The Man From Masolite

Hopefully next week we will take Mark Disler to task as we install a large paver job using his products and expertise. We will also be building a grill surround for a new drop in BBQ grill. We are anxious to incorporate his ideas to increase our productivity and see if he has any new tricks up his sleeve.

I say hopefully because the weather this past week sucked, we only got in 20 hours because of the rain and cold. Next week the prediction is bad as they are calling for rain the first three days in the week. We are building the patio and grill for Craig and Jane and have to wait for the excavator to dredge the channel which was finally permitted this past Thursday.

Two Down

The first two weeks of work have gone rapidly. We had a couple of episodes of putting "humpty dumpty" back together again after winter damage but overall not to bad. Things are shaping up, we have four new houses signed with complete landscaping, a large finish for a project we started last season, a job with rock wall terraces and a large flagstone patio and walk.

Theresa has been out applying fertilizer and herbicides, evaluating the needs of our maintenance customers and gearing up for spring clean up and flower planting. We do not install annuals in this neck of the woods until after mothers day the traditional last frost day.

We have picked up a couple of new crew mates this season and lost Darrick who left us to move away and get married. Rick Roudebush has returned, a former employee who has been attending college he will work through the summer. One of our good pals has a son taking landscaping in college he has joined us part time and will work full time in May. Our multi talented employee Gary crashed his 3 wheeler last week end and has been in the hospital having had surgery to repair a broken bone. He will be missed during his convalesces but we are fortunate to borrow Bruce Pardue a 16 year veteran equipment operator who is laid off from M & C Trenching our excavation partner.

Larry and Charlene's flagstone patio and walk is nearly complete and looks awesome. One of the coolest features are the two snap cut steps that span the 16' staircase and they were not part of the original plan. After taking drop (the distance between the top of our patio and the bottom stair) it was evident that we would either have to have steps or a retaining wall or possibly a combination of both. I saw the opportunity to add a greater sense of elegance with a sunken patio in an already stunning location. It took a bit of convincing for others to see my vision but I think everyone really likes the result. We should wrap it up this week. Charlene and Larry will be grilling bunnies on the patio for Easter .

Progress at Jane and Craig's has been stellar for the painters, they are mostly finished and have produced the warm and cozy background that is the foundation for the interior decor. I did learn a new unique method of painting doors from the painters. The barrel roll porch has been framed and the concrete steps and porch have been poured. We will be installing pavers over the concrete surfaces. The siding is progressing and should be complete this week. Our final hurdle is waiting on the dredging of the channel between the shoreline and the island, the state of Michigan has been holding this up since last fall in the Never Never Land know as the permitting process.

Unilock Unplugged

This is Adam he is the Territory Manager for Unilock Pavers a product line we are pleased to now carry. Jane and Craig on Lake George will be the first to benefit from our new paver line, I am stoked. With Adam from Unilock, Mark Disler from Masolite and Matt Felger from Felger's we have increased our sales team and product knowledge. There should be no application where pavers are involved that we can not solve. I am currently working on paver driveway quote on Clear Lake and a permeable paver quote for a customer on Lake Gage where they will violate the 50/50 rule (50% of your lot can be covered with a hard surface and 50% must be green) if they pour all the walks, patio and driveway surfaces they desire. Permeable pavers are counted as 50% more porous than concrete.

Bob Seger at the Huntington Center

I came one step closer to high speed Internet today when I shut off my Wild Blue Satellite and signed on with Hughes Net or so I thought. Hughes claimed to be 70% faster than Blue and they were but come on it still took six hours to load this video. One of the interesting facts of the Hughes installation is that it is part of the governments pledge that rural areas be able to have Internet connections at a reasonable price. Hughes delivered and installed my dish for free and my only expense is the monthly fee of $39.00 which is 10 bucks less than Hughes. I do notice the speed loading photo's and surfing. However I now have an unsightly dish poking holes in my new roof and detracting from my clean roof line. I hope I don't decide I have made a mistake but the speed of the old service was a real bummer. It is amazing that I could upload a video in St. Lucia in ten minutes. Any way I wanted to share this video I recorded a couple of weeks ago at my first Bob Seger concert. Our great seats made for a pretty decent video. Special thanks to George. Enjoy Bob singing, "Main Street."

