Landscaping Project Spotlight
Creating a Residential Oasis with Privacy and Year-round Interest
From Bare Ground to Natural Beauty: Pam D’s Asheville Home Landscape Journey with B.B. Barns
When Pam moved into her newly constructed home in 2018, she wasn’t just starting over in a new space, she was starting from scratch. The yard was a blank slate, nothing but clay, rock, and potential. Fortunately, she came with a strong recommendation from a trusted landscaper in Brevard, who was retiring. He told her, “What I know you like is what they will be able to give you… They’re honest, they have integrity, they have a good product. That’s what I know you want, and I think that’s what you’re going to get.”
And he was absolutely right.
Pam reached out to B.B. Barns, and what began as a raw, challenging site transformed into a layered, textural, ever-changing landscape that today reflects Pam’s vision and the collaborative heart of our team.
Building from the Ground Up
Starting the winter of 2019, our team at B.B. Barns was on-site to begin the landscape design and installation.It wasn’t an easy canvas. “We had a lot of clay here, a lot of rock. There was a lot of mess,” Pam recalls. But rather than shy away from the challenge, our team embraced it. And so did Pam. The vision was clear: She wanted something that looked natural, provided year-round interest, and didn’t feel overly manicured or symmetrical. It needed to blend with the environment, reflect a sense of place, and require as little upkeep as possible.
What she got was more than just plants in the ground. It was thoughtful problem-solving and an evolving relationship with a team she trusted.
Solving Problems Beautifully: The Dry Creek Story
One of the first challenges to tackle was water. The property next door had improperly installed gutters, causing water to flood onto Pam’s yard. It was an ongoing issue that could have spelled disaster for any young landscape. Our team assessed the site and proposed a solution Pam hadn’t considered: a dry creek bed.
“I thought, ‘I like that,’” she says. “Because it breaks up the symmetry that I never wanted.” Not only did the dry creek address the drainage issues effectively, but it also became a design feature, something beautiful that looked like it belonged in the natural topography of the property.
Since then, there hasn’t been a single water issue. “They presented me with, ‘This is what we can do,’ and we’ve never had water since.”
A Living Landscape of Color, Texture, and Wildlife
Walk through Pam’s garden today and you’ll find layers of evergreens, strategically placed boulders, and plants chosen for their seasonal interest and resilience. “My favorite part about the way this looks? It’s natural. And that’s what I wanted,” she says.
She’s particularly drawn to the landscape’s year-round color and texture, a key principle in our design philosophy. Even when nothing is blooming, the property feels alive. “It doesn’t matter if anything’s blooming or not. There’s color and texture. And that’s what we love about it.”
Over the years, some challenges have come with the territory, including some hungry visitors. “The bear and the rabbits and the deer like it, too,” she says with a laugh. After losing some perennials to critters, the design evolved again. The solution? Yucca. “Critters don’t want to eat it because it’s prickly. And bonus… It’s beautiful year-round.”
Privacy and Screening: Creating a Backyard Sanctuary
One of the most impactful changes happened near the sunroom. Originally, Pam and her husband had a direct line of sight into the neighbor’s house. But with strategic screening—layered evergreen shrubs and thoughtful placement—they created privacy, greenery, and a sense of retreat.
“My husband now loves the sunroom because he sits there and he says, ‘I don’t see any houses anymore.’ It’s great screening.”
The B.B. Barns Team Creates Relationship Rooted in Trust
For Pam, the plants are only part of the story. What really sets B.B. Barns apart, she says, is the people. Over time, she’s developed lasting relationships with several team members who are all part of her landscape’s ongoing success. “Between Andrew and John Alexander, I’m very well cared for. I have Amy and Ty, and I absolutely love them.”
Amy, she says, is “a consummate professional,” and someone whose opinion she deeply trusts. “Sometimes I’ll say, ‘Amy, I think I want to do that.’ She says, ‘I just don’t know.’ And if Amy says she doesn’t know, then it’s not done.”
John, who oversees the irrigation system, is another point of constant contact. “He is just fabulous. Very, very customer service oriented,” she says. They even share irrigation alerts remotely, so if something goes wrong while Pam is traveling, she can spot it, and John is quick to respond.
That attention to detail, reliability, and ongoing support is something Pam deeply values. “They are very attentive, no matter whom you’re speaking with. That says something.”
A Cheerleader for B.B. Barns
Pam has become one of our most enthusiastic advocates, sharing her experience with neighbors, friends, and even passersby who stop to admire her yard.
“I cannot tell you how many compliments I get from people who drive by. They go, ‘Oh my gosh, you did a beautiful job,’ and I say, ‘No, I didn’t do it. B.B. Barns is responsible.’”
She proudly displays our sign near her turf and maintenance areas and sees it as a way to let others know that quality craftsmanship and care went into every inch of the property. “Let the people who walk by know who’s responsible,” she says.
More Than a Landscape: A Philosophy of Care
For Pam, the relationship with B.B. Barns is rooted in shared values, especially around integrity and customer service. Having spent her own career in customer-facing work, she knows what good service looks like. “It’s not just about the sale. It’s about the relationship with the customer,” she says. “They can go to a multitude of other places for the same product. I want them to say, ‘I’m going back there.’ Why? Because relationship trumps over the sale.”
And that’s what she’s found with us.
“I am the number one cheerleader for the company,” Pam says. “Whenever I text Travis with anything, I sign it off, ‘Your number one cheerleader.’”
From Project to Partnership to Forever
Today, Pam’s property is an ever-evolving landscape filled with color, texture, privacy, and peace of mind. It’s low maintenance, high impact, and always under the watchful eye of a team she trusts.
She reminds neighbors that a great landscape doesn’t happen overnight. “It evolves,” she says. “And you have to let it evolve.” But when you find the right people—people who know plants, solve problems creatively, and care deeply about your satisfaction—that process becomes not just easier, but something to enjoy along the way.
“I wish more people who ran a business felt this way,” she says. “Because if you get the customer, they’re with you forever.”