Here is an image of two 48″ box Mayten
trees (that can be seen making it off the truck in this post).
These trees have a great weeping habit, similar to a Willow, but with less mess
and smaller scale suited for residential applications. These large box trees
make a great signature statement at the front of the residence.
I have been riding my bicycle from home to work this week. It is about a 10 mile ride each way from San Rafael to Novato. A few things struck me. First, and this is true of walking as well, biking through a neighborhood gives a completely different perspective than driving. From a landscape perspective this means being able to look at the front yard landscapings (or lack of them of) for the residences along route. It also is a much more sensory experience, a true feeling of distance as it relates to human scale. On Monday the sensory experience was profound as I was drenched from head to toe.
The other curiosity was the lack of bikers on the road. Marin is touted as one of the strongest areas in the country for bicycle activism, such as the Marin Bicycle Coalition, who helped bring home a lot of cash in the latest transportation bill for bike path pilot programs. Marin also has a significant history in the evolution of mountain biking. So why then is it that there are not more bikers commuting on the road? Sure, there are hoards of weekend warriors in west Marin, around the skirt of Mt. Tam, and in China Camp, but where are they during the week?
Maybe this is something that is more prevalent in southern Marin, but in the north part of the county, I don’t see very many bikers. We certainly can’t hold a candle to Holland, where bicycling is a means of transport primarily, rather than a recreational pursuit.
When was the last time you saw a scene like this in Marin?
Bikes and a very small car in Amsterdam. The structure in the background is bike parking with 10’s of thousands of bikes
For More:
Southern Marin Bike Route Map from MBC
Northern Marin Bike Route Map from MBC
Marin IJ Article on new bike paths
Here are photographs of beautiful spring rhodys from a recent trip to the Mendocino Botanical Gardens. The cool coast air and moist climate make for beautiful specimens. One other interesting specimen was a Coast Redwood at the gardens. Redwoods do not grow well when exposed to salt air, and as a result don’t thrive on the coast.
A Coast Redwood with stunted growth as a result of salt exposure near the
coast
The beautifully rugged Mendocino coast
With sunny skies returning to California, and temperatures in the 80’s, it is time to turn the sprinklers on. Here are a few tips:
1- Check the settings on your controller- It have been a while since they were adjusted. Drip stations should generally have 20 minutes – 1 hour of scheduled watering time a week, divided in 2-4 weekly waterings. This of course depends on the location, solar exposure, plant types, and type of irrigation system that was installed. Once the thermostat starts to climb into the 90’s, increase the frequency and reduce the duration of watering. Soft stemmed plants or plants in pots may even need two waterings to keep from wilting in high temperatures.
Lawns should receive 30 minutes to an hour per week, again depending on conditions and temperature. More frequent waterings 4-6 times per week are typically required in the warm season.
2- Check your sprinklers: Run through the stations of your controller to check for problems. For lawns, check head coverage and distribution. Heads may have rotated out of alignment, or nozzles may have become clogged. For drip systems, turn on the station and listen for leaks, look for wet spots, or squirting water from drip lines. Where plants have grown over the lines listening may be the best way to find leaks. After the air has escaped the lines, listen for the sounds of escaping water. Check the emitters of plants that look dry.
3- Not sure how much to water? Probe the soil- The soil should be moist but not wet. Brush back mulch around emitters to see the amount of water plants are getting from drip systems. If you want a better way to check moisture content, purchase a soil probe from your local garden center.
Check the posting “Scheduling your Controller in Warm Weather” for more watering tips.
Our blog was recently reviewed by Brian Brown’s Pajama Market, a blog dedicated to reviews of Small Business blogs.
The review is an interesting critique. For the most part it is favorable of the type of material we post here. With regards to subject matter, he has his critiques, such as my series on biking commuters.
Part of the intriguing nature of landscape architecture as a whole is that it covers a diverse range of topics. From a residential landscape construction perspective, Brian is right, biking to work is not pertinent. From a landscape architecture perspective, urban planning issues and alternative transportation are very relevant.
