June 2021 – Let There Be Light
Welcome to our June edition. I know the title is super cliché, and maybe even a bit corny, but it does fit the topic to a “T.” With the warmer and extended evenings of summer, the time to enjoy the backyard is now, and it is what we look forward to. If you have had your lights professionally installed, you understand the invitation and ambience that they provide. Lights are romantic, soft, peaceful and add a whole new dimension to the landscape that you would not otherwise appreciate. I have had lights for many years, and I never get tired of looking at them. I enjoy them for many reasons. They give depth to the landscape and create interest. I love praying prior to turning in as I look out onto the landscape. It is very quieting and is a great way to end your day.
The job of lighting is not complicated, especially since the introduction of LED lighting several years ago. It has made the job of calculating voltage drop, gauge of wire needed, size of transformer, etc. much simpler. Lighting now is mostly the job of artistry. We want to go with what will look best artistically, or in other words, how to best arrange the lights. Since good lights cost a bit, you want to get the most “light” or display from them. Knowing what to light, as well as knowing how to take some short cuts if the budget is tight is important. For example, if you are wanting to light up a dry stream bed, we would normally use about 5 to 7 path lights depending upon the length of the stream bed, but if we have gone over budget, how can we still add light to the stream bed? Normally, we like to place the path lights about every ten to twelve feet, placing them around the boulders and plants. However, since we are pushing the budget, we can use spotlights angled downward to light up the same distance. It is not the same as using path lights. Path lights are better, however it does add ambience, creates interest, and saves the budget. The lights we use are solid brass, and are very nice, but if we have to use a lot of them, it can definitely add cost to the job.
Lights can be made of several types of metals. The most popular are aluminum, brass, and titanium. Aluminum is not much less than brass, but the powder coating given for the color of the light fades in the sun. After several years they look old, which makes the landscape look old. Brass on the other hand does patina or become darker, but if you have the time, they can be polished. The brass color I am referring to is not the bright shiny brass, but rather an antique brass. I have yet to do a landscape where the lights do not take the landscape to the next level. I have an overall general rule that whatever it is we add, it must take it to the next level, and if it does not do that, we do not use it. There are inexpensive lights, and they are okay for short term if it is a question of having lights verses not having lights. However, I would recommend waiting and saving for quality lights because they can be added later, and that way you are not wasting your money. What we do when we know that lights are going to be a phase two, is prewire the landscape for lights during phase one. Wire is very affordable, so when we get to phase two, all we have to do is add the lights and transformer. We do not have to disturb the drip lines or plants at all. It is a great way to get it all without putting a choke hold on the finances. In context of overall cost, the lights are about 5% to 8% percent of the budget, so they are not that expensive, but when the landscape costs $25K and easily more, it can be too much for a given expense. For most of our clients, affording lights is not a problem. Most of them have already seen their kids through college, and have disposable income, but this is not the case for everyone, so I always want to be sensitive to those clients.
I mentioned Titanium as another metal of choice, and these styles are normally very modern looking and expensive. I have only had a few occasions to use them. For those that have the budget and want the more modern look, this is the way to go. I will give my opinion about this upper level of lights. The purpose of lights is to light. It is not necessary to spend a fortune on the fixture. The only reason to do it is if the fixtures will be displayed in a very noticeable place like a walkway where the surroundings are done in a modern style. This would be the reason why I would do it, or even recommend it. Brass lights do a great job of lighting, and have a nice clean look, but they are more traditional. There are areas within Sacramento where the homes are designed with modern lines and style, especially along the river. For homes like these, I would recommend these lights, provided the client has the budget for them. They can range from $150 to $250 per light, which is almost double to brass, so you can see the cost can add up.
My intent with this article is to encourage you to consider doing lights with your landscapes. It does not matter to me whether they are part of the landscape or a phase two. What matters is that we do them for the reward is years of enjoyment compared to a finite cost.
