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Garden walls can come alive with ‘living pictures’

Photo by Caitlin Atkinson

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows various horizontal and vertical living pictures made with succulent cuttings in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Caitlin Atkinson)

Photo by Caitlin Atkinson

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows a close-up of a living succulent picture in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Caitlin Atkinson)

Photo by Marion Brenner

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows a large living succulent wall in an outdoor area at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Marion Brenner)

Photo by Marion Brenner

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows a large living succulent picture hanging outside a bedroom in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Marion Brenner)

Photo by Caitlin Atkinson

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows a living picture made with cryptanthus and neoregelia bromeliads, rhipsalis cactus, haworthia, hoya, and peperomia in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Caitlin Atkinson)

Photo by Caitlin Atkinson

This undated publicity photo courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens shows a close-up of a living succulent picture dominated by red plants in San Francisco. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/Flora Grubb Gardens, Caitlin Atkinson)

This undated photo released by FormLA Landscaping shows a living succulent picture created for the courtyard of the 2012 Pasadena Showcase House of Design. Living pictures, cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes, are hot among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space. (AP Photo/FormLA Landscaping)

Looking for a fresh way to liven up your garden walls? Think plants, not paintings.

Living pictures — cuttings of assorted succulents woven together in everything from picture frames to pallet boxes — have caught on among garden designers and landscapers this spring as an easy, modern way to add color and texture to an outdoor space.

“Living pictures composed of succulents have a gorgeous sculptural quality that work surprisingly well in a number of different aesthetics — contemporary, bohemian, Southwestern and more,” says Irene Edwards, executive editor of Lonny home design magazine. “They’re great for urban dwellers with limited space.”

Living pictures are also nearly maintenance-free (i.e. hard to kill). So even beginners or those with the blackest of thumbs can look like the master gardener of the neighborhood.

Here’s how you can create your own living succulent picture:

PICK YOUR STYLE

There are a few ways you can go.

For a larger living picture, you can use a wooden pallet, framing out the back like a shadow box. Large, do-it-yourself living wall panels are also for sale online through garden shops like San Francisco’s Flora Grubb Gardens and DIG Gardens based in Santa Cruz, Calif.

But going big right away can be daunting, and bigger also means heavier, so many newbies like California gardening blogger Sarah Cornwall stick with smaller picture or poster frames.

Go vintage with an antique frame or finish, or build your own out of local barn wood. Chunky, streamlined frames like the ones Cornwall bought from Ikea give a more modern feel.

You’ll also need a shadow box cut to fit the back of the frame, and wire mesh or “chicken wire” to fit over the front if you’re going to make your own.

First, nail or screw the shadow box to the back of the frame. A depth of 2 to 3 inches is ideal. Set the wire mesh inside the frame and secure it with a staple gun, then nail a plywood backing to the back of the shadow box.

TAKE CUTTINGS

Almost any succulent can be used for living pictures, though it’s usually best to stick with varieties that stay small, like echeverias and sempervivums, says DIG Gardens co-owner Cara Meyers.

“It’s fun to use varieties of aeoniums and sedums for their fun colors and textures, but they may need a little more maintenance, as they may start to grow out of the picture more,” she says.

Cut off small buds of the succulents for cuttings, leaving a stem of at least 1/4-inch long.

No succulents to snip? You can always buy some at a nursery or trade with other gardeners in your neighborhood.

“They grow so easily, don’t feel embarrassed knocking on a door to ask for a few cuttings,” Cornwall says.

Make sure any old bottom leaves are removed, then leave the cuttings on a tray in a cool, shaded area for a few days to form a “scab” on the ends before planting.

ADD SOIL

Set the frame mesh-side up on a table and fill with soil, using your hands to push it through the wire mesh openings.

Be sure to use cactus soil, which is coarser than potting soil for better drainage.

Some vertical gardeners place a layer of sphagnum moss under and over the soil to hold moisture in when watering.

FILL IN WITH PLANTS

Now comes the fun and creative part.

Lay out the succulent cuttings in the design you want on a flat surface, and poke them into the wire mesh holes in your frame.

