Although the term zen-tei (Zen garden) exists in Japanese, its usage is a largely Western one, first coined by the American garden scholar Lorraine Kuck in the 1930s. In the work of designer Shunmyo Masuno, a fully ordained Buddhist priest, we encounter landscapes that endorse Daisetz T. Suzuki’s view that the stone garden embodies “the spirit of Zen.”

Masuno, who practices meditation as a first step toward design, may conceivably, be the last of Japan’s ishitate-so, or “stone-setting priests,” a body of semiprofessionals once tasked with assembling gardens, although his responsibilities for creating design and overseeing the construction of his ideas far exceed the brief of those humble ecclesiastical gardeners.

Things are never quite what they seem in the Zen garden. Emptiness might best be described as empowered space, an energized vacuum; what the writer Donald Richie referred to as the “nourishing void.” Masuno emphasizes the need to familiarize himself with the project site, to “listen” to the request of stones and to sensitize himself to the forces flowing through the landscape.

In his work, compositions are never imposed on space, the sites to some degree dictating design and stone placement. Design of this transcendent quality is rare, issuing from a combination of kankaku (sensitivity) and kunren (practice and discipline). When the two are fused, as they manifestly are in Masuno’s work, spatial design ascends to the level of art.

Masuno’s work bears some comparison with the gardens of iconoclastic landscape designer Shigemori Mirei, whose highly original concepts and use of materials split the garden establishment into detractors and devotees. Like Mirei, Masuno is a traditionalist with a modernist vision, possessed of an extraordinary wellspring of ideas and design approaches that are evident in the diversity of his projects and the pliability required to adjust to each commission. The book accordingly showcases designs for temples, a retreat house, science research center, prefectural library, private residence, golf club, hotel, crematorium and more.

Like finely crafted musical instruments, gardens can improve immeasurably with age. The risks, of course, of creating gardens for commercial entities rather than time immemorial temples or villas protected by their Important Cultural Property rankings, is that they are subject to market fluctuations that can force radical land transformation.

Mira Locher’s concisely organized text and painstaking research into her subject steers the layman through a potentially Byzantine web of principals and design concepts. Given the close relationship between Japanese gardens and structural forms, Locher, a practicing architect of high repute, is well placed to comment on the subject of landscape design.

Unlike ancient gardens, with their embedded meanings, contemporary designers are generally quite comfortable spelling out the meaning of their work. Thus, we know unequivocally that Masuno’s ryumonbaku (“dragon’s gate waterfall”) at Gion-ji Temple, represents the idea of Zen training toward enlightenment, or that the name of its courtyard garden invokes the theme of water, analogous to knowledge and teachings trickling down through the ages. Locher doesn’t give away too much, however, leaving enough concealed to stimulate reader inquiry.

This finely illustrated and written work reminds us that the Japanese garden is an organic form that is constantly evolving. So much so that the garden writer Yang Hongxun has opined, “China could make use of many of these Japanese standards to modernize her own garden construction, which has fallen behind in recent times.”

The book includes a number of landscapes created for foreign clients. Examining these overseas creations, we realize that with careful consideration to climate and plant environments, the Japanese garden is a truly transcultural art.

Posted: Friday, December 28, 2012 2:55 pm
|


Updated: 2:56 pm, Fri Dec 28, 2012.

City Council roundup

by Alana Garrigues

The Beach Reporter

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0 comments

Restaurants must close at scheduled time on New Year’s Eve

Last month, Councilman Peter Tucker sought an urgency ordinance to allow a dozen restaurants in Hermosa Beach to stay open until 12:30 a.m. on New Year’s Eve to allow patrons to ring in the new year. But at the Dec. 11 council meeting, Tucker pushed away from his idea and apologized for asking staff to study it. He then made a motion to not allow restaurants to stay open later than their normal operating hours on Dec. 31.