Gardeners – you should be harvesting and eating from your garden by now. Have your insecticidal soap ready for aphid, mealy bugs etc. Keep the vegetables well-watered, but not over watered, meaning when you water, water thoroughly, but wait for the soil to dry out just prior to wilt, once they are established. This ensures that the vegetables will have flavor and not be watery tasting. Until next time, Good Gardening,
Arthur 😊
May 2021 – Evolving Beauty
Welcome to our article for May. I hope everyone has had a good spring. With these warmer temperatures, summer is fast approaching. As I am writing right now on 4/10, spring is beautiful. The Azaleas are in full bloom, the roses are in bud and some have their first set of blooms. The Pink Jasmine, which is a vine, is also in full bloom and super fragrant. I have a long row of them just outside my home office window. It covers a portion of the fence and makes the air very sweet and a pleasure to work in the office. I could go on, but the point is to take time to enjoy these seasonal changes. It takes a purposeful disposition that says part of living life is to enjoy the simple things. Look for the things that everyone else just walks by. Nature provides many of these opportunities. I love training myself to take note of these events, from new leaves emerging, to flowers budding, and even to new nests in the trees. It all speaks of LIFE, which brings a richness to one’s soul. So please take the time to enjoy.
The landscape we are featuring today is no exception, it looks beautiful. We have shown this landscape two other times. It was first completed back in 9/2017, and then I featured it again in 3/2019. As you know, many of our pictures are of our recently completed jobs, but the real joy is showing jobs that have matured. When I landscape, all my decisions are based on three years of growth, so this yard is right there. Ed and Melissa were a joy to work for. Ed hired us to prepare the yard for Melissa. Ed had cancer, but was mobile and I could visit with him and learn his values so they would be reflected in our work. Since that time Ed has passed away. His final statement to me was that he wanted to leave a colorful, turnkey landscape for Melissa to enjoy. We were so honored that he selected Executive Care. Since completion, the yard has been under the personal care of one of my men. This was a commitment I made to them both.
It brings me pleasure to follow up on and show the progression of our jobs. This way you know that it is our work, and not just a pretty picture that has been cut and pasted for advertisement. It legitimizes our work. I believe our March 2019 article for this yard can be read on TheHomeMag.com website. This is one of the few yards that we designed with two dry stream beds, in fact it was the first residential landscape that we did with two streams. Since the home sat below grade, there was a problem with water collecting by the front window. By removing the lawn, we reduced a large portion of the run off and by adding a dry stream bed in front and between them and their neighbor, we were able to minimize much of the standing water. Any rain or other source of water that came, we were able to route via the dry stream beds into a drain along the side of the house. A good drain system is one of the keys to landscape health.
I also needed to figure out how to use the elevation between the sidewalk and the front door to our advantage. We were able to create steps leading from the sidewalk to the front walkway. This gives one the feeling of going into something. (see video) The elevation difference was something that was fun to play with, however it did require us to create a boulder wall between the planter beds and the front stream bed. There is about a 15” difference in grade, which is not readily visible in the pictures or video (the boulders disguise it as well as the plants). As mentioned, Ed wanted a turn key landscape, and Melissa wanted color. In revisiting the yard after three years, I think we accomplished both goals which is a great feeling.
The yard at night is beautiful. I always encourage my clients to do night lights even if we have to install them later. At times, the job with night lights pushes the job beyond the budget, and that is understandable. We use solid brass light fixtures with LED lights, so they do cost a bit. However, we can always defer the lights to later and “prewire” the landscape at the time of install. By doing that, when the finances are available, we can come back and add the fixtures without digging up the yard. There is always a way, and with that said, please enjoy the progression of Ed and Melissa’s yard.
Gardeners, hopefully you have your gardens planted, if not you need to hurry. Remember to space the vegetables sufficiently, as these summer crops grow extremely large. Till next time, Good Gardening – Arthur
April 2021 – Imagine
Welcome to our April addition. This will be an interesting job to view. The yard has multiple levels, and its shape is unique-much like an “L”. It will take several pictures to tell the story. When I came for our appointment with Steve and Barbara, they had ideas of what they wanted, but because of the layout of the yard, the part they wanted to use for entertaining (1/2 of the longer part of the “L”), was not going to work. It would be awkward to say the least. The problem was the elevation of their yard. They looked right down into their neighbor’s backyard, so there would be no privacy for them or the neighbors when they were entertaining. There was a lower portion (where the guys are working in the picture of the wall), that they assumed would be lawn or landscape. I told them we could build it as they saw it, but it was always going to be awkward. My suggestion was to convert the lower area into their entertaining area. I encouraged them to forego the upper area, and use it only for light landscape and getting to the garden and garage. The lower area would always be private, and they would never have to worry about awkward situations. Itwould be kind of cool stepping down into a lower area for eating or conversing. In my mind’s eye, this lower area was just asking to be converted into a bistro area. It was like a treasure just waiting to be found and developed. I saw the whole yard finished, and could explain it to Steve, who could somewhat envision it, however Barbara could not see it. Conceptualizing is hard for her, and to make matters more challenging, they did not know us other than by a referral from their neighbors. These were the same neighbors whose yard we featured in the March issue. When a client meets me and has also been reading our articles and seeing our jobs, it makes a huge difference. It’s like I am almost family 😊. We can then start a job with the client being comfortable and trusting us. When they do not receive the magazine, it is a completely different experience. Therefore, with Steve and Barbara being so hands on and not receiving the magazine, and Barbara not being able to conceptualize, it made the project a bit more tense. It was not until we got about three quarters of the way through that Barbara began to relax. It always makes the job more enjoyable when the client can begin to see what I have seen. I think that walking through green acres is a key to helping our clients, because by that time the yard is almost ready for plants.
