Enhance Your Environment

Mulch Prices to Soar!

You had to see this one coming.  Years ago I played in a golf tournament with a gentleman who owned a lumber mill on the west coast.  He was shocked to learn that the bark and other waste from his lumber operations actually had value to landscapers as mulch.  You bet!  In fact, shredded hardwood bark is superior as a mulch because it decomposes much more slowly (due to its lignin content) than wood mulch (which is predominantly cellulose).

An article in today's Wall Street Journal - "Sawdust Shock - A Shortage Looms as Economy Slows" - accurately points out that by-products of the lumber milling process, namely sawdust that is used as bedding for horses and chickens, and shredded bark that is used in residential and commercial landscapes, are in very short supply.   Sawdust prices have more than doubled in the last 9 months.  As we enter a new season for landscaping here in the Midwest, and especially in Naperville, you can expect to pay approximately 15-20% more for the the material that protects your investment in your landscape.  This is compounded by increases in fuel prices that have resulted in increases over the recent years.  Incidentally, most of the mulch used in this locale is barged up from the Gulf Coast. 

Doesn't it seem that we are running out of resources to sustain the lifestyles we've created for ourselves?  This winter we ran out of salt to keep our roads safe.  Fuel prices continue to rise, although this is arguably an artificial market - cast your vote accordingly in the next election.   And now we are running out of not just a commodity, but a product that was considerate a waste-product.  Caveat Emptor!  What's next?  I suggest clean water will soon be in short supply.   Sound ridiculous?  No more ridiculous that a shortage of salt when we are surrounded mostly by salt water.   

Happy New Patio Year Naperville Residents!

Well, effective January 1st the City of Naperville will require permits for the construction of brick paver patios.  All I can say is its about time.  Paver patios were a rarity twenty years ago, then they evolved into a special garden feature, now they are commonplace - often with hodgepodge of unnecessary columns strewn about without any apparent thought to design.  Hey, it's true.  With more companies installing them, prices decreased, much to the delight of the marketplace - but so did the forethought of installing patios that are thoroughly planned for maximum utility and enjoyment.  For this reason, I applaud Naperville's initiative.

Now, Naperville has always required a permit for concrete, and for decks, and now they've added 'paver patios.'  Interestingly, they don't say anything about stone pavers, which happens to be one of our specialities at Treemendous Landscape Company.  The reason for this is simple - we love stone - the durability, the patiina of weathered, natural stone, and the comfortable feel of stone on your bare feet is hard to beat.   Whether it's New York or Pennsylvania Bluestone you are looking for, or the countless varieties of Wisconsin flagstone, just give us a call and we'll create something that will not only be acceptable to the city, it will give you years of enjoyment that will enhance your lifestyle - as well as the value of your home. 

Who You Are Determines How You Should Live

Tonight I was running with my Golden Retriever Jackson.  It was getting late and a beautiful full moon was rising over the prairie. I had to stop and appreciate this moment - watching the bright light cascading off the tips of the numberless blades of prairie grass.  If these kinds of things are important to you, then your landscape should incorporate planning so you can appreciate the light of the moon on clear autumn nights.  I'm always amazed at how gorgeous a full moon is in Autumn or early winter.  Then I had another thought  -- some people don't care a thing about this!

Yes, it is true that we all have different affinities for nature, just as we do for music, food, and art.  I for one consider the expressions of nature to be some of the most beautiful forms of art. Nature is one of those things that changes and expresses itself differently as time and seasons pass.  Fortunately, there are rhythms to this expression and you can take advantage of that to maximize your enjoyment of your outdoor environment.  You don't have to have the hot western sun beating down on you when the filtered shade of a Kentucky Coffee Tree could easily provide welcome cooling, interest from the light dancing through the movement of the uniquely shaped leaves, and the security of having the vertical space brought down to a  comfortable scale that is appropriate for any number of family activities.  Or not. 

You see it became apparent to me today as we worked with several different clients at Treemendous Landscape Company that studying and understanding the person is probably the most important thing we can do to ensure their environment enables them to live in a way that is right for them.  If you absolutely enjoy being outdoors, regardless of the season, then a firepit may have a great deal of significance for you.  If you are someone that likes things tidy and neat, then the maintenance of a perennial garden or pond may exceed your tolerance level.  How do you know what you like? The only way I know is to try things out, ask yourself WHY you enjoy certain spaces or materials or plants, and remember that your landscape is never done.  Just like Nature, it should evolve with the changes and rhythms of your life and lifestyle.

Harvest Moon image courtesy of Brian Neudorff.

Now is the Time to Learn Your Micro-Climates

Now that the seasons are changing again, it's a great time to tune in and learn a few things about the micro-climates in your garden that may not be as discernible when the temperatures are more extreme.  What are micro-climates?  Here's an example.  Today, just before the sun was setting, I left my house on a bike ride.  Thanks to the little gadget on my bike that tells me how fast I'm going and what time it is, I'm also able to monitor the ambient temperature.  It was 70 degrees when I left my suburban home.  I noticed a definite chill when I arrived fifteen minutes later at the prairie where I like to ride.  Before long, the temperature was dropping into the 60's and even the 50's!  This all happened in a span of 45 minutes.  When I left that frigid prairie it was 54 degrees.  Yet, within ten minutes of returning to the predominantly asphalt, concrete and brick of the subdivision, it was back up to 61 degrees.  What does this tell us?