His original recommendation was shunned by the planning commission and discouraged by city staff and the police and fire departments, who argued that it was incongruent with recent efforts by the city to decrease late-night alcohol sales through a “no intensification” code that sets a limit for 36 late-night alcohol establishments. The commission, police and fire departments also expressed concerns about safety and police services on a busy holiday night that already leaves emergency responders stretched thin. In addition, of the 36 restaurants in the city that could have potentially stayed open later, 24 would have been required to close earlier by their ABC liquor license, which trumps city ordinance, and would have been subjected to fines if they had elected to stay open late.

Tucker watched the planning commission discussion and said he wanted to apologize for making the proposal, after seeing how contrary it appeared to the recent “no intensification” policy.

The council unanimously voted against the proposed ordinance, although Councilmen Howard Fishman and Michael DiVirgilio both said they would be interested in discussing incentives in the future for restaurants in good standing that may want to stay open late for a special event by negotiating CUP terms on a case-by-case basis.

Street paving plan and sewage

After the city council voted 3-2 against authorizing Blue Zones to conduct an Aviation Boulevard bicycle lane study on behalf of Hermosa Beach, Public Works Director Frank Senteno quickly developed a street paving plan and sewage management plan to show the city council that those immediate priorities would be met by city staff. He also met with Blue Zones to ask them how much staff time would be required to work on the bicycle lane study.

Senteno brought the proposal back to the city council because he was assured it would be a time commitment of approximately five hours per month, manageable for the public works department, and Blue Zones would work within the city’s master bike plan and in conjunction with the city council and Aviation Boulevard/Pacific Coast Highway commission priorities.

The council voted unanimously to approve Senteno’s plans and authorize Blue Zones to investigate grant opportunities and initiate preliminary engineering studies along Aviation Boulevard.

City adopts “Living Streets” policy

The city council voted unanimously to adopt a “Living Streets” policy to provide guidance to future councils and planning commissions and to work toward Blue Zones certification. In doing so, the city completed the Blue Zones Community Policy Pledge.

“Living Streets” is a method of city planning that looks at sustainability, pedestrian avenues, bike paths, street widths, lighting and storm drainage as well as how to incorporate users of all ages and abilities into street design. It also includes plants, benches and landscaping to create a space that is user-friendly and encourages people to spend time there, which in turns creates economic sustainability.

In the same broad sweep, the council unanimously chose not to pursue healthy vending standards in public buildings and parks, healthy food and beverage policies at city-sponsored youth sporting events, a worksite breastfeeding policy and land-use protections for community gardens and farmers markets. The council agreed that it would be most appropriate to look at those policies once council goal-setting sessions are complete to ensure their vote falls within council priorities.

City Manager Tom Bakaly will look into the worksite breastfeeding policy to see if federal law already provides policy instructions for municipalities and return to the council with that information.

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Saturday, December 29, 2012 – Islamabad—The soft landscaping of the capital city would be transformed on modern lines and new varieties of flowers would be introduced to help enhance the beauty of the federal capital, said Chairman Capital Development Authority. “Flowers are the most attractive gift of nature, which make the life of individuals charming and depict the aesthetic of the residents,” Syed Tahir Shahbaz said this while addressing the prize distribution ceremony of the Autumn Flowers Show – 2012 organized by CDA in collaboration with Islamabad Horticultural Society.

He said the green character, beautiful landscape, and colourful flowers are the hallmark of Islamabad, which make it unique in the modern capitals of the world.

The CDA chief said the flowers are the part and parcel of our life as they add beauty and fragrance to our gardens, homes as well lives.

Tahir Shahbaz directed the Environment Wing of the Authority to increase the number of sapling of flowering plants during spring and monsoon tree plantation campaigns. He also stressed for focusing on indigenous species of trees, as it will further beautify the city in harmony with the climate condition of the city.

The chairman said the Authority was endeavouring to plant environment friendly new indigenous varieties of flowers and trees on the highways, roads, bridges and green areas. He said that the increased participation of the private sector in the flowers exhibition reflects the efforts of the people from different walks of life who really care for the environment.

