A company slogan for Terra Firma Hardscapes has been “we rock, block and stone.” But at this year’s Everett Home & Garden show, visitors to the company’s booth will notice another element: Fire.

More and more homeowners want to add fire to their backyard escapes, whether it’s a fire pit or an

outdoor pizza oven. Terra Firma has responded to this trend by adding fire to what it calls its home show “micro landscape” display.

“It’s going to highlight water, stone and fire,” said owner John Stout, who is also president this year of the Washington Association of Landscape Professionals.

“You are seeing more fire being implemented in these landscapes,” Stout said. “Water has always been a focal point, and then we’ll have stone as a dual element. Basically we’ve got a lot going on in a very little space.”

And if visitors to Terra Firma’s micro landscape want to see more, the company also will have a flat-screen television panning through some of Terra Firma’s projects.

Terra Firma specializes in patios, retaining walls and driveways for people who are looking to renovate a home’s look while making a major investment to upgrade the existing landscape.

To undertake these types of remodels, Terra Firma may have to modify an existing irrigation system or create new flower beds, or add arbors and fences or lighting.

Stout said the company “covers the full gamut in landscaping” and also has the machinery to move heavy rock, boulders and earth, all routinely necessary when a homeowner is in the market for a hardscape remodel.

“Our niche is that we are a fairly expensive subcontracting business. We have lots of big trucks and large equipment to move these heavy landscaping items and move the earth around,” Stout said. “We try to be as mechanized as possible.”

Though Terra Firma does many high-end projects with average price tags between $10,000 and $15,000, the business also does small projects such as creating small pathways or adding a water feature, which run in the $1,000 to $2,000 range.

Retaining walls, for instance, can run a wide range of prices depending on the material, elevation and other issues.

Walls made out of boulders can cost from the mid to high teens up to $25 or $30 dollars per square foot. A precast concrete wall can start from the low $20s up to $60-plus per square foot. Patios are generally more expensive than driveways because of the craftsmanship involved, Stout said.

And on the labor side, it’s like paying for someone to put together an enormous, really heavy jigsaw puzzle, Stout said.

No matter what the project, people are paying for quality when they hire Terra Firma, Stout said.

“There are companies out there that do similar work to what we do but cut corners,” Stout said. “Our primary comment at the end of a project is, ‘Wow, that’s better than I envisioned.’ “

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.

Terra Firma Hardscapes, LLC

Call 425-252-5408, e-mail Terrafir@richpoor.net or go to [URL]terrafirmahardscapes.com;http://terrafirmahardscapes.com[URL].

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