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.