Syed Tahir Shahbaz distributed prizes and trophies amongst the winners of the three days flowers show.

 

Katie Klauber and her mother, Diane, helped recycle Christmas trees last year with Troop 10406.

The holiday season may be coming to a close, but Girl Scouts in Sonoma Valley have a final gift-giving suggestion: turn the household Christmas tree into a present for Mother Nature.

Beginning this weekend, troops in the valley will pick up Christmas trees for recycling into nutrient-rich mulch and compost that ultimately help other plants and flowers thrive. The centerpiece of the holiday season can then live on in gardens and landscaping throughout the community.

“In Sonoma Valley, the Girl Scouts have been providing this service for more than a decade,” said Jill Valavanis, a Cadette troop leader and coordinator of the recycling program. “It has become a local tradition that the girls are proud of and the community enjoys supporting.”

Girl Scouts from Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops work in conjunction with Sonoma County Waste Management Agency, Sonoma Garbage and Redwood Empire Waste to collect trees in a way that’s environmentally friendly.

In addition to assisting Mother Nature, the recycling program helps Girl Scouts fund community service projects, scouting programs and activities and cultural-understanding trips abroad.

In June, just after earning their high school diplomas, a troop of three teens traveled with two chaperones to England, France, Italy and Switzerland. They met with Girl Scouts from around the globe at the Pax Lodge World Centre in London – a trip made possible through years of recycling Christmas trees and selling Girl Scout cookies.

Valavanis said girls learn valuable skills from the program, from goal setting and time management skills to working with the public and the meaning of physical labor loading and unloading the oftentimes heavy trees.

The tax-deductible suggested donation for the service is $10 per tree.

Girl Scouts can’t accept flocked trees, wreaths or garland. To ensure that trees are ready for recycling, they must be free of stands and all decorations.

Girl Scouts will visit neighborhoods throughout the valley only once per weekend on Dec. 29 and 30 and Jan. 5, 6, 12 and 13. Trees should be curbside by 9 a.m. Saturday on the preferred weekend of removal. Trees will be picked up by 6 p.m. each Sunday.

Reservations are necessary only from residents of rural areas of the valley.

Donations should be left under doormats. In rural areas, donations should be left in mailboxes. For those living in condominium or apartment complexes, notes should be attached to trees directing Girl Scouts to condo or apartment numbers to retrieve donations under doormats.

Checks are preferred, made payable to Sonoma Girl Scouts. Donations beyond $10 are greatly appreciated, Valavanis said.

To schedule pick-up in rural areas or to call if your tree was overlooked on a pick-up day, call 205-1233.

For more information or to download a flyer, visit SonomaGirlScouts.com/xmas.

– Dianne Reber Hart

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There are greener pastures in Los Angeles these days thanks to Los Feliz’s Farmscape. The landscaping company’s six farmers design, plant and maintain edible gardens—300 so far—across town from Pasadena to Calabasas. Founded in 2009, Farmscape’s goals overlap with the interest in food safety, locally sourced foodstuffs and “the old concepts of homesteading, WWII Victory gardens and kitchen gardens,” according to co-founder Rachel Bailin.

Clients are diverse and range from chefs to families to urban apartment dwellers (the Farmscape garden on Finley Avenue between Hillhurst and Vermont is a neighborhood conversation spot).

Farmers build raised beds—necessary because of L.A.’s depleted soils— establish drip irrigation systems and plant them with season-appropriate produce. At the Finley site, beets, kale, gem lettuce and cauliflower were thriving in December—gardens are maintained organically with no pesticide spray.

Sometimes gardens are poached; in summer heirloom tomatoes are popular pickings.  Skunks and raccoons are the threat, more so than passing pedestrians.

Bailin contends that the gardens can help build community while providing seasonal bounty. The team also volunteers at the Thomas Starr King Middle School garden where children learn firsthand the connection between field and plate.

Farmscape’s services include installation of raised beds and an irrigation systems; weekly maintenance of planted plots is available too.