Well, asphalt and concrete and brick absorb and hold heat.  This is not necessarily a good thing in drought situations.  Though you don't notice it then because it's so blasted hot everywhere!  Today I was doing a Quality Audit at one of our client's whose property we maintain in the TallGrass subdivision in Naperville.  We were trying to determine why the dwarf lilacs along the southern facing brick wall were displaying the effects of drought stress.  Aloha!  This just might be a little micro-climate situation.  Heat is reflected off that wall - onto the lilacs - and that heat continues to radiate from the wall long after the sun sets.  We believe this ultimately caused the decline of these plants, especially considering the plants facing due south were suffering the most.  Can we be certain this is the source of the problem?  Of course not - there are countless variables such as the condition of the soil, the watering history, and certainly the quality of the plants.  Considering the quality of the plants, one thing we discussed is plants grown out of state are typically not as well suited to our soils and climate because they have not acclimated to it like those that "grew up here."  Makes sense, doesn't it! Setting that aside, we come back to the original conclusion regarding the micro-climate created by the wall.

Working with Nature is an interesting endeavor.  You have the opportunity to think, probe, and test your theories.  Sometimes the solution you are looking for is right under your nose, but the problem may have preceded it by a period of time.  In other words, the symptoms show up after the conditions that caused it have subsided.  Keep studying and reconnecting and the pieces begin to add up.  Tune in to how Nature works to understand it's Intelligence.  If gardening was easy it wouldn't be as much fun.  The challenge is finding the next level - or at least sustaining the one you have discovered.

Keep The Path Clear!

What are the benefits of your environment?  For some reason I like to think of my personal environment as a microcosm - a garden - of the macrocosm - the larger environment.  To experience any garden you need a pathway.  You need a way to experience it. If your garden, your world, your ideal life as defined by you is cluttered, then you need to clear that path.  Life is more challenging and more stressful when you have to deal with unnecessary "stuff."  Life didn't used to be this way for most of  us.  Yet, progress and prosperity have changed that.

I've become more aware of the stuff in my life since moving into temporary housing - an apartment.  We'll be here for a couple of months until our new home is ready.  You know what, it's kind of nice!  Because most of our belongings - our stuff - are in storage.  The result is we have just a few possessions and the company of each other.  Conversations are easier.  Everything is simple.  We are more connected.  Interesting isn't' it?  When you clear the path of life - your environment is much more manageable.  Why?  You are managing the stimuli in your world.  Your response to life is likely to be much more favorable when you trim everything down to what matters to you.  If you don't do this, then you are subject to the uncontrollable influences that surround you.

So what does your 'garden' look like?  What does it feel like?  Most importantly, what is all of this telling you?  Don't ask what is happening in your world -- but why!  Why are you surrounded by the environment you find yourself in?  Only you can get what you want out of life by surrounding yourself with what energizes you!  Anything is possible within the space you create.  This is the key to enhancing your environment.  Make the right choices - keep that path clear - and let in the good stuff that really matters!

Color Your World with Aliveness!

A client recently noted to me that he wants to see color "all of the time" at his home.  Any landscape architect or designer can tell you that request ranks right up there with the dreaded "no maintenance " request.  Unfortunately, there is this phenomenon in the universe called entropy - everything is always changing and seeking a new state of order (or disorder, depending upon your perspective and need for control) -which certainly precludes the possibility of a no-maintenance landscape.  Color on the other hand, is actually a function of the cycles and changes in our natural environment - and therefore, it stands to reason you can manage these cycles and have color - all of the time!

Before we resolve this situation, I'm curious why we are obsessed with color?  I love color as much as the next person.  Though I can honestly say I've never contemplated why.  I believe the reason is very likely the fact that color makes you aware of your 'aliveness.'   It engages your senses.  It reminds us to take some notice of life, the environment, and even who we are.

The more you notice and appreciate color, the more you respect it's nuances.  Artists will tell you that you don't have to be bombarded with color to enjoy its aliveness.  You can sometimes appreciate a palette that blends color in unique ways, using white to separate the softer pastels so they can be even further appreciated for what they are on their own.  In the same way, you can appreciate the subtleties of what's happening in your world - both in your your work and play.  You just have to take notice.

There is a quality of nature that makes you feel alive and aware of so many things in your life, including your purpose, your responsibilities to others, and a need to appreciate what you have right now.  Right now is where it's all happening - and color makes you aware of that.  Color stops you in your tracks and asks you to think about what's right.  Hopefully, we all eventually come to the realization that what's right with us is interconnected with everyone and everything in our lives.  So, take a color break and appreciate how your life has been colored and how you might want to see that picture evolve into something even more, well,  COLORFUL!:) 

Sunday Afternoon in Nature - Make the Connection

It's Sunday afternoon here in Chicago and I'm just relaxing in front of our backyard pond.  It won't be long now until we move out of this home we have enjoyed for nearly twenty years.  With the mid-summer weather in Chicago treating us to Spring-like conditions, we will miss our pond as much as anything.  It has become an event to simply greet it in the morning - saying hello to our little paradise - fish, plants, smooth, comfortable stepping stones, and of course, the enduring symphony of the waterfall.  What is it about nature that engages us?  Whatever it is, we need to remind ourselves that we are part of Nature. This reminds us that we are alive! -- and should be enjoying every day to the fullest. 