Our blog is meant to focus on subjects relating to our industry, but there is only some much fodder here for a regular running commentary. We also try to post information that is related in art & design, and items that are of interest to our community. In addition, as Brian notes, the blog is meant to be a more personal and varied look at the goings-on of our company, rather than a formalized newsletter approach. As far as his critique, my only critical reaction is that he could have looked at more of our past postings over the last 10 months, instead of justthe last few weeks. There are some very good posts that have both content and scholarship, rather than just pure content aggregation and links.
A recent review of our blog recently sparked a thought concerning landscape architecture. Most people do not really know what landscape architects are. This is a common topic of discussion in the profession, with seemingly monthly discourses in the professional magazine and lengthy manifestos, like that done at Iowa State- An Apocalyptic Manifesto, which laments the profession’s complacency:
“At the start of the 21st Century, landscape architecture is a troubled profession, more distinguished by what it lacks than the qualities that it actually possesses. It has no historiography, no formal theory, no definition, direction, or focus. A vast schism currently existing between its academics and professional practitioners. In universities across the nation, researchers poach methodologies from other, more vibrant disciplines. Meanwhile, in professional offices, designers yoked to the bottom line crank out pedestrian design.”
Of particular interest to me are the public’s perception of landscape architecture and landscape architecture’s relation to the construction industry. Ask your average person on the street to name an architect and a minimum you will get the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright. Likely modern names of Pei, Geary, and others will follow. Pose the same question with landscape architects, and any response would probably be an exception rather than the rule. Should landscape architects be as recognized as architects? Ask the same question of notables, concerning other design disciplines such as engineering, and you are unlikely to draw a response either (The Spanish architect and engineer Calatrava jumps to my mind).
From our perspective in residential landscape design and construction, a strengthening of the relationship between landscape architect and builder is something that could help the profession as well. Design theory is one important element, but equal focus on construction methodology and cost could enhance and improve the public sector practice of the profession.
For More:
Manifestos from the Pruned Blog
A definition from Gardenvisit
ASLA definition of the Profession
Wikipedia definitions and professional associations
We are taking advantage of the dry weather to bring in some box trees on a
current project in Tiburon. These 36″ & 48″ box trees can be a bit of a
challenge to move; we are using a 4 wheel drive construction forklift with a
6000 pound lifting capacity. 48″ box trees can weigh between 3000-4000 pounds a
piece making this type of equipment a must.
Well it looks like we finally have a break from the rain, at least for this week. So far year to date here are the precipitation numbers from the National Weather Service (as reported from the Civic Center in San Rafael):
Jan: 4.97
Feb: 2.74
Mar 11.41
Apr: 8.40
This totals 27.5 inches of rain to date, last year we had half this amount (14 inches).
Last year was also a wet year with rain into June:
Jan: 0.00
Feb: 5.02
Mar: 7.22
Apr: 2.07
May: 3.35
Jun: 0.53
Hopefully we do not have a repeat of last year’s May. All of this precipitation affects our landscape projects, resulting in muddy conditions and slowed time tables.
For More:
Find rain data from the County of Marin Website
Here is a follow up to my post last week concerning biking to work and commuting bikers. I wrote an email inquiry to the Marin Bicycle Coalition, who were very responsive in answering:
“It depends which roads you are talking about. The County of Marin doesn’t do “bike counts” to assess the number of people cycling. So if it’s county roads (such as sections of Alameda del Prado or Atherton) then the data doesn’t exist. Yet. However, that will change when the Non-Motorized Pilot Program starts. The County will have to do before and after bike counts, though it’s worth noting that they will probably only do counts on streets relevant to the bike projects being built at a part of that program.”
So as part of the new funding for the pilot programs counts will happen in effected areas. I found from MBC, some data from the US Census Bureau, which confirms my suspicion, virtually nobody (nationally .4%) bikes to work. This may be why the county doesn’t count bikers currently.