For information: Farmscapegardens.com

 

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It’s a humbling experience to read some of my past columns celebrating New Year’s. Once you write something down, it’s there forever. Like a social media post, it can haunt you. I’ve set such lofty goals for myself over the years.

But now it’s that time of year when I look around the garden and think about the good things I accomplished and some that didn’t get done. A garden reflects our lives — always room for growth, as well as reflection.

 

Mushroom education

We live in a rain forest.

It’s easy to realize this the past few weeks, as gentle and not-so-gentle raindrops fell on the thick redwood duff beneath the trees. Mushrooms of every color and type now poke through leaves still bright with the shades of fall.

Last year was pretty dry until March, which is not so great for fungi, but this year should be spectacular. These conditions make it all the better to continue learning about our local mushrooms.

It’s one of my favorite goals for the new year. The fungus fair in Santa Cruz is Jan. 11 through Jan. 13 at Louden Nelson Community Center (scfungusfair.org), and I want to be better informed before my volunteer shift as a basketeer arrives.

 

Grow edibles

Each year I pledge to plant more things to eat.

Edibles in the garden feed both the body and the soul. They are more than just vegetables and fruit trees. When you grow something, you are being a good steward of the land as you enrich the topsoil using sustainable organic techniques. You can connect with neighbors by trading your extra pumpkins for their persimmons. Knowledge of how and what to grow can be exchanged, seeds swapped.

Growing edibles is more than time spent doing healthy physical work — it’s connecting us to the Earth and to each other.

 

Foreign inspiration

This year I was able to visit gardens in far away places such as Poland to learn about Eastern European landscaping styles and traditions. Some were very different than what we are used to here in Western gardens.

Gardeners, though, are the same everywhere — eager to show off and share.

I also had the opportunity to visit Abkhazi Garden and the famous Butchart Garden in Victoria, British Columbia, during the summer. Nothing can prepare you for the wonder that can be created out of nothing. I came back overflowing with inspiration for my landscape designs.

Next, I plan to visit Chihuly Gardens in Seattle and a green wall installation in Tacoma, Wash.

There’s no better way to recharge your creative batteries than to see an inspiring garden. Even a walk around your neighborhood can give you ideas for your own garden.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a huge boulder and wished I could magically transport it to my own yard.

 

Be it resolved

New Year’s resolutions for gardeners should be mere suggestions. Don’t get hung up on achieving everything you would like. Your wish list will serve you well during the cold, wet days of winter, even if you don’t get them implemented.

Planning a landscape that conserves water will benefit the environment and your budget. And ordering seeds for the spring garden is great therapy for winter blues and future meals. But there’s always next year or next month or the summer after next.

Dreaming is more than an idle pursuit. It’s good for you and improves the quality of your life over the long haul. So don’t worry if you don’t get to everything you hoped to accomplish. It’s all in the baby steps.

We gardeners are eternal optimists. Why else would be plant a tree or a seed or a garden?

Happy New Year from The Mountain Gardener.

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

RICHMOND — People who have been away for awhile might be surprised to find a large community garden growing on what used to be the playing field at the now-closed Adams Middle School in the East Richmond Heights neighborhood.

The garden opened on a corner of the field in 2008, a year before the school shut its doors. Now, it occupies almost the entire one-acre field.

AdamsCrest Farm isn’t a stand-alone project, but one of 12 urban gardens in Richmond and San Pablo sponsored by Urban Tilth, a 7-year-old Richmond urban garden nonprofit group.

AdamsCrest managers Jessie Alberto and Kenji Warren spend about 25 hours a week at the former school at 5000 Patterson Circle and on the first Sunday of each month anywhere from 20 to 45 volunteers show up to help out.

“Those are the days when we get most of our work done,” Alberto said.

At present, the managers and their volunteer helpers are growing onions, garlic, beans, potatoes and Swiss chard, along with different varieties of lettuce.

“We’re cleaning up the beds where we harvested tomatoes and squash, things you have to plant every year,” said Alberto, who has his own garden installation, fruit tree planting and landscaping business on the side.

