Exposed upland valley of weathered dark rock and low scrub under moving cloud, the kind of terrain Basalt Yonder builds on.

Basalt Yonder · field studio

Quoting for spring builds

Portrait of Mara Vennholt, the dry-stone builder and landscape designer behind Basalt Yonder.

Mara Vennholt

Dry-stone builder & landscape designer

Traditional walling · stone sourced within a day’s drive · one site at a time

I design and build stone-first gardens for exposed ground — terraces that hold a slope, walls that break the wind, and planting chosen to live with salt and weather. If a site is too wet or too soft for dry stone, I will tell you that before you spend anything.

What a project includes

Four stages, in order

  1. Site readA half-day walkover on your ground: slope, drainage, exposure and what the existing stone will carry.
  2. Dry-stone terracingRetaining walls, steps and seating built without mortar, so the structure drains and moves instead of cracking.
  3. Planting planA drawn scheme of wind- and salt-tolerant planting keyed to the finished levels, with a sourcing list.
  4. Seasonal careSpring and autumn visits to re-set loose stone, clear drainage lines and cut back where needed.

Get in touch

Start with the site

  • Email hello@basaltyonder.studio
  • Service area The north coast, the Dunmere valley and islands reachable in a day.
  • Replies Within two working days. Site visits are usually Thursdays.
Send site details

Enquiry

Tell me about the ground

Four lines is plenty. I will reply with whether the site suits dry stone, what a survey would involve, and roughly when I could start.

Your details are used only to answer this enquiry. No mailing list.