Biking has actually gone down quite a bit over time, as well as alternative means of transportation to work.
In 1960:
10% Walked to work
12% Took public transportation
64% Drove to Work
By 1990
4% Walked to work (down 60%)
5.3% Took public transportation (down 56%)
86% Drove to Work (up 35%)
-73% of those who drove, drove alone
Means of Transportation to Work for the U.S.: 1990 Census [I couldn’t find 2000 information]
|Means of Transportation to Work | Number Percent |
|Workers 16 years and over………. | 115,070,274 100.0 |
| Car, truck, or van…………… | 99,592,932 86.5 |
| Drove alone……………….. | 84,215,298 73.2 |
| Carpooled…………………. | 15,377,634 13.4 |
| Public transportation………… | 6,069,589 5.3 |
| Bus or trolley bus…………. | 3,445,000 3.0 |
| Streetcar or trolley car……. | 78,130 0.1 |
| Subway or elevated…………. | 1,755,476 1.5 |
| Railroad………………….. | 574,052 0.5 |
| Ferryboat 1/………………. | 37,497 0.0 |
| Taxicab…………………… | 179,434 0.2 |
| Motorcycle………………….. | 237,404 0.2 |
| Bicycle…………………….. | 466,856 0.4 |
| Walked only…………………. | 4,488,886 3.9 |
| Other means…………………. | 808,582 0.7 |
| Worked at home………………. | 3,406,025 3.0 |
1/ This category was included in “Other means” prior to 1990.
I stumbled up a great post on a Gardenweb forum by a garden center owner. A young couple asked him why his plants cost $25, when Home Depot only charged $10. He explained in his posting that he was lucky to make 7% on his $25, but rather than explain rising gas, water, and overhead cost, he simply replied that if cost was their only consideration you should shop at Home Depot (garden center employees could be working in the lumber department in the winter and often have little plant knowledge).
Pricing is often a sensitive subject with clients. But, if consumers think that their local garden center (hardware store, etc.) can compete with one of the worlds largest corporations on a price basis, they have little or no understanding of the realities of the marketplace.
Why does a beer at a restaurant cost $4 when you could go to the supermarket and buy a six pack for $7? Because, you are paying for an experience of being in a full service restaurant, not just the beer.
We aren’t the cheapest in our market segment either, but we sell more than landscaping, we sell a process and customer service along with our product. We tell potential clients the same thing as the nursery owner, if price is your only consideration, we are not going to be the right fit for your needs.
Below is an email I received from a reader of our blog & website. I always enjoy emails like this one!
In the afternoon, we logged on to your website … and I must say that both my husband and I were SO impressed with your website. It is just amazing!
The photos are absolutely wonderful (and we learned that you took all of them as well — more compliments!), and the articles, information, and links are so helpful. As I have studied the Japanese Tea Ceremony and appreciate all things Japanese, I particularly enjoyed the wonderful photos of the Japanese gardens. Beautifully done!
We have marked your site as a “favorite” and will certainly return again and again. An extraordinary job!
There was an article in Slate last week highlighting the ingenious Katrina Cottage, a low cost alternative to the FEMA trailer, for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The cost of construction of the Cottages (there are several designs) is the same or less than the trailers. In addition, they are designed to better resist future flooding and hurricanes (walls are constructed of a concrete board to prevent mold and mildew). FEMA, however, is a hard sell so far. These cottages make sense, they work as a longer term solution to the problem and provide a more comfortable living environment.
Image courtesy Slate
For More:
Inhabitat Article
Cusato Cottages- Manufacturers of one of the designs
Business Week Article
Browsing through a trade magazine, I spotted another interesting cable railing/cable systems manufacturer- Decor Cable. While their site does not look quite as easy to navigate as Cable Rail’s, Decor Cable has a wide array of products and cable assembly solutions for railings, trellises and more.