There are about 20 fruit trees — “We’re hoping to produce our first fruit crop next year,” he said — and five donated bee hives that are producing honey.

The garden also contains plants such as dill, alyssum, yarrow,

marigolds and lavender to create a habitat for the honey bees and other pollinating insects.

Workers started the garden by bringing in new soil above a layer of cardboard that blocks the light and kills the weeds.

This year they expanded to fill nearly the entire site by turning over the grass that remained, blending in compost and planting it with cover crops, such as vetch, buckwheat and fava beans, to break up and enrich the soil for planting vegetables.

Produce from the garden is distributed to the volunteers and to charities that Urban Tilth supports, including the Richmond Rescue Mission, the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano, and the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program.

Some of the production from AdamsCrest and other Urban Tilth gardens is sold at a stand outside the Catahoula Coffee Co. on San Pablo Avenue in Richmond.

“Our volunteers help in the garden, take food home and learn something about gardening,” said Doria Robinson, Urban Tilth’s executive director.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, Alberto and another staff member teach gardening classes for students at Crestmont School, a private elementary school across Arlington Boulevard from the garden.

Crestmont board President Lisa Raffel, said she was looking around for a site for a school garden and Adams Middle School agreed to co-sponsor a project using a back corner of its playing field.

The West Contra Costa School District allowed Crestmont and Urban Tilth to expand the garden when Adams closed.

Alberto said he teaches the youngsters about “water conservation, companion planting, how to maintain the land naturally growing different kinds of soils, trees and root crops.”

“It’s a great piece of land, with a lot of sun,” Raffel said. “It’s a great teaching project because everything comes together in gardening — math, science and social science.”

Eight to 10 Richmond and San Pablo youths work at the garden during summers in a job training program sponsored by the California Endowment, a statewide health foundation, the city of Richmond and other agencies, Robinson said.

AdamsCrest Farm was also the site of a garden planted and maintained by a Richmond High elective class, which is now using two sites on the Richmond High campus, she said.

The 35 students in the program grew about 5,000 pounds of vegetables per year and families bought bags of produce for $1 a pound.

“It was priced just to cover our cost,” Robinson said. “It’s a direct exchange between the farmer and the consumer.”

By 

Mary Vanac

The Columbus Dispatch

Wednesday December 26, 2012 6:04 AM

How much is a Tournament of Roses sponsorship worth to a company? Scotts Miracle-Gro is about to
find out.

The lawn-and-garden product-maker in Marysville recently struck a three-year sponsorship with
the Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, Calif., as its “Official Rose and Flower Care Partner.”

As part of the deal, Scotts is the only Ohio-based company to sponsor a float in the
tournament’s New Year’s Day parade.

“We look at this as a combination of two really great American brands united in a common effort
around growing things and roses,” said Tom McLoughlin, vice president of gardens and landscaping
for the Scotts Miracle-Gro brand.

Pairing the company with the tournament seems natural — Miracle-Gro fertilizers and other
products help roses to grow.

“We feel like it’s an absolute perfect fit,” said Sally Bixby, this year’s tournament president.
“We’re highlighting floats decorated in flowers and seeds and natural elements, and Scotts products
support that.”

Scotts also is presenting sponsor of the post parade — the two-day, mile-long lineup of parade
floats that some 400,000 people pay to see. This sponsorship gives Scotts an opportunity to reach
thousands of consumers in a relevant way, McLoughlin said.

The Scotts float, called “Everyone Grows,” features butterfly-topped trees, a greenhouse,
topiaries, gardens, wheelbarrows and watering cans — all things associated with the Miracle-Gro
brand.

It will be decorated with 7,000 giant oncidium orchids, 3,000 James Storie and Vanda orchids,
and nearly 30,000 roses, and will weigh 22 tons when fully dressed (half the weight comes from the
flowers).

And it will take two people — one to drive and the other to observe — to steer the float an
average 2.5 mph down the 5.5-mile parade route. The observer, the “eyes” of the float, communicates
with the driver through an intercom.

