Bruce Zaretsky Landscaping

Retaining walls are used for one reason: to hold something back. Whether you need to terrace down to a lower yard, hold up a house, or level an area for a tennis court, a wall will be necessary if you do not have the room to grade the areas gradually. We have vast experience in the proper engineering and installation of retaining walls, and in fact have rebuilt many walls built by others that did not hold up. You only want to build them once! Stone fences (essentially a back-to-back stone wall) are a timeless and beautiful way to provide a boundary, or to embrace a patio or entryway.

The culmination of six years of meetings, phone calls, prodding and not a little bit of begging, this garden has more than just plants, walls and lighting: it is infused with our hearts and souls. The Woodward Healing Garden is a gift from the Woodward family to the patients, their families and the staff of Rochester General Hospital. This garden is an oasis in the middle of a hectic hospital setting. It's a place where patients can immerse themselves in nature and heal faster; a place for their families to discuss treatments, to cry, or to just be; a place for staff to shed the stress of their demanding jobs and to recharge for the challenges ahead.

How often do you see your house in the daylight? When you get home from work? Weekends? On your way out in the morning? We never really get to enjoy our yards because we are always on the run: working, taking the kids to events, etc. We are well-versed in all aspects of low-voltage landscape lighting, and use only the best quality fixtures and transformers. From LED to astronomical timers to the latest in smart-phone controls, we can create a magical look to your new or existing landscape.

Water features speak for themselves. They talk to you with their running creeks, splashing waterfalls and bubbling boulders and urns. We build all types of water features, from simple boulders bubbling water from a core-drilled hole, to gorgeous ceramic urns overflowing their rims, to large-scale ponds and waterfalls. And everywhere in between.

One-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor furnishings mixing function and art. Handcrafted here in Rochester, New York, these pieces unite cedar or exotic hardwoods with mosaic glass pieces and inlays. We also design uniquely detailed furniture that directly corresponds to the environment in which it sits. Contact us directly for availability and pricing info.

No longer just an extravagant addition for those who have everything, outdoor kitchens have become must-have amenities for those clients who can't bear to go indoors during nice weather (or any weather). From simple grills built into a cabinet to complete kitchens that include sinks, rotisseries and even refrigerators, outdoor kitchens are a great way to get you and your family outside, enjoying an open-air meal. And remember, we like our steaks medium!

Glass is everywhere. Your home, your car, your office. It lets light in, lets us see out, keeps the elements at bay. We humans take glass for granted; it's always there for us while not intruding on our aesthetics. For us at ZA, glass is another beautiful element to be used in our design. It lives alongside our stone, our plants and our lighting as an extension of our work as art. From Sharon's instinctually unique style of mosaic-like glass-setting, to our love of Arts-and-Crafts details, and everywhere in between, we truly create one-of-a-kind works of art.

The most misunderstood aspects of your landscaping are the walks and patios. How do you balance aesthetics with function? We explain to our clients that the paved areas are for function, with design and choice of materials a secondary decision. However, that secondary decision is not to be taken lightly. Design and material will be dictated by the architectural features of the home, as well as the clients' wishes. We will always design the paved areas around these two parameters. All that having been said, we're not adverse to creating an "area rug" of stone or brick, or some other whim that makes your heart skip a beat.

From simple foundations to theme gardens (English, Oriental, herb, period) to large scale gardens, lawn replacement and meadows. We have tons (!) of experience working with local and federal agencies such as the DEC. Army Corps of Engineers and others to design and install break-walls and shoreline retainers, mitigating the effects of lake-level flooding.

When it all filters down, it doesn't matter how well constructed a stone wall is, or how nice the brick is that you chose for your walkway; the only thing your friends and family will notice are the pretty flowers. Because, let's face it, the plants are why you decided to landscape in the first place.

We have vast experience with all materials: real woods (including the first deck in Rochester with the alternatively-treated Kebony), faux products such as Azek and hardwoods (Ipe', Cumaru and others).