After consulting with Steve and Barbara on the use of their space, and how much lawn versus how many plants, the length of the paver area etc., I finally had the design figured out. The estimate was pricey, requiring some technique and time as the pictures show. The yard had multiple areas of use (from left to right) – garden and shed area ( both yet to be built), a paver/bistro area with steps coming down into it, a waterfall (that another contractor did), lawn area, planters, and a Zen area to the extreme right. The Zen area received the most amount of shade, so it was ideal for this. When it came to the steps and where they should finish, it seemed very logical and practical to me that they should finish at the patio. However, there was a bit of an arm wrestle in discussing this. In Barbara’s mind, the way to get down to the bistro area was to use flagstone because the steps seemed too harsh for her. She wanted something softer. My concern was with such a high trafficked area and the extreme elevation change, we needed something solid; something that was substantial and safe. I told her that I would argue my case for their sake, however in the end, if I could not convince her, we would do it her way. She is the client after all. Sometimes this posture of mine makes things a bit tense, however if I do not take this stance, I do not believe I am giving or doing my best to the client. In the end, Barbara agreed with me, which I was so thankful for. Connecting the steps to the patio was such a big part of the design, and its function was to conduct traffic from the home to the bistro area safely.
We are a design build landscape company, and that is why we are being hired. We have to be able to imagine what could be and then have the vision to know how to bring it to reality. Some people need a design in their hand to illustrate what their yard will look like, and that is fine. As the designer/owner of our company, I do that, but I use upside down marker paint and paint out the design in the client’s yard. I believe it is more to scale and realistic, allowing the client to see the actual dimensions in their yard, from fence to fence, and not just on paper. At the same time, I am communicating the design to my men. It saves me and my men time, in that we do not need to keep referencing a plan and measuring, thereby saving the client money. In turn the money saved can go toward improving their yard, which is ultimately what I want for them. Every single design we do follows this process, therefore we do very little H.O.A jobs, for they require a drawn out plan.
Gardeners – now is the time to get your garden in. Remember to space the vegetables accordingly. Vegetables are the one category of plant that become excessively larger than how they are sold. Until next time, Good Gardening
March 2021 – Time is the Test of a Good Landscape
Welcome to our March edition. Winter came after all, and Spring is finally here. I was becoming concerned as we went through our normal rainy months of November – January, and we received little to no rain, but then February came,and we did receive some good soaking rains. Hopefully, that pattern will continue into early spring. The title of this article can really be attested to by you, the homeowner as to whether the plants have remained manageable or frequently need pruning. There are generally two reasons for excessive pruning. One reason deals with the selection of the plant, and the other has to do with the placement of the plant. The selection is whether what was planted is a 2’ to 4’foot plant or 6’ to 10’ foot plant. Two-to-four-foot plants are very manageable and are the ones we want to use in the “body” of our landscapes. However, even these plants if planted too close to the sidewalk, or pathway can be considered poor placement requiring frequent pruning. The taller plants if used in the body of the landscape soon become maintenance issues with frequent pruning needed. If they are planted along the fence line, where they belong, they serve for screening, privacy, breaking up a fence line, a tall wall of a home, or hiding and/or minimizing a neighbor’s tool shed or R.V. Privacy, when needed usually involves a two-story home(s) looking directly into the yard from the back or side. Privacy, at times can be accomplished through tall plants, but normally requires trees. Often the homes have similarly placed windows, and if it is your neighbor to your side, you may be able say good morning to them without even getting out of your bathrobe. So convenient right? This is where privacy is really needed, and it requires a landscaper who knows his plants and trees. If we encounter a situation for screening or breaking up a fence line in the back, there are many plants that can fit that. However, for privacy down the side of the home there are only a few plants or trees that can fit that bill, hence the need for knowledge/experience. Normally, screening things or breaking up a fence line happens in the back yard, and there is more room for the plants to grow tall and wide. Along the side of our homes where homes are side by side, privacy is normally needed but our space is limited. We need plants to grow much taller than they do wide and depending upon whether we are talking about 8’ft. to 10’ft., which could be a bush, or 25’ which would need to be a tree, there is a limited selection of plants. Plants have their design from creation, and some plants put equal energy into their tips (apical meristems, apical is vertical growth) as they do their sides (lateral meristems, meristems are the growth tips). Others are apically dominate, meaning 60% to 70% percent of their energy goes into their vertical growth. Knowing these varieties and knowing that each variety in this category varies in their apical dominance, determines the right plant(s) for this area. However, this is only one part of the puzzle. The other part is the all-important aspect of sunlight. These areas, down the side of our homes, can vary in the amount of sunlight they receive. Some can be full sun all year long, and some can be sun in the summer, but as winter progresses, they become shadier. We also need to think about soil type and the inert strength of the plants. If the soil is poor, e.g., rocky, then I would pick the strongest grower in this category. I may like another variety more, but if it dies or performs poorly then what’s the point? The stronger grower is the best choice.