You can start either in one corner or by placing the “focal point” cuttings in first and filling in around them. Waves or rivers of color are popular living-picture designs, although Cape Cod-based landscaper Jason Lambton has gone bolder with spirals of green and purple.

“We painted the pallet different color stripes to go with the color theme of the back of the house,” says Lambton, host of HGTV’s “Going Yard.” “It looked like a cool piece of living, reclaimed art.”

Using just one type of succulent is also a simple yet elegant option, says Kirk Aoyagi, co-founder and vice president of FormLA Landscaping.

“Collages with some draping and some upright plants can create a more dramatic look and feel,” he says.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE TIPS

Keep the living picture flat and out of direct sunlight for one to two weeks to allow roots to form along the stems, then begin watering.

“If you hang it up right away or it rains a lot, that dirt will just pour right out. … I made that mistake once,” Lambton says.

Mount your living art once the succulents are securely rooted, which can take four to eight weeks depending on climate.

After that, water every seven to 10 days by removing from the wall and laying it flat. Be sure to let the water drain before hanging your living picture back up, to avoid rotting.

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Online:

DIG Gardens: http://diggardensnursery.com

Flora Grubb Gardens: http://floragrubb.com/idx/index.php

HGTV: http://www.hgtv.com

FormLA Landscaping: https://www.formlainc.com

The Mountain Gardener: Game adds feature to well-balanced garden – San Lorenzo Valley Press

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When do art and science come together to make your life more beautiful? If you thought of garden design, you’d be right.

Recently I was treated to a garden tour by fellow designer and good friend Joy Albright-Souza, who has combined her love of art with her degree in science and her passion for the environment to create beautiful spaces for people to enjoy.

“It was natural to combine the two interests into garden design,” Souza says.

Last fall, several of her design ideas were featured in a do it yourself book called “Landscape Ideas You Can Use.”

Understanding garden design is the goal of the book, and it offers specific information on plants and hardscaping options. Fountains, rock gardens and landscaping for play are three of the categories for which Albright-Souza provided examples.

I have been to Albright-Souza’s garden many times to enjoy a game on the petanque court during a barbeque. Petanque is a game similar to bocce but can be played in a smaller backyard. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved in a game together. I’ve heard Albright-Souza laugh that she’d like to see a petanque court in every yard — it’s that fun.

Located on the outskirts of Scotts Valley, we visited one of the gardens she designed that features a petanque court. The court replaced a lawn with drainage problems, and recently served as a dance floor for a wedding.

The property is located on the site of an old quarry, and the granite walls conveniently provide crushed gravel to top-dress the court.

As we walked around the garden at sunset, the back-lit grasses sparkled like jewels. Locating plants to achieve this effect was no accident. Albright-Souza carefully thought out every aspect, from the deer-resistant plant palette, to the waterfall prominently seen from the dining area inside the house. Even the fenced veggie garden is on a grand scale to protect the owner’s roses and hydrangeas from the deer.

Some of plants that are not bothered by deer in this garden include the lavender flowering prosanthera or variegated mint bush. Both beautiful and fragrant, this small shrub makes a good hedge or accent plant in deer country.

Another blooming plant and favorite of mine, Petite Butterfly sweet pea, looked great paired with a helianthemum called Mesa Wine Sun Rose. The pink muhly grasses will bloom in the fall. The new, fresh Japanese blood grass also glowed in the late afternoon sun.

We talked about the accent boulders in the garden as we walked around. Albright-Souza explained that when the rocks were delivered, she earmarked the largest and most interesting for particular spots.

One is at the corner of the petanque court and seems to offer an invitation to sit a while. Another flat-topped boulder marks a junction of two walkways and also begs passers-by to try it out. Others were placed reminiscent of Japanese garden design.

A large dolphin sculpture was moved from a driveway location where few could enjoy it to a spot in the upper garden, where it serves as the focal point in a widening of the cobblestone paver path and can be viewed up close. Placing garden art in prominent places that can be seen from different parts of the garden is part of a good garden design.

If you are ready to transform your own space, consider some of these ideas. Understanding landscape styles, materials, structures, lighting and plants is part of the fun.

This spring, get inspired to transform your own garden.

