1)  POINTS:  The quantity and quality of the content you add to LR dictates your eventual exposure.  Every time you post a photo, add a landscape, upload a logo, upload business photos, rate a plant, review of landscape etc., you accrue points.  These points are tallied and dictate your position in the directory relative to your competition.  The more value you add to the community, the more exposure you receive.

Point Value of Content (from Highest to Lowest)

1-Logo (one time point accrual)
2-Landing Page Image (one time point accrual)
3-Landscapes
4-Images
5-Palette Lists
6-Reviews



Takeaway:  Interaction=Points & Points=Exposure

2)  PROFILE COMPLETENESS:  When logging into your “My Account”, the right hand of the screen guides you through the most surefire and efficient ways to accrue points.  As you watch your profile bar near 100%, you can be sure your points are adding up as well.

Takeaway:  Follow Profile Completion Bar Suggestions

3)  SOLICIT CUSTOMER REVIEWS:  Not only are you rewarded for the quantity and quality of the content you share, you are also rewarded for the number of positive reviews customers post on your business profile page.  Positive reviews give you more points and make you look much more attractive from a potential consumer’s viewpoint.

Takeaway:  Ask your loyal customers to gush about your greatness.

Landscapers and horticulturists often prefer “slow-release” or “controlled-release” fertilizers.  After all, in spite of their high cost, it seems to make sense.  We know that some nutrients, especially nitrogen, can be lost to the atmosphere or leach into ground water, leaving the plant without the nutrients it needs to grow and wasting the money spent.  One option to minimize these problems is to apply a slow-release synthetic fertilizer.  It can be applied less often, and this saves labor, which is another word for money, and can offset the higher cost.

But there is more to the slow-release fertilizer story.  It is about two important characteristics of organic fertilizers that are often misunderstood:  1) amine nitrogen and 2) carbon.  A good organic fertilizer works even better than slow-release synthetics.  It is worth our time to understand these organic concepts.  It will end up helping us save even more time and more money.  And we will be following a sustainable program that is environmentally friendly.  On top of all this, our lawns and gardens will look better than ever.

Nitrogen – understand the differences between nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+), and organic amine (NH2) nitrogen

First some basic background on nitrogen: it is the only nutrient that produces growth.  Of course the other essential nutrients are needed for healthy growth, but they can’t make growth on their own.  The other primary, secondary, and trace elements are used by the plant to produce enzymes and structure that make enhance nitrogen use.  But all these other elements won’t produce growth if there is no nitrogen.  Think of nitrogen as gas for a car – without it, the car won’t run, even if it has all the necessary elements like brake fluid, transmission fluid, water in the radiator, and air in the tires. Of course, when the car has gas, it needs all those other things to run properly.  But without gas the car won’t even start, and those other things don’t help a bit.

Synthetic fertilizers are manufactured from soluble forms of nitrogen and other nutrients.  The nitrogen is in the synthetic readily-soluble ammonium and nitrate forms.  So, to be “slow release” they must be chemically altered or coated to slow down the rate they enter the soil solution where they can be taken up by plants.  The release rate from these treatments is affected by water and temperature, and it may not be consistent with the needs of the plant.

The nutrient most likely to be lost is nitrogen.  Ammonium can volatize as ammonia and nitrate will move with the water that seeps downward in the soil.  Nitrogen on the surface can be lost when there is runoff.  These losses not only waste the money spent on nitrogen, they contaminate ground water and surface water.

For many years, scientists believed that plants use only the ammonium and nitrate forms of nitrogen.  But new research has proven that there is a third form of nitrogen, amine, that is also important for plant growth.  And this form of nitrogen, along with C (carbon), is only available from organic fertilizers.  Amine nitrogen is a precursor of the proteins and carbohydrates that fuel the plant’s growth.  When plants take up nitrogen as synthetic ammonium and nitrate, they need to use some of their energy to reduce these forms to organic amine and protein.

So, you may ask: If plants can make their own amine, what is the benefit of giving them nitrogen in this organic form?  For starters, amine is the form of nitrogen that a seed produces when it germinates.  It does this by hydrolyzing the protein in the seed into amine.  This organic compound is the only form of nitrogen that the seed can use immediately for growth, even before it has leaves.  Ammonium and nitrate nitrogen, on the other hand, must be converted to organic amine in the leaves.  This is why the application of synthetic fertilizers is not recommend to seeds.  But organic proteins and organic amine applied with the seed improve establishment.  Research shows how seeds with higher protein levels germinate better.  Without protein in seeds to produce the amine nitrogen, there will be no germination.

