Finding Spring

It might be snowing outside but indoors you will find Home and Garden Expositions across the country and indeed even the world, one of the largest is the Manchester Flower & Garden Show in the UK. I started my expo going with the annual show in Fort Wayne, IN since it is less than an hours drive from home. Having been a participant in several shows as a guest speaker and exhibitor I know what it takes to put on a good display, especially those landscapers who go all out hauling in tons of soil, mulch, plants, pavers and segmented retaining walls, whew what a hassle. It takes months of planning just to get some plants that are blooming , so hats off to all of those who take the time to bring us some spring.

Next weekend the big flower show at the Navy Pier in Chicago takes place and later this month Indianapolis blooms with their annual event, I hope to make both those shows, only time will tell.
The predominant paver and block featured in Fort Wayne was Belgard which is manufactured in several locations in the Midwest. I have not used this product but I saw several unique colors and liked some of the paver textures and shapes as well , so you might see some installations later this summer.

A wide assortment of home improvement products, health care, entertainment and maintenance
services were available and vendors displayed their wares with creativity and enthusiasm. I bought some polymer beads in assorted colors which are mere specks until you add water which hydrates them into something like marbles, very colorful and even better when you add the little 100 hour led light that brings out the shine. Sweet to add to a vase of flowers. My other big purchase was a one of a kind flower pot hanger that holds up to a 12", 90 pound pot by the lip. I love the fact that the every day entrepreneur/inventor can still make and market a product through a venue like the home shows

It's A Duesie

New Years Day we had weather reports of freezing fog, a term I was not really familiar with so I was anxious to get out with the camera first thing in the morning. Chrystal icing was spread on every surface, a blue gray morning mist blurred the treeline and the quiet made me want to hold my breath, every view was spectacular and serene. These are the winter days that make a skeptic out of even the most ardent snowbird.

But cabin fever sets in and you search for things to do just to get out of the house and off the couch. One of the treasures near my house is the Classic Car Capitol of the World, Auburn, IN and the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum. Labor Day Auburn hosts one of the biggest classic car auctions in the world, there were many automobile manufactures big and small with in a couple hundred miles of Steuben County, hell Detroit is just up the road. Hoosiers love their cars and are proud of their car heritage.

Travel does not require distance, just adventure and sometimes that can be right in your own backyard. I had not been to the ACD Museum in many years and the changes made recently have made it even better. There are over 100 cars on display, reflecting the art deco lighting on their gleaming surfaces, evidence of an era of style and luxury not seen in today's cookie cutter autos. They don't make em' like they used to is the mantra for these cars which are more works of art than modes of transportation. This is a great place to shake off winter blues and for those who need another museum fix the WWII museum is just across town, while lacking the artistry of ACD it offers a glimpse of history that is being forgotten by the younger generation.

Sleepytime, I Think I Can

Two photos I had to share from Bonita Springs, Florida one is a shot of my thirty three year old nephews wife riding a bike for the first time and the other a little guy enjoying sleepytime during the Naples Art Show.

The Family Yacht

I go to Florida often, mostly to visit my sister and her husband, we usually have Christmas there. Having visited so often I know what I like, where to get good food, best sunset beaches, frothy cocktails, hot shopping, sweet breakfast joints and a variety of bars through out the state. I have at one time or another been to most all of Florida's' tourist attractions both well known and remote. Been there done that is sometimes a problem so this trip a family yacht was purchased in Indiana and trailed down to the sunshine state . Boating is Florida is limitless, take your pick from sea water to hot springs you can zig zag the state gliding through mother nature or tearing up the coast.

One winter I worked as a deck hand on a gambling ship on Fort Meyers Beach, The Europa Star, I lived mid island and had a 12' john boat that I piloted to the ship. I earned the nickname, Snake from my poor performance at steering the ship at sea. Needless to say I did not take the wheel often. One of my favorite runs with a power boat is the back bay of Fort Meyers Beach, you often see dolphins, birds and a variety of boats plus the fabulous houses that stuff the shoreline. There is a new reward with the Doc Ford Restaurant that has opened on the north end, it is great to pull up to the pilings, hop out get a cocktail and wings, maybe even the newest Doc Ford novel.

Of course having a boat in Florida meant a trip to the Keys where you can experience the clear blue water, Seven Mile Bridge, Mallory Square and snorkel the last remaining reefs. A boat allows you to drive right into the furthest sunset point in the states, looking at Florida from the water is the complete experience for me

Terrific Toronto

Travel was on the radar for November and Toronto, Canada was the destination. I went with a couple of girlfriends to see the sights, unwind and attend a Jimmy Bufftett concert. We had a great time. Our hotel was on the waterfront downtown so we could walk everywhere. We did the usual tourist things, The Underground, CNN Tower, China Town where we had a rather disturbing experience with an eel or more accurately part of an eel, still makes me queasy. The mayor of Toronto even boarded our tour bus to congratulate a lesbian couple who had just married at the court house.

I am a huge Parrotthead (Buffett fan) and try to see him each year. Parrottheads dress in a variety of costumes for the shows and I love to get in the spirit. Toronto fans did not dress up like they do in the states and my sun hat with electrified beach balls was a hit. On the way home we stopped at Niagara Falls, truly one of the wonders of the world.