In the pictures you see, these extremes are not seen except for the back fence. The back yard’s rear neighbor’s balcony is taller than our clients fence so establishing privacy was important to them. Unfortunately, complete privacy takes some time, but the plants are off to a good start. The plants are currently are screening and breaking up the fence with complete privacy coming. We did both yards for them (front and back), so the budget was definitely a consideration, and that’s okay. There are clients that need to have privacy now, so we buy bigger plants with the understanding that it adds cost to the job. Others can say hello to their backyard neighbors for several years knowing that privacy is coming. It is a personal decision. There exists in the plant kingdom plants for every situation, and I am grateful to have had a background in actually growing plants. This has been my ace in the hole in being able to help our clients.
The landscape here is going on its third year. I just saw it again 2/11. We are doing a job across the street, so I will be viewing it for several more weeks. I am very happy with how it is maturing and enjoyed visiting a bit with the owner Carl. The day was cold, so his wife Dorothy stayed indoors, though we had a great talk on the phone. Though their landscape is in its “winter clothes,” it still shows well. In a month or so, it will have more blooms such as Azaleas, Chinese Fringe flowers, and assorted perennials. The chorus of blooms will begin and end with the beautiful fall color of the front yard Red Leaf Maple that is dormant currently. Pay attention to the night picture. There can be no replacement for the beauty and ambiance that night lights add to a landscape. The picture is of the backyard; however, the front is as equally stunning.
Gardeners – get ready, if you like to take advantage of cool season vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, the time to sow seed is right now. Until next time, Good Gardening 😊
February 2021 – Making Good Use of Difficult Land
Welcome to February’s article. It was a difficult decision for me to either show a completed landscape or to show one of the current jobs we are working on. I eventually decided upon the later however, if you would like to see completed landscapes, please go to our website, executivecare.com, and click on “publications”, or “gallery”. You can also view them at https://www.thmnorthernca.com/, which is the website of this magazine. This should help you with ideas and looks that you might be considering.
Now for the article. When you look at the before pictures, you will see that our task was to convert a weedy hillside and a run-down garden into what you see now. I am a big advocate of having gardens and some fruit trees. This job is located in Fair Oaks. I love having gardens, we have twelve at the shop. I always marvel at how via Creation all our needs can be met. Many of our clients prefer to buy their food, not believing they know enough or have time to grow a garden. It always saddens me a bit because of the missed opportunity to educate the children or grandchildren. It is a super lesson for them to learn, and to pass the skill of growing food on so that they in turn can provide for their families is a huge benefit. There is no substitute for the gratification experienced by working in the garden, getting your hands dirty, and eating food that you have had a hand in growing. As my life slows down, and I turn the reigns of Executive Care over to my Foremen, I want to start teaching classes at our shop. For now, when Executive Care is hired to do a job, and the client is wanting a garden, or if I can convince them with just a little arm wrestling, 😊 I will educate them on gardening. For those of you that do not need a landscape but want a garden, call me. If there is enough interest in gardening, I can post “Gardening for Beginners” on my website.