-Jan Nelson, a landscape designer and California certified nursery professional, will answer questions about gardening in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Email her at janis001@aol.com, or visit www.jannelsonlandscapedesign.com to view past columns and pictures.

Dress up your backyard with art – WOOD 8 – WOOD

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CALEDONIA, Mich. (WOOD) – Spring got off to a late start this year and now that the warm weather is in full swing, it’s important to have your backyard in tip top shape. The new trend in landscaping, isn’t just plants and shrubbery, but to create an inviting outdoor living space. A way to achieve this feeling is by incorporating outdoor art.

While Harder and Warner Landscaping in Caledonia is known for their variety of shrubs and plants, they also have a large selection of art. Something new to their store are outdoor canvases. These canvases withstand fading for up to five years, winds up to 60 miles per hour and give your outdoor space a designer feel.

If you’re looking for new ideas to spruce up your backyard, simply bring in pictures of your space to Harder and Warner Landscaping and their experts will walk you through the design process. Customers can be as hands-on or as hands-off as they want to and Harder and Warner experts will step in to help.

Harder and Warner Landscaping is located at 6464 Broadmoor SE in Caledonia. For more information call 616-698-6910 or visit www.harderandwarner.com.

Time capsule idea for Walton Bridge opening

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A TIME capsule buried at the site of the new Walton Bridge is one of the suggestions for its grand opening this summer.

According to the team working on the bridge, due to open in July, a ceremony will be held and will possibly include the burial of a capsule containing items showing what life was like in 2013 – not to be opened until 500 years has passed. Other ideas included a plaque at the site.

The comments were made at a Walton Bridge meeting organised by the Elmbridge Seniors group and chaired by Sir Ivan Lawrence QC.

Keith Scott, Surrey Highways planned maintenance manager and Walton Bridge project manager, said the county council was looking for ideas on what to do at the opening later this year.

Traffic should be using the bridge by the end of July, with works such as landscaping the area continuing into the second half of the year.

Updating the meeting on the progress of the bridge, Mr Scott said anticipation would be like the Olympic road races – apathy before the event but when it started people were more interested.

He said they wanted to promote the bridge and surroundings as a “leisure area” showing off what Walton and Shepperton “has to offer”.

Concerns were raised with Mr Scott about different aspects of the scheme, including traffic leading up to the bridge on both sides of the crossing.

One of the questions asked was about the possibility of changing the traffic lights sequence on the Walton side, to try to stop congestion on the Shepperton side of the bridge.

He said no changes had been made but the design team would be looking at improving traffic safety.

A lot of discussion took place over the difficulty of a right turn into Cowey Sale, and the traffic problems it currently causes.

Mr Scott said: “This, along with the traffic improvements, is being looked at by our design team and any changes will go through the democratic process.”

He added there was due to be an area for five cars queuing to turn right on the new bridge, therefore keeping them out of the main carriageway.

Mole Kenny, a member of Elmbridge Seniors, said a “few small changes” would be needed to help traffic flow in the area, including making a ‘no right turn’ at Cowey Sale.

“All traffic issues could easily be, and should be, addressed by Surrey County Council experts to improve the new Walton Bridge for cars,” he said.

Mr Scott added there was an opportunity for more cost savings on the £32m project, and said they had already managed to save around £500,000.

Guest Post: Green Landscaping Ideas – Green Building Elements

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It is enjoyable hearing from someone who understands both sides of he building trade. Wade Myer writes that he is a recovering contractor who has turned to writing as it is much easier on his back. He adds that he has always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Here he provides a quick and common sense perspective concerning the landscaping side of the green building challenge.

Drought-tolerant woolly silver thyme, golden sedum, and miniature blue bellflowers are perennial low creeping groundcovers blooming together along a garden pathway. Source: Shutterstock

Green Landscaping Ideas

As more and more people are realizing the significance of their impacts on the environment, we are seeing a rapid growth of the “green” movement. As the movement has grown it has also expanded into numerous aspects of our lives. One area where people have become especially conscious of their environmental impact is in regards to their home. For those who want to make their homes more eco-friendly, an easy place to start is outside. Here are some green landscaping ideas and techniques you can implement to make your house more environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

Use Native Plants

The first thing you should consider when thinking about green landscaping is whether or not you have native plants in your garden or yard. Planting only native plants is green in a variety of ways. Native plants are accustomed to the region you are living in and will require much less care and water.

