite posts.  

We went out all out in this space and created custom stone bollard lighting using our favorite Fx Luminaire fixtures.  As always, we finished off our stone work with a complimentary planting using a mix of native shrubs and woodland perennials. This space will grow in to the point that mulching will really not be necessary.  We are extremely happy with the way this space turned out!

Sit back and relax in Dunstable, MA

We are back in Dunstable to show you phase two of this farmhouse renovation. The backyard has a nice private nook off the kitchen that was begging for a patio. We chose to create a picture framed mosaic for this space. This project was unique as we built this entire patio offsite as we specd in our plans, and we were able to install it in just a few days with no loud saws running!

Farmhouse Renovation in Dunstable, MA

We were called in to transform the front yard of this beautiful farmhouse in Dunstable, MA. Our goal was to create a grand entrance yet not to formal. Our clients have a love for gardening and we wanted to give them a space that would allow for multiple options to navigate throughout the front yard. For the main walkway we used large slabs of Mason granite. Our steps were cut from the same quarry blocks along with the custom hand cut cobblestones used on the secondary entrance. There is quite a bit of grade change as this yard tapers off down to the street. We created multiple sets of stairs to tier the front yard, creating level walking paths throughout. We came back in the spring to add perennial material and install a small patio in the backyard. We will share that with you in our next blog post. Overall, we love the way this space turned out!

New Construction Revamp in Concord, MA

On our most recent project we were hired to bring some new energy to this downtown Concord property. For the most part, we had ourselves a blank slate, as there were only a few foundation shrubs in the front to start with. To begin, we installed one of our signature large format, locally sourced, granite front entry ways. We carried this same stone to all of the egress points around the house giving a nice stone landing off the deck and again from the garage side entrance. Our client had some major water issues to be addressed, as their sump pump ran all hours of the day dumping hundreds of gallons of water into their front yard.

To solve this water issue, we created a rain garden which will capture all of the runoff from the sump pump as well as the majority of the front roofline. The rain garden is essentially a large dry well in the front yard that has the ability to hold water, should the water table and rainfall become overwhelming. We utilized a large 3’x10’ slab of granite to create a walking bridge over the garden which leads you into the backyard.

To complement the stonework and rain garden, we planted the full perimeter of the property along with the majority of the foundation. The theme of this yard is mass plantings. We planted a row of European hornbeams down the property line which will act as nice compact, yet tall privacy screen from the neighbors. The backyard was lined with little lime hydrangea which will flower and look beautiful from early summer right into the late fall. These trees and shrubs were complemented with a mix of native and non native perennials adding not only seasonal color but also varying textures throughout. We will be revisiting this property early in the fall to finish it off with a fresh new lawn, the most successful time of year to grow grass, and look forward to sharing more photos as things grow in and mature.

Backyard Oasis in Westford, MA

We love when great clients trust our vision for their new outdoor spaces, and this family was no exception.  They had seen our portfolio and recognized what makes us different from the typical landscape contractor, giving us free reign to design their new space. After some time in the design studio, we got to work creating a new fire pit and lounging patio area for their enjoyment. 

The patio required digging into the hillside, giving a “sunken” feel to the patio with raised plantings on one side. This created a more intimate space once finished. We utilized cushioned edge granite planks to give a new yet “antiquated” look to the area. We also incorporated one of our most unique fire pits to date! A single piece of granite, carved out to accommodate a smokeless fire pit insert with four air intakes along the bottom. This fire pit weighs in at over 2 tons!  We surrounded the area with a lush garden design that will fill in beautifully over the next couple of years. 

A great new space for wonderful clients, that’s what we do! Maybe your new outdoor space is next?

FINAL PHOTOS

BEFORE PHOTOS

FIRE PIT CONSTRUCTION

Backyard Waterfall In Groton, MA

We were called back to our Groton hillside project to continue on with phase two of plantings. Again our clients gave us an open canvas and creative freedom to make something unique of the space. Our clients children love to climb and jump from rock to rock throughout the hillside. Our first thoughts were to create a dry river bed as an informal path for the kids to get to the top of the hill.

After further discussion, we decided this really was the perfect spot for a pondless waterfall. We sourced a great selection of large moss rock to make the water feature appear as natural as possible. There were two main goals with this waterfall, make it safe for kids to climb, and strong enough to withstand the abuse of kids playing in it. Both were accomplished. We surrounded the waterfall with a mix of native plants and a few more showy ornamentals to make it really pop. We continued the landscape lighting from the patio area adding up-lighting on the birch tree and spruce along with fully controllable lighting in the waterfall itself. Overall we couldn’t be happier with the end result as this is quite possibly one of the most peaceful patio settings we have installed to date.