Niagra Falls is spectacular even in a misty fog

Picture Perfect Patio

We do a lot of work on Clear Lake the furthest eastern edge of our county another beautiful location, rolling hills, big old oaks and maples, lots of homes with glacial stone walls and features. I had my first look at this project a couple of years ago when I was called out to access the condition of a slate covered porch. The slate was installed on top of concrete, mortared but had begun to crack and separate making it unsightly and unsafe. Three years later it was clear extensive renovation was needed and I met with the home owner and general contractor to discuss the possibilities. Landscaping is a subjective art form, there are as many opinions about what to do with a job as there are designers. As I have previously said my job is to listen, make suggestions and try to help the client reach their dreams.

This home was completely renovated several years ago with the exception of the basement doors, windows and exterior facade. The original configuration of the porch, steps and sidewalk was not satisfactory, the outside door did not line up with the steps or the sidewalk, there was cavernous darkness, mud and poor usage of space. We could repair what they had or start over with a design that that optimized the space, matched the past renovation and brought a contemporary edge to the home. That meant complete demolition of all the existing concrete and sidewalk, new doors and windows, shifting the walk and door and steps.

The home is a walkout basement on the lakeside and limited access required we build a road in the narrow space between our client and his neighbor, we rebuilt the neighbors property to his specifications as we worked our way out of the job. Coming down the hill on our big John Deere was a precarious task requiring full concentration, there were a thousand trips up and down between the tear out and completion. A snap cut stone staircase belonging to our client had to have several step removed to make room for equipment, to keep our road protected we covered it nightly, if the hill got to greasy we were out of business for the day.

An excavator did the tear out while a concrete contractor poured a new foundation for us to install pavers. Generally we put pavers on top of a compacted limestone base but concrete is the cadillac of bases especially when you are on a built up porch or have steps to pave. The layout was very meticulous to ensure limited cutting for the pavers. Our photos begin with the job after the concrete was installed.

Fantastic Fungi

This giant fungi looks good enough to eat what a late summer beauty

New Construction Landscaping, Allen Block Walls, What To Do With That Old Canoe

Designing, selling and installing landscaping for a newly constructed house is a huge undertaking, one that is full of challenges, stress, uncertainty and huge rewards. The process begins with a handshake and often ends with hugs. Imagine you meet someone who has just been through one of most stressful events of their lives, building a home. In our case often their dream lake home, and that home is perfect on the inside now they are on this beautiful lot over looking a lake and their yard is dirt, a dust bowl in the summer, a quagmire in the spring, no grass and the shade trees were removed to make room for the house, in addition to this the house was over budget and they are financially drained. Now comes the landscaper telling the them to expect between 5 and 15% of their total project cost be a ballpark of landscaping expense. That is for your everyday job, but people now want hot tubs, outdoor kitchens, fireplaces, big screen TVs, gazebos, arbors and exotic plants, oh and by the way all these things should be maintenance free.

For me this is a huge responsibility one that I take very serious. I am making decisions that will effect homeowners forever. Lets face it, changing the landscaping ain't moving furniture and painting walls, it is expensive, labor intensive and often out of the comfort zone of many homeowners. Listening is the key for me; trying to get to know people, their style, outdoor habits, needs, wants and don't wants, maintenance requirements, future plans and desires. Many customers have a difficult time articulating their needs because they are not familiar with plants and have trouble conceptualizing hardscape design or blueprints. Frankly, many times they have been exhausted by the building process and just want to see something "green."

Some designers like to impress their customers with fancy talk and 2D cad drawings, using botanical names and forcing styles that suite their current inventory. I do not operate that way, I like to meet on the site, get inside their house to see what they like, talk about pets, children, grandchildren, entertainment requirements, what they liked or did not like about their previous gardens. Proportion, transition, unity, balance, form, texture and rhythm are achieved more easily with a good understanding of your client and what they want. I like feeling in sync with my customers and exceed their expectations.

If I am lucky enough to be asked to do a drawing for someone I generally go to the site several times, take photos of all sides, do my first drawing a scaled site plan usually on 1/8 or 1/4" scale, note all existing objects (e.g. TV tower, driveway, existing trees), rough in my concept and get back to the shop and start to fine tune my concepts. I bring the customer to our shop and display gardens to pick out material and get a better feeling of their style. We look at various hardscape materials as needed and put it all together for a final presentation.

If all goes well and we get the job the fun just begins. We do our absolute best to stay on schedule but landscaping is weather sensitive, material dependent, labor intensive and about as darn hard as building a house, especially on some of the bigger projects. A big job may take several weeks and hundreds of labor hours. It is very personal and makes a lasting impression.

The job in these photos features Allen Block segmented retaining walls, snap cut staircase, glacial stone seawall, EZ block retaining walls, a great color pallet of plant material and the first canoe we ever planted. It was a challenging job with a 14' drop from the house to the lake in 70', we needed to get the steps in but try to squeeze in some landings (flat ground). The pictures are in process and I will post completed photos at a later