Utilizing Shade from Trees

Another green landscaping idea deals with the shade produced by the trees in your yards. Strategically placing trees so that they shade your house can save on energy. The shade from these trees protects your home from direct sunlight which keeps your house cool and reduces the stress put on your air conditioner during summer months.

Xeriscaping

This is a relatively new term and idea that deals with clever irrigation practices. As mentioned before, using native plants will help with this technique as it saves on water. Aspects of xeriscaping include utilizing low-flow nozzles and soil moisture sensors along with smart controllers which determine how to use water most efficiently. To go a step further, you can direct any rain spouts or gutter spouts are directing rain water to your garden or lawn.

Create an Edible Garden

This is perhaps one of the most eco-friendly things you can do in regards to green landscaping as its environmental impacts go beyond just your garden. Keeping the idea of native plants in mind, you can make your garden not only beautiful, but also functional by planting edible vegetation. Eating food that you grow in your own garden will provide you with healthy organic food and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.

These are just a few of the techniques available for green landscaping practices. Ensuring that your garden and the landscape of your house are eco-friendly is a good starting point to making your house more environmentally friendly. The green movement will only continue to grow, and as it does, everyone will benefit.

Wade Myer is a recovering contractor who has turned to writing as it is much easier on his back. He has always been drawn to the written word where he can frame sentences rather than walls. Currently he writes on behalf of Crown Point home builders Steiner Homes LTD.

Photo: Drought-tolerant woolly silver thyme, golden sedum, and miniature blue bellflowers are perennial low creeping groundcovers blooming together along a garden pathway from Shutterstock.

That special garden they call home

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INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Edgar van Gusling and Andrew Jacobs have been working at Kirstenbosch for a total of 82 years. Picture: Cindy Waxa

Cape Town – Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens was once nothing more than a forest filled with alien vegetation, gravel trails, and corrugated iron toolsheds. That is a far cry from what it is today, but is how it looked when Edgar van Gusling and Andrew Jacobs first came to know the place.

Van Gusling, who retires this year, has worked at the botanical gardens for 45 years, while Jacobs has 37 years service with Kirstenbosch, which celebrates its centenary this year.

In recognition of their long service and the centenary, Van Gusling and Jacobs will fly to the Chelsea Flower Show this month in London, where Kirstenbosch displays have bagged 32 gold medals over the years.

Jacobs, 56, and Van Gusling, 64, were born in Protea Village, a now displaced community that was situated across the road from the botanical gardens.

Van Gusling recalls carrying 20-litre buckets as a boy to draw water from a nearby spring. There was a 100- litre tank at home that needed filling before he could go and play. Jacobs’s father worked at Kirstenbosch, and even though he was very young, he recalls delivering lunch to his dad at work.

In 1963, the Group Areas Act forced both families to relocate to Lotus River. Van Gusling was 15 and Jacobs was 6.

Van Gusling describes this as a sad time. “The houses (in Lotus River) had no ceilings and concrete floors. The walls were so thin your neighbours would hear you fart. We were thrown into this place that just wasn’t nice,” he recalls.

Employment at Kirstenbosch continued and at age 20, Van Gusling eventually got a job as a gardener.

“I grew up with flowers. In Protea Village, our hobbies were sport and nature,” he says.

Back then, there were no fancy hi-tech tools. “It was a lot of manual labour. We carried huge rocks with our bare arms. We were very muscular then,” he jokes.

Van Gusling moved from gardening and landscaping – he was involved in sculpting the contours and building rockeries – to being responsible for mowing and maintaining the lawns.

Anyone who has ever tried growing a lawn knows that getting it to the quality of the soft Kirstenbosch variety, is no easy feat.

He also did a stint as a security officer, but 20 years ago returned to the mowers – this time as a foreman. He is now the principal foreman.

“Everything I did, I enjoyed it,” he says. His green fingers have extended to his Rocklands home where he has a small but beautiful garden at the front of his house, and nurtures many indoor plants.