Posted by Michael O’Connell at 10:02 AM | Comments (0)
here was an interesting article today in the Marin IJ with links to simulations done by the USGS, trying to replicate the type of movement that occurred in the famous 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The amount of violent shaking of the Golden Gate’s span that was created in the simulation was amazing (deformations are amplified 100x in the simulations), and potentially horrifying. One wonders if cars on the span during a seismic event like this would be flung into the bay waters below. It brings to mind the famous destruction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, although that was a case of wind resonance.
After the experiences and disaster reporting that took place after Hurricane Katrina, it is scary to think about a potential repeat of a great earthquake like 1906.
Image from Marin IJ: Computers and Structures, Inc/via USGS
USGS Photograph of SF City Hall after the quake- from Wikipedia
For More:
– USGS page with all sorts of Models and Videos of Earthquake simulations
One of the design issues with using concrete pavers is that often they look generic, not varying much from a style that imitates brick pavers. Even the best styles of concrete pavers can’t fully imitate stone paving and often look phony when installed over a large area.
For projects with more modern design sensibilities, Stepstone Inc. provides an attractive and wide array of precast concrete pavers. These pavers look different than most of the traditional concrete pavers on the market, and can be more economical than stone or other paving types.
I received an email from a colleague warning against the purchase of cheap mulch that may have come from the New Orleans area and which could contain the nasty Formosa termite. A quick Google News search puts this notion to rest however, as a quarantine imposed by the State of Louisiana has restricted the export of any wood that could be infected. Read more about this urban legend at About.com
Enjoy some of my favorite photographs of Ireland- Happy St. Paddy’s
O’Connell Street in Dublin with our famous namesake lawyer and Irish patriot Daniel O’Connell
Moss Covered Trees in Glendalough monastic site, County Wicklow
Ancient Stone Round Tower- Glendalough monastic site, County Wicklow
The Beautifully Rugged Dingle Peninsula on Ireland’s west coast
Moss Covered Facade of Blarney Castle, home of the famous stone
Spring is approaching, with continued rain and cold temperatures in Northern California. One thing that will warm the hearts of college basketball fans is the return of the NCAA tournament. One great tool for those trying to follow the tournament and something that is no doubt reducing productivity nationwide is CBS streaming video free of games from the first rounds. Definitely worth a look.
Here are some images from a project with some small border plantings in San
Rafael. This was the first phase of a larger garden project.
Screening from closely situated neighbors was important for this
property. Here Italian Buckthorn (Rhamnus alaturus), is used to screen
with an understory of Australian Rosemary (Westringea ‘Morning
Light’).
In the
deep shade between two buildings, a redwood trellis was built for a Star
Jasmine, (Trachelospermum jasminoides), combined with Camellia
Espalliers (Camellia sasanqua) for up against the adjacent building.
The understory was planted with Liriope, Hakone Grass, Coral Bells and other
shade lovers.
Along
the street frontage tough Day Lilies were used with other ornamental grasses
including Jack Spratt New Zealand Flax and species of Carex. The rock borders
were recycled from an existing rock wall onsite.
There were a couple of interesting articles in Marin Magazine recently, the newly launched magazine last year that profiles places and people within the county. The first profiled and asked questions of architect Sim Van Der Ryn, who I had a recent post on concerning a radio appearance and recent book.
The second gave a history and overview of Marin County open space.
Both are worth a look, and the magazine posts its current and archive content online, allowing for easy access.
The San Francisco Flower and Garden
show is this week, Wednesday-Sunday March 15-19. Among the show’s features
are 27 exhibition gardens, seminars, a plant market, and lots of home and garden
vendors. It is being held as usual at the Cow Palace, with its cavernous
exhibition space, which while more functional, lacks the intimacy and central
location of Fort Mason where the show used to be held.
Another interesting option for BBQ islands that don’t require the construction of elaborate Barbeque Islands are Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Barbeque Islands. Many of their products are designed to be freestanding, allowing for easy installation and movement if desired. This is definitely a high end product for those who are interested in a serious outdoor kitchen, but with a lot less installation cost this helps offset the cost of these high end grills and may offer more flexibility than a built-in island.