If you aren't enjoying nature in your personal environment, maybe it's time for an upgrade - an enhancement.  I'm sure we will have at least one and probably more water features in our new home - installed by Treemendous Landscape Company, of course. By introducing water, fragrance, texture,  and color into your outdoor environment, you are abstracting the larger envrironment that we are all connected to.  Landscaping isn't just ornamentation -- properly designed and implemented, it creates a space where you can contemplate, meditate, and best of all - celebrate!  It may remind you that you are not alone. We are all part of a larger universe that supports and sustains us in ways that we cannot always comprehend, but that we can surely appreciate.  And thankfully the awareness of green is bringing that to the forefront.  Take some time in nature - even just looking up at the stars at night.  You will know with certainty that you are connected with every living creature in this universe.  I'm confident it will remind you that you are not alone, but connected in ways we don't even have to understand to appreciate.

Home to Environment - "You Complete Me!"

The United States is presently experiencing a slow real estate market.  Yet, we just sold our home at full asking price - in one week!  How did this happen?   There is no doubt in my mind that having a well designed and maintained landscape that complements the home and integrates with the interior spaces dramatically helps to make 'a house a home.' A home is more than the physical structure - it an intimate combination of the structure carefully sited and appropriately enhanced to capture the best qualities of that site.

Every homebuilder knows you sometimes have to build a spec home so that potential buyers can experience their product - because most can't do this from drawings and plans.  The physical structure is tangible - people can relate to it.  Moreover, if you have a home with poorly enhanced outdoor spaces, it is a distraction from what may otherwise be beautiful home.  Offering choices of outdoor spaces with different personalities - sometimes referred to as outdoor rooms - fully immerses the homeowner in their environment where they can envision themselves relaxing, rejuvenating, enjoying family and friends, or otherwise experiencing their home - and life more fully.   I imagine homes with great landscapes might feel as Tom Cruise did for Rene Zellweger in the film Jerry McGuire when he proclaimed to her - "You Complete Me."

Get Fired Up About Your Environment!

Years ago it was considered a symbol of success to be fully employed.  This meant there was a steady paycheck that provided the resources with which to enhance your lifestyle - whether for taking a vacation or investing  in your home or landscape.  The word fired or laid-off had an extremely negative connotation.  Today it's a punchline - thanks in part to Donald Trump.  Being fired isn't a big deal today?  Why is that?

The reason is there is so much wealth today -- such an abundance of resources of virtually every kind, such that being without work is just a minor inconvenience -- even if it lasts for months.  We have so much abundance today that it's a challenge to really appreciate everything.  Now too much work is not only not appreciated - it's described with a new word - stressful! 

This brings me to your environment.  In many cases you probably take it for granted too.  Fresh air, the cool shade of a beautiful tree, the glorious color of summer flowers - these are all things to celebrate.  This appreciation and celebration redefines your environment.  It makes it better because you are part of it.  It comes alive!  You really can change your environment by infusing it with your attention, energy, enthusiasm and appreciation.  Bring your attention to your environment and it will continue to reward you with countless benefits - like, well...hmmm.... like a steady paycheck:).

Enjoyment of Green - Not Soylent Green!

Scientists are beginning to come to grips with the dramatic changes we are experiencing in our environment.  Just yesterday we marked a record high of 79 degrees in Chicago - in March!.  It was actually quite warm at a time when we are used to getting that last big snowfall.  In fact, we've been known to experience snow in April and May in the windy city.  But not to worry -- scientists are now running computer models to simulate the changes being observed to predict "future climates."  Just a  few weeks ago, they weren't certain that global warming was a reality.  Now they've come to the conclusion that "some weather patterns may disappear entirely."  Oops!  Did we do that, we'll be asking ourselves in a few years?  Is it possible we could overrun this environment to the point where a present- day Soylent Green becomes plausible?  While I don't want to go there, it is a thought that came to mind.  Of course, I'm only referring to the mismanagement of our environment, not the infamous food substance mentioned in the last line of the movie!

The interesting thing is that the disappearance of specific climates and environments won't leave an empty hole, but will create new environments.  What will they be?  Will they provide the enjoyment we now derive from nature.  The spin I'm beginning to see is along the lines of "we had too much ice in Siberia anyway."  I guess now we can look forward to beaches and waterfront developments in these areas?  Let's hope we don't have to go there either.  Let's hope we appreciate the balance that Nature provides us with and seek to preserve that in whatever ways we can.  Plant a tree.  Take a walk instead of driving.  Most importantly, get out there and enjoy nature now!  Someday you might have to tell your grandchildren what it was like.