Jacobs’s career at Kirstenbosch started a little differently. He was the fifth of 12 children, and when he was about 17, he had to go and find work.

“I wasn’t really happy. But I was lucky and worked for a nice guy. He was one of the very few who didn’t see the (skin) colour,” says Jacobs.

He started out in the nursery in 1976 and while his father, who was employed at Kirstenbosch for more than 40 years, worked in another division, he kept a watchful eye on his son.

Jacobs had to weed, sow seeds and take care of succulents. He later moved to the plant recording department, where he engraved the names of plants on small plaques, and in the late 1980s became an information officer.

He recalls that learning about the various plants wasn’t a problem as he already had so much experience with that, but his English, on the other hand, took some work.

Remembering the move to Lotus River, Jacobs says it was unpleasant. “We weren’t rich, but when they took us to Lotus River, we became even poorer. The mice didn’t even want to come into our house,” he says”.

But five years ago things changed, not only for him, but his mother too. He became a communications officer and tour guide at Kirstenbosch and one of the perks was that he could live in the Kirstenbosch stone cottages, once part of his old community.

He moved there three years ago.

“It meant I could bring my mom back to Kirstenbosch. She was extremely happy when we fetched her. You could see the gladness in her smile,” says Jacobs.

His mother died a year later, but Jacobs, who says he still has another 10 years of working left in him, feels privileged that they were able to spend that time there.

Jacobs and Van Gusling describe Kirstenbosch as a special place, with a certain majestic quality.

“We have to be proud to be associated with this. People come from all over the world just to see it. There’s just something that keeps you here,” says Jacobs.

About their trip to London, they’re both excited to be going and plan to “paint the town red”. – Cape Argus

Wilton Women-in-Business Spotlight: Tall Trees Landscaping

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Wilton’s loves to put forth a “semi-rural village” self-image, in its politics as well as its physical look. It’s the guiding principal in the historic town meeting system of government as well as the defining characteristic used to make rulings on everything from signage to storefront appearance.

The town’s small business owners have to operate within that framework to make a go of it. With the national economy slowly climbing out of the major dip of the last few years, local businesses are slowly regaining a foothold in town. New stores are opening—like the Painted Cookie and Mrs. Green’s; some are expanding, including Signature Style and Little Pub. Others have are still finding it more difficult—witness the closing of Steve’s Bagels.

Interestingly, many of the businesses holding strong are run by women; for example, one building in town—134 Old Ridgefield Rd.—is home to several small ventures that are, until recently, almost exclusively women-owned, including Hello Yoga, Aroma Spa, Renaissance Beauty, Evolved Home, and Signature Style. The last store has done so well since it opened three years ago that two weeks ago it relocated to larger digs for the second time in its short life.

Emily Humiston is a long-time Wilton resident (she grew up here and graduated from Wilton High School) who owns Tall Trees Landscaping. “From the Driver’s Seat” sat down to talk with her about being a small-business owner in Wilton and what it’s like being a woman in a male dominated industry.

Are there any other women in the landscape business?

Not businesses. A lot of landscape architects, but not landscape businesses. This is my 20th year. When I started there was one other woman in Stamford that I knew of. There were no other women. I don’t even know of any women that own maintenance businesses, even now.

Are there organizations that helped you get started? Are there networks now that are helpful?

There were no networks back then—everyone looked at me funny 20 years ago when I started. Landscaping wasn’t even that big 20 years ago. Now there are “networking groups” where everyone owns a different type of business and they’ll try to help push one another—take the Chamber of Commerce, for instance. They haven’t really helped me though because I don’t have a storefront.

Volunteering in the community has helped me [grow the business] through Kiwanis [as past president] and now I’m starting to get more involved with Ambler Farm, which I really enjoy that a lot.

What do you get out of volunteering and helping in the community?

