In Praise of Trees

In need of inspiration recently, I looked back into my photo archive and rediscovered my love of trees. Just look at what they can do. They provide visual interest throughout the long winter months.  They reduce runoff by infiltrating snow and water. They provide food for forest birds, like woodpeckers. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store carbon in their trunks, branches, leaves and roots, and release oxygen back into the air for us to breath. They frame our views. They teach us. They provide shade and cool the ground. How many things are more precious than trees?

Looking Forward

As winter lugs on, I can't help but make a list of everything I'm excited about for this upcoming spring and summer.

1. Doing routine maintenance at these select properties.

 Not a bad place to spend the day weeding, eh?

2. Stonework! Though backbreakingly hard, the end result is so rewarding.

 Stone fire pit in the woods

3. Seeing wildlife while working. 

 

And, because of the law opposites, I present a list of things I'm not so thrilled about:

1. Digging out root bound trees in the heat of the summer.

Look at the poor strangling roots on that thing!

Lakeshore Properties!

Sometimes we get lucky and a great client just falls into our lap. The client of note was referred to us by the architect who designed their newly remodeled lakeside cabin. Their landscape was basically a blank slate: mostly lawn, some old trees, and some weeds. They had a list of goals for the site, which is always helpful, because it gives us something concrete to work with, and it shows the client's investment in the project. In addition, they had roughly drafted a concept plan for the site, which I use, along with the architect's complete site plan and a set of photos to create the following design.

The criteria for the design included:

• Screening from their neighbor
• Privacy from the road
• Prairie-like species
• Inclusion of a fruit orchard somewhere
• Open views to the lake

 Though I haven't yet visited the site, I'm excited because it's on a lake and the soil is sandy, a nice change from the usual clay. I hope to be part of the install crew, because, did I mention the lake and the sandy soil? Except for the likelihood of compaction around the construction zone of the house, the conditions seem pretty great to me.

Concept vs. Final Designs: Do's and Don'ts

I learned this fall when it's appropriate to draft a concept plan versus a final plan. Some potential clients asked us for a plan, along with an estimate. I spent hours on the base plan, design, plant selection, and detailed estimate.  I presented everything at our follow up meeting, and they seemed excited about the project, but were a bit hesitant about the price. After several follow-up emails and phone calls, I never heard from them again. I won't write them off for spring quite yet, but I'm not counting on them calling back. It was frustrating for me and I'm sure the company, because they paid me for all my work,  for which I was planning on billing the client. 

Final Plan

 

 Plant List

This is a great example of keeping it simple in the beginning design phase. Clients don't need a plant list at the first meeting. They probably just want a ballpark estimate and some ideas for their landscape. I learned this is Design 101 (not the exact class name), but didn't really learn it until now.

So, my goal for the next projects are to convey the idea without being bogged down by details. I'll try to follow these points:

• Remember that the first design is a concept plan. That means it is a general notion or idea. It is a lure to attract the clients to a final design and signing a contract.

• Don't spend too many non-billable hours on something to which the client doesn't have to commit. This includes design work, plant selection, and estimating.

My goal is to revisit these often to keep me on track and to hopefully speed up the design process.