Felger's

Felger's located off Dupont Road is a third generation business in Fort Wayne, IN. Started by Grandpa Felger on land where he grew up it is now run by son Jerry who is known by many as the King of Peat, along with wife Dee Dee and their children who are working in the office and the field. The fourth generation of Felger's are already riding in the loaders and wearing company hoodies.

Grandson Matt is responsible for the hardscape development and he has done a fine job. Felger's boasts one of the tri state's largest selections of hardscape products. Their display area is retail friendly, well planned, amazingly representative of their various product lines and has a knowledgeable sales staff. In addition we can meet our customers there and see all the materials to take the guessing out of hardscape selection.

Three different product lines of pavers and wall stone including Unilock and Belgard are on display. A grill enclosure with a stainless steel drop in grill, various free standing walls with columns and caps along with a swell fire pit are just a few of the items in the elaborate examples awaiting perusal.

Matt's goal is to have every product they sell all encapsulated in one display area and he is well on his way. The landscaping industry is bursting with manufacturers of pavers and block. The shape, color and variety of these products is mind blowing. Looking at the new paver and block catalogues is eye candy for even those with minimal interest. It is a great time to be designing and installing landscaping as we have never had such an abundance and variety of materials with great accessibility and reasonable pricing.

When I first got in this business state of the art meant upgrading retaining walls from used railroad ties to rough cut timbers. Installing boulder outcroppings was once considered out of the box and we had to dig through farmers rock piles to get the boulders or unearth them in the fields. Or years ago if you wanted something exceptional and your client could afford it you could import some rocks from Wisconsin or the Carolina's and Tennessee, there were no places like Fort Wayne Rocks or Felger's.

As my career winds down my job is actually getting better and better, more challenging with a wider palette of materials and better educated customers who have seen the explosion of hardscape and are anxious to renovate their gardens with 21st century ideas and materials. It is easy to maintain a passion for your job when your job is exciting and rewarding.

Front and Center With Bob Seger

Last Saturday night I had the best seats I ever had for any concert and I did not even have to fake being in a wheelchair to get them, circa Jimmy Buffett concert 2006. I was priveleged to be fourth row, center stage for rock n' roll icon Bob Seger. It was Bob's opening concert for his 2011 tour and he started out at The Huntington Center in Toledo, Ohio which is about an hour and a half from home.

My good seats came from a friend who is a close associate of Bobs, I called for a favor and boy did he come through. The bass blew our shirt sleeves and vibrated our shoes, we were close enough to see Bob's eyes and their twinkle as he marched us through the Bob Seger time machine.

He reminded us that he is 65 years old and was singing songs he wrote in 1967. He claims a right to cover Chuck Berry based on age alone. Giving a bit of background on a couple of songs Bob's memories come out clear and strong.

His voice is still solid and he uses it hard. Watching him move around on stage makes me think he'll be a bit stiff in the morning. By the end of the tour he ought really to be in great physical shape if he continues to work the stage and please the crowd like he did on Saturday night.

Our "friends" seating meant we could go to the after party where we actually ran into a couple of pals from home, small world huh?

A New Outdoor Room

One of our first projects this spring will be to install a flagstone patio for long time customers Larry and Charlene who live in beautiful, pristine location on Snow Lake. Their addition really started to take off about 15 years ago and we were privileged to landscape many of those new homes. As I have said before we can do all or part of the landscape installation and fifteen years age this couple still had lots of energy, and less aches and pains so they did a lot of the work themselves Millgrove helped with design and some of the heavier projects. They have added beds and changed their outdoor space over the years. Larry built a great little arbor as a garden entrance and they have grouped some of the largest trees into well tended beds. Despite living on a heavily wooded lot the grass is strong, evidence of the couples meticulous care of their lawn and gardens. Someone is always out with a rake chasing the nuts and leaves that are the entertainment of early spring clean up. There is an easement next to this property which makes access go from extremely difficult to a near cake walk. Without the access much of this project would have to be accomplished with wheelbarrow power and the Dingo. There is room now to even use our big Deere. Charlene and Larry chose a flagstone called "Rustic" it is sandstone with a variety of tan, dark brown and a light rust colors. Our original plan calls for medium size stone (2-3" thick and 16-24" length and width) but we may change and up size the individual flagstone pieces if it is within our budget. With the scale of the house, yard and porch steps we can easily use larger flagstone.