Like most of us, we barely have enough time to do more than just the basics: work, raise a family (or a grandchild as in our case) and tend to the most immediate needs of the home. Our clients Jason and Kristy have a young family. They are both working, and when not working, Jason spends time working on their home. The time to improve their land, which is about ½ acre, is just not there. Also, it is mostly sloping, so it’s more than a one-man job. I am only showing the slope closest to the home. Other projects will come later, but the garden and lawn area projects were priority for them. Jason in particular shared my sentiments on gardening. Coming from a background of having gardens, this was important to him. I agree with them in using the sloping areas for the gardens when level ground for lawn is limited. However, as a disclaimer, know that the more difficult the terrain is to modify, especially if it must be enclosed because of the deer, the project can become a bit pricey. There is a lot that goes into building what you are seeing. Drainage, irrigation, lumber cost, tons of brackets, poles, and fixtures etc. All these things are part of doing it right. However once done, it will easily last 20 years. That is a lot of grocery savings, not to mention super healthy food.
The challenge of building the garden is obviously the slope. Not only did it slope from top down, but it also sloped away from the house (from east to west) making it a bit more challenging. Kristy and I had an appointment a year ago to discuss their project and to give her a “gut” estimate of cost. As of a month ago she called us to start. I was grateful that she remembered us. As mentioned, we needed to enclose a portion of the garden because of the deer. This area will be for the vegetables. The open area is for fruit trees, flowers, and bushes. We will deter the deer by using impact sprinklers that “see” and come on when critters are present. Bordering close to the American River, they have no lack of nocturnal animals. The project has been great, but it has had its share of surprises. Like any slope job, until we put a laser to it (for grading), it is difficult to see how unlevel it is. And by the time you add your first set of boards, you become acutely aware that you are dealing with a greater slope than what was initially seen. This is especially true when weeds are masking the slope, which is what I saw and made the estimate from. In doing landscapes, especially slopes, I like to make sure that the clients understand that costs can increase. Most slopes have problems with soil content. Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Rocklin can have very rocky ground, and even underground boulders which at times have caused us to redo an entire terrace. However here, the soil is just soil, which is a nice break for the guys.
As of this writing (1/20) we still have the lawn area to finish. Currently, it is just a retaining wall with soil spread out. This upper corner of the property is the most level area, and the easiest area to add a lawn to. By building the lower retaining wall we can bring in enough soil to raise the grade and get close to having a level playing area. More soil, sprinklers and sod have yet to be added.
Gardeners, it is now early spring, and you should be thinking about carrots, kale, lettuce, beets, spinach etc.- all the cooler crops. If you like these, you can start them via seedlings in egg cartons or peat containers. It is still too early for the nurseries to be carrying vegetables. You want to start them in a green house, or a south or western facing window. Keep the seedlings moist, not wet, and as soon as they are about 3” tall, put them outside next to the house (for radiant heat, place them west or south wall). This will start hardening them off PRIOR to planting them in the garden. Until next time, Good Gardening. 😊
January 2021 – Growing Roots
I trust everyone had a nice holiday. Christmas and Thanksgiving are two of the few holidays that families make the effort to get together. It truly can be a special time.
We will not be attending the Cal Expo Home and Garden Show this year and the main downside is I really enjoy talking to you! However, I look forward to meeting many of you via our appointments. Our business comes from you via the magazine, not so much the show. So, as much as I will miss that we are already getting busy, so if you are thinking of landscaping please make an appointment soon. We have a self-registering website and it will take you to the days available (January is full). For those of you who took the time to call or email me regarding the Christmas article, thank you. Your words were very encouraging; they mean a lot to me (it is the first time I shared my struggles publicly).
Each January I like to start the New Year off by reviewing landscape care, hence the title. As a grower in the wholesale business that I come from, my focus was on growing strong roots. If I succeeded in that, the plant would do the rest and grow strong and healthy shoots. I want to discuss the care of the garden, and directly connected to that is your enjoyment of it. Although I will be speaking in “big picture” terms, you can find more detailed information by clicking on the tab titled, “Landscape Tips,” on our website (www.executivecareinc.com). It makes no sense to spend money on a landscape and not have some understanding of the garden.
Plant care can be broken down into three general categories: Proper Irrigation, Pruning, and Fertilization. Generally speaking, if we are hitting high marks in these three areas, the plant can fend off the bugs and protect itself.
Proper Irrigation
Trees are often the most neglected in the landscape. We tend to not water the trees deep enough, therefore compromising their health, and causing many other concerns. Surface roots are a result of this causing difficulty in mowing, and concern that the roots will crack a driveway or sidewalks. Aphids, weak growth and yellow leaves are also the result of improper watering. Ultimately, the tree can become top heavy and potentially fall over due to the lack of deep rooting. If you have this problem, it is best to seek the advice of an arborist.