We are big advocates of digital technology, as can be evidenced by past postings. One element where we are trying to reduce paper work and storage requirements is to go paperless. Using primarily Adobe .pdf format we are in the process of archiving many of our old documents and records into digital form. It makes records searchable from our company network and saves on filing space. Going paperless or the “paperless office,” is not a new or radical notion by any means. Companies such as Xerox or Adobe (and countless others) have been pushing products and services for years. But as costs for good optical scanners and printers continues to go down, and acceptance increases among clients, vendors and our industry in general, it makes going paperless even easier and more seamless. We send our estimates out to clients in Acrobat format and use it for most client correspondence, which means decreased turn around time and easy tracking and search of documents.
Now to make sure everything is backed up!
I have touched on some of these resources previously, but wanted to list some of the best garden and home improvement forums I have encountered to ask questions or find information. This morning on KQED radio, Michael Krasney had on guests talking about citizen journalism/media and how the internet has changed the way information is disseminated. The same is true of citizen landscape architects, contractors, gardeners that populate online discussion forums. There are often answers in these forum to items so obscure or specific as to be found nowhere else. The mark of a good forum is that the commentators are knowledgeable and that there are lots of postings and ideas being shared. In some of the forums below many of the commentators are contractors or other experts in their field. Always amazing how people are willing to share the expertise and just another example of the power of the internet.
Gardenweb Forums– The best Gardening Forum
Contractor Talk– for those who want to get technical
About.com Gardening Forums
Dave’s Garden Forums
Bob Villa Home Improvement Forum
LawnCafe- Another industry oriented forum
John Bridge Tile Forum
The Gardener’s Forum
Forum from HGTV
To our Readers,
Sometimes when reading a blog, if it is a site that you have never visited before, the question becomes what is this blog/site all about?
Part of this is due to the novelty and recent emergence of blogs. Jumping into the daily entries of a blog can be confusing at times. Turned Earth is an informational blog created by O’Connell Landscape, a design-build landscape contractor located in Marin County, California.
We maintain a blog for a few reasons. First, it allows for the dissemination of some great information for both prospective clients, and a wider web audience in general. You will find here a wide range of articles including information on our current projects and company news, information on landscape/garden materials, good links to online resources, local garden events and more.
Hopefully this information is useful in itself, and for clients in our area who are looking start a landscape project, hopefully it lets you know a little bit more about the company, design interests, our projects, services, and expertise.
So please, browse around, we try to post new information regularly (3-5x per week). Our main site also contains some good information, including our Great Gardens & Parks portfolios from around the world. Feel free to comment (it lets us know people are reading!) and feel free to ask questions to get more information.
Regards,
Michael O’Connell
O’Connell Landscape
Landscape Architecture magazine had its cover feature this month on Lawrence Halprin’s redesign of the Stern Grove Amphitheater off Sloat boulevard in San Francisco. The amphitheater had deteriorated quite a bit after 75 years of use, and after a 20 million dollar renovation debuted in the summer of 2005 with free concerts every Sunday. Halprin helped transform it with his signature focus on using stone- one of his key inspirations was the ancient Greek amphitheater.
Image from Stern Grove Campaign Website- Visit to see more renderings
Image from Stern Grove Campaign Website- Visit to see more images
For more:
Stern Grove Music Festival Website with Pictures
Stern Grove Halprin Profile
NBC 11 Interview with Halprin from 2005
SF Chronicle Article on Stern Grove refurbishment
SF Parks Info on Stern Grove improvements from 2005
Posted by Michael O’Connell at 08:45 PM | Comments (0)
Noted California architect Sim Van Der Ryn was on Forum with Michael Krasney on KQED radio today (listen here). It was interesting to hear some of his perspectives on green architecture, alternative energy, and associated topics. See this previous post on the Real Goods Solar Living Center for more information on Van Der Ryn.
View details on Van Der Ryn’s new book Design for Life at Amazon.
Image from Amazon.com