Inside/Out

Building in lower Michigan in winter is all about timing. Getting the house under roof, putting up the exterior sheeting and getting the furnace in before the snow flies are critical for the contractor. No furnace no drywall no work over the winter. Opus Builders planned well, Jane and Craig's house is on schedule and their crew has been busy completing the interior while the snow was flying and is now beginning work on the exterior.

Painting, trimming, cabinets and finally floor covering is happening inside. Siding weather is finally here as we reached temperatures in the sixties this past week.

We were on sight a couple of weeks ago and the weather was less than ideal. Taking measurements and planning for the landscaping is not always a fair weather task. Having just come back from the south snow and ice are a rude reminder of Midwest winter. Drainage issues on this property will be addressed after the exterior is complete. For right now one needs to be extra careful walking around to avoid stepping through the ice crusted ground into freshly plowed trenches, both Bruce and myself got muddy reminders when we both buried a leg into icy, sloppy holes.

Going inside to thaw our legs and get a feel for the interior was a welcome relief from our outdoor duties. It is important to me to be able to see the inside of the homes we work on to learn more about our customers style and interior lay out. Putting an herb garden close to the kitchen, fragrant plants near windows, protecting precious lake views by not blocking views are all accomplished best when I am afforded access to a clients home.

Additionally when we are installing exterior lighting or helping with irrigation we need to know where we will be putting switches or coming out with electrical lines. There is lots of planning and coordination that needs to happen between builders, electricians, landscapers and decorators. Planning ahead saves the home owners both money and headaches.

Craig and Jane Choose Millgrove

Last fall I recorded a video of Jane and Craig's house moving from one side of Lake George to the other, you can go to the post entitled, "House Causes Traffic Jam" and watch. This couple is not looking back as they now have a brand new house where the old one sat and a tentative completion date of mid April.
The new house is gorgeous already. The unique floor plan, expansive views of the lake, screen porch and ground level master suite are just a few of the features that will sustain this loving couple for many years to come.

The house is on the final countdown with painters hot on the heals of the finish carpenters. Every fixture, color, cabinets and furniture has be chosen for the inside. The outside siding will be started this week. When gutters are on and the drive has been poured it will be time for landscaping. One small hitch in our get-a-long is the dredging of the channel in front of their home which separates the shore from the small island they own. Trying to stay ahead of the game permit processing for the dredging was done last fall, hoping that the actual work would take place over winter. The permit gods of Michigan have delayed that aspect of the project but our hopes are high as Jane and Craig just got word that permission should be granted about 20 days from now if all goes well. I plan on getting some video of that process and posting on the blog.

One of the things I admire most about this house is the way the architect and designers took full advantage of the lake views. There are windows everywhere, the light is fabulous and the space open and inviting. I am anxious to see the rooms painted, Jane says she has chosen rich dark colors.

This weekend we picked out pavers about 1100 square feet will be installed in multiple locations. We are going to be installing a paver from a new company, Unilock. For a variety of reasons we are gradually going to switch paver and block manufactures this year. Sadly our local hardscape supplier was forced out of business last year and we are shopping suppliers this year. We are pleased so far with our choice, Felger's in Fort Wayne, IN. Felger's is backed by their distributor, Masolite also located in Fort Wayne, Felger's has a great display of hardscape which makes selection easier. And Matt Felger is a knowledgeable and gracious salesman.

It has been nearly three weeks since I left Florida and I have been busy getting Millgrove up and ready for the season. We have signed a couple of new home construction jobs, looked at some smaller projects and are getting our maintainance division geared up. Gary Baker will start work in the morning getting equipment around and we should be running full speed by April 3.

I sure miss my internet connection in FL and even ST. Lucia, my connection in IN is from a satellite in my yard and the Dish network. I loaded Craig and Jane's video last night and twelve hours later it was nearly finished. My winter connections would have accomplished that task in under five minutes. Imagine.

Naples Botanical Garden

When Naples Botanical Garden decided to open this year they could not know that Florida would experience the coldest December ever recorded. Miles of frost clothe and some 600 volunteers helped save some of the newly planted tender species. Some plants had leaf scorch and drop but overall the cold just slowed growth.