Next, check your drip emitters and make sure you have two per plant and at least two gallon per hour for landscapes 3 years or older. For trees, I prefer 3 drip bubblers evenly spaced around the dripline of the tree. An extra measure would be to include tree wells. You can assist the downward flow of water with an 8″ long and 4” wide PVC pipe. It must be back filled with gravel and have a drip bubbler inside. This enables the water to soak into the ground as opposed to running off. Lastly, remember to check the emitters and bubblers from time to time. Emitters can get clogged and bubblers need adjusting on occasion. Minimum run times for drip Is 35 minutes, 45 minutes for landscapes 4 years and older 4 to 5 days a week during the growing period.
If you sink when you walk on your lawn, it is time to dethatch. Dethatching “beats up the lawn” as it removes the dead lawn matter that interferes with irrigation and fertilization. To find out how deep the thatch is, cut a wedge-shaped piece with the shovel and then lift it leaving the back side intact. Measure the distance from where the soil ends to where the blades of grass emerge. That will give you a good indication of how thoroughly you need to thatch the lawn. More than ¾ inch of thatch starts costing more money in irrigation and fertilizer use. Aeration is also recommended, especially for lawns on slopes.
Remember to check your sprinklers for leaks, plugged nozzles or buried heads. If the lawn is on a slope and you are using conventional nozzles you may want to consider the water miser nozzles (MP Rotor nozzles), though I also recommend them for level lawns. See your irrigation stores for more information on this. They minimize run-off and allow the water to soak into the lawn better. The alternative is to water less but use multiple cycles with conventional nozzles.
Pruning
Plants: In proper combinations they bring so much beauty to the landscape. Unfortunately, most of the landscapes we do are “re-dos.” They consist of the same eight to ten plants. These plants tend to be aggressive growers, which need frequent pruning. During the next few months these large growers can be pruned up to fifty percent. This will make them more manageable. In hard pruning there is one rule. Never leave the plant without leaves. Prune the top first or the sides, but not both. Let the pruned portion leaf out and then do the other.
Trees: Just keep them thinned; with our strong winter winds, the canopy acts like a sail and catches the wind. Evergreen trees such as Magnolias, Japanese Pears and especially African Sumacs are examples of trees that can topple over. Oak trees are by far the worst, leaves or no leaves. Be diligent to keep these under the care of an arborist, especially if they are growing close to your home.
Fertilization
Even if you are not pruning, fertilizer should be applied. My preference is an organic fertilizer with mycorrhizae (fungi). These beneficial fungi help the plants with nutrient uptake and drought tolerance. The organic fertilizer feeds the biology in the soil, which in turn feeds the plants. This is nature’s way. Nurseries and some irrigation stores are now carrying organics. Be generous with the fertilizer as if you are heavily salting your food. Once you have broadcasted the fertilizer, scratch it into the ground if possible. I know with mulch and roots this step is not do-able. In either case the rains will help carry the fertilizer and fungi down to the roots. And since this is rain sensitive, do this sooner as opposed to later.
Lastly, some tips for DIY-ers. In landscaping you must consider the final maturity of the plant and what you will add in addition, such as boulders. Initially the plants are small, and the boulders “appear” oversized. The funny thing about boulders is that they do not grow with the landscape. Therefore, if your starter-yard looks more like a rock garden than a landscape, you’re probably doing a decent job. To do an extraordinarily awesome job with no dirt under your nails, you will need to call us. Until next time – happy gardening. 🙂
November 2020 – Re-Purposing a Slope, turning a Negative into a Positive
Welcome to our November edition. I trust everyone is just a little better with many of us going back to work. Even the WHO says we need to get back to work. The cure should not be worse than the sickness, and in poorer communities it has been. Thankfully, WHO changed their stance, and with these changes we definitely have something to be thankful for, and hopefully soon we will all be working. Thanksgiving is coming soon, and regardless of the political outcome of the election, it should be a time of thought and gratefulness. At times, things go our way and at times they don’t, but thankfulness is not due to situations, for situations can change, but on the relationships we have cultivated. During difficult times, it is not things or situations that save or comfort us. It’s nice when things go our way, but relationships are more permanent and meaningful. Maybe that will be the takeaway from all of this. Materialism cannot compare to a hug or having coffee with a trusted friend when things are tough. With most of us working, the stress over finances should be less, and with the kids going back to school, or a modified version thereof, the sense of getting back to normal feels good. Let’s cross our fingers (and those of you that pray, join me) that things continue to improve. Last issue I made a statement that I was a Republican by philosophy (work hard and get ahead) and a Christian by belief (God first, people second), and this has been my guiding light, regardless of the political arena. With the election over, (I am writing this on 10/15), I can only hope that we are at peace with the outcome as well as with each other. It is so easy to see the differences. I have owned my own company since 1989, and had nothing when I started. What I have found over the many years of working with people of all beliefs and ways of life, is there are more similarities between us than differences. Only for those who have an agenda to push, do the differences become central issues. May peace, logic, and kindness rule, especially now as we approach the holidays. God only knows we could all use a rest from all the madness we have seen.