I want to be more involved in helping Wilton. It’s where I’ve lived, and hopefully will live my entire life. I really like helping people in need in the community because having grown up in that similar situation I know how tough it is, and if you can just do a little bit to help people it means a lot. There weren’t all these agencies, like social services, when I was a kid. That’s why we donate 25 trees to Wilton Social Services to hand out to families in need for Christmas. And I really like to help the seniors—this is their home. My mother has lived here forever, I’ve lived in Wilton my whole life. Someone has to help those two groups. Especially families in need, with kids—I know how hard it was when I was growing up and that’s why I want to help. It’s such an easy thing, I have the ability to do it, it’s so easy to do, and it gives me a lot of happiness.

Let’s talk about your work. What’s your service area?

Wilton, Westport and Fairfield, and now I’m kind of going into New Canaan. It’s word of mouth a little bit, although people don’t want their landscaper to get busy with someone else. But I’ve never really had an issue about getting work. I’ve been really lucky.

As a woman, what do you bring to your profession that makes you different?

Sometimes customers feel I’ll do a better, more thorough job. When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of the gardening, the deadheading, the perennials and all that, it’s really much better—I care more, it matters more.

Maintaining perennial gardens, we do a lot of overall maintenance. I don’t do much [plant] installation. We’re very particular with how we do the maintenance—I want it to be perfect, and very well taken care of. And I want to nurture it. I don’t want to work somewhere and do a job once and never see the plants again. You want to stay involved with a garden as it develops over the years. It’s not just a one-year shot. It really does take time.

Wouldn’t it be great if there were something to encourage the network of women-owned businesses in Wilton?

That would be great. If women would promote other women more. Just like people in Wilton will hire a landscaping company from Norwalk—you hope they wouldn’t but …

It’s a thought that has to be conscious: If I have to buy a birthday present for a child, I could go to Walmart to buy a toy, or to Wilton’s Toy Chest for that same toy.

There’s always a cheaper option outside of Wilton. But people need to embrace the community more. You can always go somewhere to get something cheaper. You can go to Walmart and get it. It’s so much different here now than when I was a kid. It’s all different.

Are there hurdles here in town as a small business owner?

My business is at my home. I can’t have commercial vehicles at my home. The town said I couldn’t have anything landscape related on my property—even if it was for my mother to use! Yesterday I tried to go to the transfer station, with my pickup truck and I can’t take my pickup truck because it’s registered to my business. I have to drive down to Norwalk . And I can’t go to Wilton? Just because my registration is made out to my business? The laws are made and there is just no flexibility with them. It makes it a little more difficult.

I’ve lived here my entire life. I just want to run my business, and I’m not bothering anyone. It’s not like I’m a landscaper in Norwalk trying to dump in Wilton. I live in this town, why does it matter what my vehicle is. Why can’t I keep my trucks here, why do I have to have an extra expense [to rent parking elsewhere]? It’s so hard to run a small business as it is. I can’t even dump recyclables, which are free. Just because my registration is made out to my business. Talking to anyone doesn’t seem to do any good.

We’re a small town, they should be able to come check to see if my trucks are in anyone’s way. It just one of the things that makes my life that much harder.

What do you recommend to people looking to hire a landscaper?

Get a good feel for the person, you need to feel compatibility. The whole relationship is important—it’s going to need to build for years and go on. Ask: “Can you give me a game plan for the whole year? What needs to be done?” I think it’s important to hire people who are very knowledgeable about plants.

Is there something particular to Wilton to consider?

It’s mostly near wetlands that you have to be cautious. But I don’t get involved with or use any chemicals, that’s where you have to be careful. There are lawn care companies that do the fertilizing and weed control, it’s best left to those guys and not landscapers. Luckily, I don’t work with any of that stuff, because it is toxic.

I do spray my own property for ticks, but now with my daughter, I have to reconsider that. I didn’t really care for just me or my dogs, but now with her I will start to rethink that. But with ticks…tick companies are going to say, ‘Spray.’ People who are anti-pesticide say, ‘Don’t, it’s horrible.’ There’s no right or wrong. I think you have to get a good feel for the person you’re working with and trust them. And that’s why I hope that living here in Wilton my whole life and being in business for 20 years shows people that I’m not – I’m not going to become a millionaire being a landscaper. I just love what I do.

How did you discover that you loved working with plants?