At 26th latitude north Naples subtropical location presents an opportunity to showcase gardens that represent countries and regions down to 26th latitude south. These areas include Asia, Brazil, the Caribbean and of course Florida. Located in East Naples on a remarkable 170 acres of which 35 are currently developed the garden is a testament to the vision of its many founders and supporters. A staggering 30 million dollars has been spent. The monies coming from private donations with many of the gardens named for their benefactors.

This is an interactive garden designed to be touched, smelled and played in. A forthcoming restaurant will give patrons an opportunity to catch their breath, eat and relax as you can easily spend most of a day exploring. Since the garden is relatively new some of the trees are still staked, shrubs need filling out a bit more and flowers certainly have room to grow. This is a garden that will mature into a stunning showcase and become a must see for every visitor to the region.

The Children's Garden features a splash pad where kids can dance and jump while water spouts shoot in the air. An interactive butterfly house, fantasy cottage, tree house and whimsical planters are only the beginning for children seeking an afternoon of fun while learning a bit of botany.

Certainly the standout feature of the Brazilian Garden is its stellar replication of the black waters of the Rio Nigro. The Burle Marx Plaza is a bold tribute to Roberto Burle Marx the renowned "father of modern landscape architecture". The black water is achieved by the use of dyes which have no environmental implications.

The Kapnick Caribbean Garden did an excellent job of representing the flora of the islands. It reminded me of Water Island in the US Virgins a kind of scrubby desert look where blowing sand drifted onto the roads. This garden will be interesting to watch develop.

The River of Grass is an outstanding representation of the Everglades. The designers faithfully reproduced a miniature ecosystem albeit the alligators. Cord and fraxahatchee grass were planted instead of saw grass so that gardeners would not be cut and scratched by the rough saw grass. But it looks marvelous and improves water quality by slowing down run-off and absorbing contaminants.

The Water Garden is truly inspired as you cross the bridge you are afforded a spectacular vista of the Asian Garden and the River of Grass. The color and variety of water lilies is outstanding. The King Tuts that line the bridge blow and wave as they invite you across the threshold.

One of my favorites the Asian Garden is full of sculpture, art, water, fountains, container gardens and colorful plants. There is a Javanese Ruin, New Asia Pergola, Thai Pavilion and Balinese Shrine representing temples and ruins. The garden was built by four workers from Bali, a team who follow the designer around the world completing his installations. The materials for this garden were imported from around the world. How exciting.

The extensive Florida Garden marries with the South Wetlands Preserve and Uplands Preserve to showcase all that is great with Florida landscape and design. The grove, pine crossing, palm circle and birding tower are all essential elements emulating the diversity that exists in the temperate Florida climate.

The Enabling Garden demonstrates many strategies that allow even physically challenged people to enjoy gardening. Volunteer Carolyn Smith described many of this gardens special features to me. Odoriferous plants, textural plants, low easy access walls, wide paths and a wheelchair drop off make this garden accessible to everyone.

The garden calendar of events includes Tai-Chi instruction, dog walks, artists, theatre, wine tasting and movies just to name a few. This fabulous new community asset is sure to be a money maker bringing flower lovers, nature seekers, photographers and tourists on a yearly trek to see what's new and blooming in Naples.

Keyed Up

I have been in Florida for a month now and watching the weather up north makes me reluctant to go home but I will need to head back by March 1, it is time to get ready for the upcoming landscaping season. Bruce and cousin Cindy flew down last week and we went to the Keys for a couple of days. The weather was not brilliant but we took consolation knowing it was colder everywhere else in the states.

Cindy was game for anything so we took her to some of our unusual favorite spots and hang outs. We rode bikes over the old seven mile bridge to Pigeon Key, did a bit of the Duval crawl, tried sunset at Mallory Square but the sun was a no show. Despite the cool temps when they turned up the heat in the butterfly gardens we saw plenty of action. We went to a Arts and Crafts show on Marathon, ate Key Lime pie and managed a couple of orders of conch fritters at Margaritaville (Jimmy you need to upgrade that rubbery conch, have you tried any Bahamian recipes?).

Monday night Cindy, Jim, Cass and I went on a sunset sail aboard a buddies 35' sloop, that was a lot of fun. Cindy had wide eyes when Captain Steve healed her up and cut the engine. We saw dolphins jumping in the sunset, just another typical super groovy adventure.