This month, instead of doing a part two on October’s landscape, we are featuring one that we are in the process of completing. I have decided to show this one instead because many of us have sloping lawns. There is always the frustration and extra effort of keeping these lawns green, healthy and watered. Our client, Kevin expressed his frustration in caring for his lawn. So much of his watering was running off the hill and being wasted, and the lower 3 ft. to 4 ft. of the lawn was constantly soggy. His lawn was rather steep, and his sentiment could easily be understood. There are situations where lawn should not be used, and this is one of them. Though he has a gardener to do the mowing and fertilizing, the slope just complicates everything. He likes the look of lawn, but he was done with the care of it. We discussed how we could incorporate a somewhat “lawn look” with the Asian theme he wanted. I mentionedMondo grass which comes in are 3 sizes – tall, medium, and small or dwarf. In keeping with the lawn look, I showed him the dwarf Mondo grass, and he liked it. However, the next test were the deer. I have never seen more deer in a community than in this one, and I had never used Ophiopogon japonica nana ( Dwarf Mondo grass) where deer were so prevalent. As we were finishing up his neighbor Terry’s yard (See October’s pictures), I set out some Mondo grass as samples to see if our four-footed munchie monsters would eat them. Fortunately, they did not and that was great, for it was critical to the design. In combining Kevin’s three requests to save water, maintain some appearance of lawn, and have an Asian theme, we came up with what you see.
The terracing, borrowed from the Asian and Peruvian cultures, “tamed” the hill allowing us to plant it, but also to maintain it. It took fifteen thousand pounds of boulders to accomplish this. Thank goodness for our small tractor because it would have been impossible without it. In planting, we alternated the plantings. The first terrace (from the top) would be the plants, the second terrace would be the Mondo grass, the third terrace plants, then mondo grass, and so on. The boulders, though numerous, played a critical role. Apart from providing the structure we needed, they added a sense of richness to the design. Initially, before we added the plants, the boulders looked numerous, as if we were doing a rock boulder landscape. My poor clients, they must have been shocked that night, but then a day later the plants came. Everything changed, from a rock landscape, to a very inviting, high end, attractive landscape. The correct plants combined with structure make a huge difference. The plants are my paints (as in fine art), and with each year of growth, the boulders will take more of a back seat as the landscape grows. Just like buying a size too big for our kids or grandkids, they will grow into it – it is the same concept.
Another critical aspect of an Asian landscape is that it really needs afternoon shade, and fortunately that is exactly what we have. In Asia, though the plants are in full sun, their humidity is much higher which makes the sun “softer.” It would have been more difficult otherwise. Take a look at the before picture (I wish I would have taken it from the angle of shooting up the hill). From the top down, it is hard to really appreciate the steepness. The camera tends to “melt” the steepness with the surroundings, but I would liken it to a tread mill 2/3rds of the way up. Walking up and down Kevin’s driveway, the same angle of slope, you definitely get a workout. (😊). To enhance the beauty and safety of the front yard, we added night lights. Both the spotlights and path lights will add such an ambiance to the yard that your company will not want to leave. Working as we do with design and professionalism, the landscapes we create are not inexpensive, but the landscapes will outlast any car, boat or combination thereof that we would buy. If cared for, which we help you with, your landscape will become one of your best investments bringing you a smile and enjoyment year after year.
In closing I would like to remind everyone that our December article is just around the corner. It is the hardest, most soul-searching article that I write. It is personal in nature and faith based. My goal is to encourage and strengthen us, and cause us to have some reflection on where we stand when we speak of faith without stepping on too many toes. It’s a tough needle to thread, but I would be most honored if you set some time aside and read it. Thank you.