My grandparents were gardeners, and when I was little I always gardened with them. It just is in my blood. It’s the only thing in my life I know for sure. I don’t even have to think about it, it just comes naturally. My mother loves to garden. It’s just in my blood.

It’s great to do what you love.

It has its great days, but then it has its not-so-great days. Like trying to get paid—I even have friends who have stiffed me! That’s why some landscaping businesses fail, the money flow is very difficult. We have to pay everything right away—my guys, my taxes, my supplies. And I can be waiting, waiting, waiting to get paid. I wonder if some customers feel they can take more advantage of a woman than a man.

But it’s that way for all of us. I used to say landscapers are below garbage collectors on the totem pole of getting paid. When I started, if I had stopped working for anyone who didn’t pay on time, I’d have no customers. You have to keep cutting the lawn every week. You can’t just stop because then you have no work all of a sudden.

We’re off in the winter. We just work really hard. We’ll do 55 hour weeks for the next nine months. You end up working the equivalent of a year in those nine months.

I think that women [clients] feel more comfortable dealing with a woman business owner—a lot of times I’m dealing with the wives, the majority of the time.

How is it supervising a crew of men?

I’ve been really lucky. I work with many Latino guys, they really have a loyalty to women, for the most part. They’re very family oriented, and I’ve never had a problem with respect. Last year I had one guy who didn’t like it, and he left, but that was the first time in 20 years.

Now, it’s almost like I’m their mother! I’m, like, 24 years older than these guys! [Laughs] So I hear all their problems, with their wives, with their girlfriends. I have four older brothers, so I really have that. I’ve never had a problem with respect, because I’ve always had decent guys working for me. I would have thought that it might have been a problem, but it hasn’t.

What do you want your daughter to see about you working?

I want her to see that I’m a really hard worker. I want her to play outside in the garden and dig. I want her to have a strong work ethic and struggle a little—I think it’s good to struggle. If I had been handed everything, God only knows what I’d be doing now. I want her to be proud of me. People say, maybe she’ll take over your business, but I just want her to do whatever she wants to do.

Tall Trees Landscaping, (203) 762-8183 or talltreeslandscaping@gmail.com.

UNCA to hold 41st annual spring wildflower and bird pilgrimage

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UNC Asheville’s Biology Department and the Botanical Gardens at Asheville will celebrate Appalachian nature with the 41st annual Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage May 3-5. This weekend of special events, including talks and guided tours, will focus on local flora and fauna. All are open to the public.

The popular annual celebration begins with registration at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, in the lobby of UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall. The registration fee is $5 for adults and $1 for students, which covers all events.

Following registration, Alison Arnold, owner of Alison Arnold Gardens and Landscapes, Inc., will present “Landscaping with Native Plants: Considerations for Selecting the Best Plants for Your Garden” at 7:30 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall Auditorium.

Events on Saturday, May 4 include eight guided tours and activities. The outings feature both morning and afternoon half-day adventures such as a birding trip through Craven Gap and Beaver Lake, and a nature walk to the Ray Mine in Burnsville.

The day will conclude with a presentation by Jim Drake, former president and current board member of the Georgia Botanical Society. Drake’s talk and slideshow, “Wildflowers through the Seasons,” begins at 7:30 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Robinson Hall Auditorium.

Events on Sunday, May 5, include a birding trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a trip to the old growth sites in the Craggy Mountains, and a wildflower walk in the Shinn Gardens.

Coinciding with the Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage is the annual ”Day in the Gardens” festival at the Botanical Gardens at Asheville. The celebration includes plant and craft vendors, food and entertainment from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at 151 W.T. Weaver Blvd., adjacent to campus.

For more information about UNC Asheville’s Spring Wildflower and Bird Pilgrimage, call David Clarke, UNC Asheville associate professor of biology, at 828.232.5151 or visit biology.unca.edu/wildflower-pilgrimage.

Festival offers gardening advice – Daily Mail

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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will host a garden festival from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Culture Center at the Capitol Complex.

The event celebrates the state’s sesquicentennial with tips on growing heirloom flowers and vegetables. Some of West Virginia’s native plants will be available for sale.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.wvculture.org.

SHIRLAND: Nurseryman Brian Ellis offers gardening tips to Hardy Plant Society …

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