For 20 years, Jamie Louks has been sculpting everything from cake to chocolate. Owner of Sugarnova, she’s known for combining realism and fantasy in her sculptures.
But Jamie’s prowess extends beyond edible creations: she has been sculpting sand since 2023. From a scaled Mt. Rushmore to a towering pirate ship, her jaw-dropping works of sand have been showcased across the globe. Now, for the world soccer competition, Jamie has been commissioned to create a custom sculpture in Seattle.
…ContinuedSeattle Stadium, a.k.a. Lumen Field, has taken on a wholly different look for the world soccer games. The Stadium is hosting six matches before the final world soccer matchup in New Jersey on July 19th. Two games have already been played with four left to go.
The Seahawks’ home turf is currently buried beneath a sandwich of geogrid, sand, and natural grass. The conversion from synthetic turf to natural grass field was a must to bring the stadium up to the world soccer organization’s strict standards.
The process was rigorous but worth the effort. The Athletic, a sports platform owned by The New York Times, recently ranked Seattle Stadium the #1 venue for the world soccer games based on “atmosphere, location, and suitability for soccer.” It even gave the field a 10/10 in the “suitability for soccer” category.
Read on to learn about how the natural grass system was installed and how Washington Rock’s sand played a role.
…ContinuedLakewold Gardens, featured on our blog last spring, continues to up its game as a storied estate garden.
…ContinuedVisit Benston Hall on a Wednesday, and you’ll find a senior group meeting for lunch in the kitchen.
On a Saturday, you might walk into an outdoor farmer’s market.
On other days of the week, step aerobics, tai chi, line dancing, or swing dancing might be in full swing in the main hall.
…ContinuedIt’s a humid Wednesday with clouds looming overhead, and the Gig Harbor Demonstration Garden at Sehmel Homestead Park is busy with volunteers tidying, picking produce, and answering questions.
At a picnic bench in front of the central shed, a volunteer thumbs through a reference book, looking for insights about a visitor’s gardening concerns. Another volunteer helps young visitors fill produce bags with freshly picked carrots. Some of these scenes are pictured in the photos below.
…ContinuedThe Ofuro Spa rises up behind a thicket of alders growing alongside a pond. Inspired by Japanese bathhouses, the spa’s architecture blends Pacific Northwest modernism with traditional bathhouse elements like a hot pool, a cold plunge pool, and a sauna clad in hinoki cypress wood.
The spa received the last part of its glow-up this year when Coastline Concrete Coatings, led by Pararescueman Josiah Stromstad, coated the walking surfaces with epoxy and Washington Rock’s Armorstone product.
Learn more about this unique woodland escape and Josiah’s story in our latest article.
…ContinuedNestled along the shoreline of Gravelly Lake, Lakewold Gardens has been enchanting visitors for almost 40 years. Washington Rock Quarries recently contributed 115 tons of gravel to the restoration of the walking paths, just one of many planned improvements.
Step back in time with us to learn more about the history of this storied estate garden and learn about how staff are making the old new again.
…ContinuedNot long ago, four-year-old Joey couldn’t sit up by himself or hold onto a toy. He didn’t speak much either. His parents were told these skills, which most people take for granted, were out of reach for Jamie.
Now Jamie can sit up by himself and hold on to objects. He’s also started talking more. This profound difference in outcomes was facilitated by a pony and the therapists at Sundance Circle Hippotherapy.
…ContinuedArchisand sand sculptors brought their craft to the Washington State Spring Fair this weekend in Puyallup. Their sculpture features the Fair’s 125-year anniversary logo and the Fair’s Sasquatchian mascot, Big WA.
…ContinuedWhich topsoil mix is best for your lawn and garden? In this article, we discuss our basic topsoil—screened sandy loam—and the formula for each topsoil blend that it’s used in. We’ll also talk about the applications for each product.
This article is the first in a three-part series about topsoil:
A Vietnam Veteran named Mike recently received a memorable 80th birthday gift: his own tiny home.
Mike’s tiny home is the culmination of over a decade of work by a nonprofit called Operation Tiny Home, which celebrated this milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Friday.
…ContinuedThe Maple Valley Veterans Memorial was dedicated on Veterans Day today after ten years of planning and two years of construction.
The project was a labor of love made possible through community members.
…ContinuedFor the past two years, a black lab named Daisy has spent every day with her trainer learning to become a service dog. Daisy’s past life at a shelter is a distant memory. Now that she has learned tricks like turning on light switches and alerting, Daisy will soon leave her trainer’s care.
Daisy’s trainer, Mae, has learned valuable skills too. Over several years, Mae has become certified as a dog trainer through the Prison Pet Partnership. She already has a job lined up after she completes her sentence at the Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor, Washington.
…ContinuedNever bought gravel before? If you’re overwhelmed, you’re not alone. We covered some of the basics about buying gravel so that you can be more confident in selecting and ordering gravel for your project.
…ContinuedThe Seattle Sounders Football Club celebrated their 50th anniversary last month at their new headquarters and training facility at Longacres: The Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse.
The transformation from office parking lot to training fields—two natural grass fields and two artificial turf fields—took less than a year. Venture General Contracting oversaw both the remodel of the offices and the construction of the fields. Nearly 80,000 tons of Washington Rock’s materials were shipped to the fields throughout construction.
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