October 2020 – Taming the Landscape Part 1
Welcome to our October issue. I cannot believe we are entering the final months of this year and the biggest month is yet coming with the election. My guys being Hispanic, are mostly democrats and I am a republican, and much like most Hispanics, they are Catholic. I attend an Assembly of God church. Politics and Faith can be issues that divide people, and I refuse to let that happen. We have so much more than just politics in common. We all work hard for our families, we all want the opportunity to succeed, we want to be safe, laugh with friends and family and enjoy the life we are working so hard for. A good government, and there is much more to a good government than what I just mentioned, provides these opportunities. Each morning before I send the crews out, I pray for us that God would give us wisdom to work well for our clients and meet the problems that we will encounter with excellence. With the election approaching, I have also been praying that God would intervene in our election process. I pray that as a people, we would elect public officials that would rule over us with integrity, wisdom, and justice. Not one of my men disagrees with that prayer, and as mentioned we are a mixed bag of beliefs. There is ALWAYS common ground. As we move closer to the election, may we all seek that. I am as much your neighbor as you are mine. ( Luke 10:25-37, if you are interested)
I have clients that want land, and for the most part I find that finding useful land is tough unless you are in agriculture, raise animals or just enjoy space around you. I try to discourage large expansive lawns. Though the green is beautiful, it comes with a price, financially and environmentally . My client Terry was done with having lawn (though it was not much to begin with), and he was frustrated with his landscape. I saw several things with the landscape that made it a “nonfunctioning landscape,” especially aesthetically. The things I will discuss seem to be true of all large custom home landscapes, and these problems are compounded the larger the landscape becomes. It is my opinion, that by the time the owners get to the landscape, the budget is tight, especially if you are building your home. Therefore, with the landscape being one of the final things to complete homeowners tend to go with the lowest bid, which in the long run becomes the more expensive bid. It always costs more to redo something than to do it right from the start. This is not always true, and it was not true of Terry. There can be other reasons such as lack of experience on the landscape company’s part. Unfortunately, this is a pattern I am all too familiar with.
There are many things to be concerned about with property. For example, the irrigation might be stretched. I have talked about this many times before. If the landscape is supposed to have four irrigation valves but only has three or worse two, that is a serious problem. As the landscape matures and needs more water, the water is not there, and so the plants begin to be stressed and soon die. This is especially true in the hot summer months. If the landscape has a dry stream bed, it often looks more like cobble on the ground than a stream bed. Another issue in a large yard is that there are many areas not taken advantage of. This is what I want to talk about in this article. Because of the property’s size, Terry’s driveway is long. To not take advantage of all that “shoulder space” for plantings is a huge waste of space. As we all know, curb appeal is important. Look at the before picture. You will see that next to the driveway is a slope, and below the slope are the Oak Trees. We could build a retaining wall midpoint of the slope, backfill it with good soil, and create a planter bed that one could enjoy as they drive in or out. We could also continue that wall to the top where a nice landscape could be showcased. That is exactly what we did, and in a couple years it will look very inviting and give the home a nice curb appeal. Rather than just a big home, it will be an inviting and attractive home. It was hard work for my guys to dig down into the rocky ground, but it was necessary to create a strong footing. We do not want the wall to shift over the many years it will be there. It added cost to the job, however we all found value in it. A particularly good characteristic about working for Terry was that he trusted me. He could not picture what I was saying, and only had an idea from a small picture I showed him in the catalog. This is one of many reasons why I write; to demonstrate our creativity and quality of work. Trust is earned, and I seek to start earning it before we ever step foot on a client’s property. Trust is precious and priceless to me. It is one of the few things money cannot buy. The wall solved one of the problems – unused potential. Next issue we will discuss the dry stream bed and plant selection.
I was just informed that the magazine is broken up into two mailing routes, A and B. That means this month you will receive it, but the next issue, you will not receive it until the following month. If you want to receive it every month, all you need to do is call the office. Make sure you tell them that you read Executive Care’s articles, and you would appreciate receiving it monthly. Gardeners, I hope you have your Fall/Winter garden planted. This is my favorite garden. Most Fall gardens contain spinach, lettuce, Swiss Chard, broccoli, though I can never get a crown from them, and white and red cabbage. We have this month before potential frost in November, so I would encourage you to build cold frames now, and then just cover them over with sheet plastic when the temperatures start to drop. We use ¾” PVC schedule 40 and bend it over the garden boxes as our framework. Until next time, good gardening – Arthur