Indigo Spirit rocks

By Paul Weideman | The New Mexican

7/5/2009

Adam Steinberg and Tobi Wilde have been working in both intimate and public settings of late. Three examples of recent jobs for the landscaper (Steinberg is the owner of Indigo Spirit Landscapes in Santa Fe) and his collaborating landscape artist are two back yards on Nicole Place, off Agua Fria Street, and the large island directly in front of Camel Rock Casino.

At the Malnar residence on Nicole Place, the pair encountered a flat yard with a few landscaping items placed by the owner. Wilde's design involved digging a large, central area for a water feature and a semicircular stone bench, then using the excavated earth to construct a berm behind it. The result is a more interesting variety in ground levels.

"Tobi is the designer and we implement her designs," said Steinberg, who met Wilde about 15 years ago when she was the owner of Café Oasis. The two have worked on landscapes together for six years.

He pointed out the detailed placement of rocks and paving materials, in this case flagstone in three colors, moss rock, and river stones.

"For the Camel Rock commission, we spent a lot of time creating a camel out of boulders as a feature and to obscure the valet parking area from the highway," he said. "Just before we were going to do the neck and head, the pueblo decided they didn't want it. So we took it apart in four days and we used all the boulders for the design you see now."

There are two pools and a cascading stream, with programmed color kinetic lighting, and, up on top, 10 feet high, is what Wilde calls the "viewing mount."

"I pay a lot of attention to the floor," Wilde said. "I had a certain amount of flagstone of different colors and bricks and a lot of river rock, and every piece was put down with purpose. The thing they really didn't want, which I did after throwing a big fit, is the mount, where you walk up and feel the power.

"Adam is amazing when he does fountains. That one is so magical. It's an upper fountain with seating all around it, then it shoots up as a geyser, and it comes down to a lower pond, also with benches all around.

"To have the privilege to do this, that's the gift. The money's not coming, but it's a good start."

Steinberg said they are honored to have been chosen to do the landscape for Camel Rock. "That island had sat barren for 13 years prior, with many companies proposing ideas. We were chosen based upon the beauty and creativity of Tobi's design."

For more information, see tobiwilde.com and indigospiritlandscapes.com.