Scotts will recycle the float’s materials, composting everything from flowers to mulch, and then
sell the resulting soil to customers, McLoughlin said.

How much will the float cost to build? Scotts is mum on that, but the Tournament of Roses says
float prices start at $250,000. The tournament also charges corporations a $15,000 participation
fee.

The float-building process began months ago.

“A group of us went to Pasadena a few months back to meet with a small contingent of approved
float builders,” McLoughlin said. After presentations, Scotts chose Fiesta Parade Floats to design
and build its float.

“We’ve created the greenhouse machine,” said Tim Estes, president of Fiesta Parade Floats,
describing the float.

“At the back of the float is a conveyer belt that feeds empty pots into the greenhouse machine,”
Estes said. “Coming out the front on another conveyor belt are pots with large flowers in them.”
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The float is a kind of Rube Goldberg machine, “so there are a lot of spinning wheels and moving
parts, and there’s the gimmick of creating flowers,” Estes said.

Fiesta workers have been emailing photos and videos to Scotts to inform the company about their
progress. A few weeks ago, Fiesta workers took the bare, 10-wheeled float frame out for a test
drive to make sure it would negotiate the turns in the parade route.

It takes about 9,000 volunteer hours to build each float, said Keri Butler, former Scotts
public-relations director, who recently left the company.

The flowers arrive today, and on Thursday, some 60 Scotts workers from the company’s Encino and
Temecula, Calif., operations are expected to volunteer to work on the float, Butler said.

Throughout the year, Scotts also will sponsor Miracle-Gro gardens in community parks and use its
products to refurbish gardens in Pasadena.

“This opens up our brand to a bunch of new people and gives them a way to think of Miracle-Gro
as supporting something they’re passionate about and being part of the community,” McLoughlin
said.

@maryvanac

It’s not only the plants that are growing at the University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.

As it begins its 55th year, the public garden and research center in Chanhassen has big ambitions: the purchase of a $4.4 million piece of property to its north, the grand opening of a world-class sculpture garden, and a new hookup to bike trails that will permit two-wheeled visitors.

It’s all part of a master plan to upgrade the arboretum’s gardens and buildings, add new permanent attractions, and expand educational and research programs.

Acquiring 78 more acres will provide a “buffer zone” to help preserve the arboretum’s natural features in a rapidly developing part of the west metro, Director Ed Schneider said in a recent interview.

Along with new windows, roof and other improvements to the 1970 Snyder Building, Schneider said the arboretum had many successes in 2012, and a few surprises. Attendance took a bigger hit than expected in summer because of road construction, and unusual spring weather nicked the apple orchards. It was also a year in which individual entrance fees rose from $9 to $12.

Schneider discussed the year past and the year to come in a recent interview.

What can people expect with the new sculpture garden?

It will have 22 works of art, and most of the sculptures have already been delivered and installed, Schneider said. It will feature large-scale artistic works from several countries, including American artists Louise Nevelson, Paul Granlund and Jesus Moroles.

The three-acre garden will not be open until midsummer, after landscaping has been completed.

Schneider said all of the art comes as a single donation to the University from philanthropists Alfred and Ingrid Lenz Harrison of Wayzata. The gift includes all costs to transport the sculptures, build concrete footings and pedestals, and landscape the area, plus establishing an endowment, he said.

“It’s a tremendous addition, and there’s a lot of excitement already about it,” he said.

The sculptures are clustered on a high point within the arboretum, and three more will be added in future years.

What else will be new in 2013?

The arboretum will add a free people mover, or tram, that will circulate along Three Mile Drive and allow passengers to get on and off at three different locations.

“It’s designed to encourage people to get out of their cars, and stop and walk the trails to get close to plants,” said Schneider.

The tram will be solar-powered, he said, and will hold about 22 people. He hopes to have two of them running continually along the drive. It will not replace a separate, larger tram that offers visitors a nonstop, narrated tour for a fee.