Chelmsford, MA Woodland Backyard

Where do we start with this project….. We were called in to completely renovate this funky Chelmsford backyard. This was no small task as woodlands reclamation is not easy. We jokingly named this project the ‘can of worms’ as every scoop we took with the excavator bucket unveiled a hidden treasure. So once we finished digging for treasures, we were finally able to put our Roots & Rocks spin on this backyard. The goal was to create a multi-tiered patio space that would allow for a formal dining area and a less formal fire pit area for the kids to hang out with friends. For the formal patio space we used a mix of granite planks in varying widths of 18” and 24”. From here we blended to a less formal irregular granite paver transition between spaces. In the lower patio area we carried the same granite, in the form of cut top boulder benches. Rounding this project out, we planted a mix of native and woodland plants and left the clients with a nice flat lawn space that would perfectly fit their winter hockey rink.

We are extremely happy with how this project turned out and can’t wait to get back there this summer to see all of the plants growing in.

2 MONTH LATER

Hillside Fire pit retreat in Groton, MA

This was a fun project for us. Our clients gave us the creative freedom to tear into their hillside and create one of our signature ‘Roots & Rocks spaces’. On this project we used our locally sourced Ashby granite as large format irregular flagging, with live edge boulder steps, cut top sitting boulders, and large weathered boulders as our retainers. We introduced a number of native plants to the hillside along with some showy perennials to dress things up with seasonal color. To finish this one off, we core drilled custom lighting in the stone accents to provide a subtle ‘isle lighting’ glow on the patio surround without washing out the main light source, the fire pit. Our firepit was built using reclaimed granite and our clients will be finishing it off with a custom fabricated wrought iron screen to keep the ash under control. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome of this patio, and our clients are excited to put it use!

The Opus pt. 2

Where do we begin?... We were blessed with a call by former clients to return to one of our favorite properties to create another ‘Roots & Rocks’ signature space in their backyard. This opportunity was way more than just another patio space to us… It was a call to finish creating the forever home for an amazing family delt some very difficult cards. While we won’t get into details, we were brought in to design a relaxing zen garden where they could gather and spend precious time creating lasting memories. We are happy to say, that we were able to make this happen in the narrow timeline allotted.

While we could write a novel on the details that went into this project, a click over to our before and after video will walk you through our process and design intentions. We hope you enjoy watching this one as much as we enjoyed creating it!

Caterpillar walkway in Concord, MA

We were back in Concord, MA last week to install one of our signature ‘caterpillar’ walkways. This home went under a major renovation last year and we installed a custom granite staircase into the new breezeway. We came back to finish the entry with a our large format Ashby stone. Our customer was extremely happy with this free flowing walkway which pairs perfectly with their beautiful farm house.

Farmhouse Landscape Renovation in Lincoln, MA

Happy to revisit our Lincoln, MA project almost a year after completion and see how things are growing in. We took what was a simple failing ‘contractor’ landscape and elevated the property with our signature large format granite paving and live edge boulder stairs. This project incorporated locally sourced materials to create a timeless look on this beautiful secluded property. Watch our youtube video below to see the transformation.

2021 The Year of the Yard!

Great article written by Forbes Magazine stating 2021 will be the “Year of the Yard”

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While every year we focus on outdoor living, during the pandemic it has become even more evident how important it is to get outside. Here at Roots & Rocks, we strive to bring nature to your backyard. There are endless options for hardscape materials, while some like concrete, we prefer to work with locally sourced stone to bring a timeless look to your property. Whether your looking to create an intimate fire pit area or fully redesign your property, let’s work together to create a space your family can enjoy for years to come!

We are currently booking project for mid summer 2021

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Granite Plank Patio In Acton MA

Our latest client loved our portfolio and asked us to create something unique to replace their rotten deck. We took some design cues from the architecture of the house, extensive hardwoods throughout and long linear windows, and decided to utilize large granite planks to accentuate these cues. After researching many materials our clients realized our granite was superior to all the paver options proposed by others. They chose to use our tan granite due to unique swirls and movement in the grain of the stone. We are super excited to show this one off, as it came out awesome!