Also new will be “Gophers in the Garden,” a temporary exhibit that will feature four-foot molded versions of the U’s mascot that will be decorated and placed throughout the grounds.

How was 2012 in terms of attendance, since you raised individual entrance fees last spring from $9 to $12?

There were few complaints about the price increase, Schneider said, and attendance of 329,000 (July 2011-June 2012) was about 4,600 less than the previous year. Memberships also gained modestly, he said, rising to nearly 23,000.

However, attendance hit a snag during summer, he said, because of major construction along Hwy. 5 that fronts the main entrance to the arboretum. Although MnDOT kept the road open to the arboretum, a lot of people avoided the area.

“We saw a pretty precipitous drop,” said Schneider, about 10 percent below normal in June, July and August. “We did not forecast the decline in visitation to the degree we experienced.”

But the arboretum was more popular than ever this fall, he said, and attendance numbers bounced back as weekends and special events attracted thousands.

Are you still trying to purchase any land along the fringes of the arboretum?

“One of the things we’re very hopeful for in 2013 is acquisition of a piece of property that’s 78 acres, on the north side of Hwy. 5 and contiguous to our apple orchards,” Schneider said.

The land contains part of Tamarack Lake, wetlands and a portion of big woods forest.

The property was appraised at $4.4 million, and the arboretum hopes to raise enough from public sources and private donations to purchase the land next summer.

How would people access that land?

The Hwy. 5 reconstruction added a pedestrian and bike trail underpass so that bikers no longer need to ride along the highway shoulder to reach the arboretum.

“We’re gearing up for all the bicycle visitation,” Schneider said.

The arboretum will be linked to the regional trail system, he said, and riders will be able to ride through the arboretum for free, or pay a fee if they’re going to stop and visit the garden displays, restaurant, gift shop or other attractions.

What’s been happening with your scientific mission?

Following is a satirical look at man’s environmentally unfriendly landscaping practices. It was sent to me many years ago by customers from both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

“Winterize your lawn,” the big sign outside the garden store commanded. I’ve fed it, watered it, mowed it, raked it and watched a lot of it die anyway. Now I’m supposed to winterize it? I hope it’s too late. Grass lawns have to be the stupidest things we’ve come up with, outside of thong swimsuits! We constantly battle dandelions, Queen Anne’s lace, thistle, violets, chicory and clover that thrive naturally, so we can grow grass that must be nursed through the annual four-step chemical dependency.

Imagine the conversation The Creator might have with St. Francis about this:

“Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in the Midwest? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-last blossoms attracted butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.”

“It’s the tribes that settled there Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers ‘weeds’ and went to great extent to kill them and replace them with grass.”

“Grass? But it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It’s temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?”

“Apparently so Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.”

“They cut it? Do they bale it like hay?”

“Not exactly Lord. Most of them rake it and put it in bags.”

“They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?”

“No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.”

“Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow and when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?”

“Yes Sir.”

“These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.”

“You aren’t going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.”

“What nonsense! At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It’s a natural circle of life.”

“You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and have them hauled away.”

“No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and keep the soil moist and loose?”

“After throwing away your leaves, they go out and buy something they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.”

“And where do they get this mulch?”

“They cut down trees and grind them up.”

“Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. Saint Catherine, you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?”

“Dumb and Dumber Lord. It’s a real stupid movie about… “

“Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story.”

* * *

As the New Year approaches we should all try to be more environmentally friendly with our horticultural practices. While the above pokes fun at some of our unfriendly practices we really should do things like leave the fallen leaves in our gardens for natural mulch, not worry so much about a few weeds in our lawns so we don’t use so many chemicals and embrace the birds, bees, other insects and small mammals that also call Marco Island home. I will write a more in-depth article about those practices in the new year. I wish everyone a very happy and safe New Years Eve and a prosperous and peaceful 2013!

Eileen Ward and her husband Peter have owned and operated Greensward of Marco, Inc., a lawn maintenance and landscaping company since 1981.