Understanding how plants take up and utilize the amine form of nitrogen gives us a better understanding of why organic fertilizers are both quick acting and long lasting.  The first thing the organic amine does is produce better root systems.  And roots are what determine the quality of top growth.  As the amine nitrogen continues to be released during the season, roots stay healthier, with greater resistance to stress and disease.  Plus, a better root system is more efficient in utilizing the nutrients and moisture in the soil.  Of course plants still need ammonium and nitrate for optimum growth and health, and organic proteins supply these as well.  But only organic proteins supply amine, and when plants get a continual supply of amine they can use the other forms of nitrogen more efficiently.  This is why experience shows that when a good organic fertilizer is used, one or two applications per year maintain the plants in better condition than multiple applications of synthetics.  And, what is even more surprising, the total number of units of organic nitrogen applied over the year is usually about 1/3 of the units normally required with synthetics, yet plants and turf look better and are healthier than when they get the higher rates of synthetics.

Additional Benefits of Organics: Soil Structure, Trace Elements, and Water Efficiency

Agronomists have always recognized that organic fertilizers and organic matter in the soil produce positive results and healthier growth in plants.  They attributed these benefits to factors such as better soil structure, micronutrients in the organics, and greater water holding capacity, all of which are true.  But when it came to nitrogen, they didn’t understand organic amine.  They believed that the organic proteins had to convert into ammonium or nitrate before the plant could use the nitrogen, and that is where they made their mistake – we now know that plants can take up the amine form of nitrogen and since it doesn’t have to be reduced in the leaves, it immediately begins to build roots and strong growth.

Organics Encourage Balanced Hormone Production.

Plants produce hormones to control how they use their energy, and research is showing how each form of nitrogen influences the production of different hormones in the plant.  The better root system produced with organic fertilizers makes the hormones that encourage stronger growth above and below ground and greater resistance to disease and all forms of stress.  Strong roots reduce the hormonal effect of high nitrate uptake that produces weak, lank growth.  This means top-growth is also stronger, with less water loss through transpiration.  In turf, the grass fertilized with a good organic is more wear-resistant and needs to be mowed less often.

Timing Organic Fertilizer Applications

Another important point about organic amine nitrogen is the timing of fertilizer application.  Organic protein will not burn the roots.  In fact, it does just the opposite: organic amine starts producing root growth immediately, even when the temperature is too low for the plant to produce vegetative growth. This means organic fertilizers can be applied with the seed and they will improve establishment since the amine supplements the protein in the seed.  When top-dressing, organics can be applied earlier than synthetics – the organic nitrogen will not be lost to leaching or volatilization and the amine will start building roots immediately.  Then, when the temperature is sufficient for vegetative growth, the plant will begin growing with a stronger roots system.  Good timing for turf in California is usually late summer and late winter.

Carbon – essential for a healthy soil.

Then there is carbon.  Synthetic fertilizers, even slow-release, do not contain carbon.  Organic fertilizers do.  This is important because carbon is necessary for a healthy soil.  Carbon feeds the microbes that breakdown and recycle the nutrients in organic matter.  Long term use of chemical fertilizers depletes the soil’s carbon, reducing organic matter and building up salts and hard-pans.  Organic fertilizers increase the soil’s organic matter and microbes, improving water efficiency and promoting better germination, stronger roots, and healthier growth.  Some companies offer “bridge products” – a blend of some organic matter and synthetic fertilizers.  While the organic matter is a benefit, the synthetics are still synthetics and do not contribute to a healthy soil.  For soils with low organic matter, add a good quality compost along with the organic fertilizer.  It should be free of wood particles and have a rich earthy smell and feel.  To learn more about how organic fertilizers feed the soil as well as the plant, just Google “the soil food web” and you will find plenty of information on the internet.

In Summary – what should you do for a healthy soil that will produce healthy turf, plants, and trees?

Keep these points in mind when thinking about how to fertilize your lawns and gardens:

1. Even the best “controlled release” synthetic fertilizers release all their nitrogen in the ammonium and nitrate forms.

2. With these forms of nitrogen, the plant has to make its own amine by converting ammonium and nitrate nitrogen into organic amine and protein.

3. The chemical and physical methods used to slow the release of synthetic nutrients can give inconsistent results due to variations of temperature and moisture conditions, so the release may not match the needs of the plant.

4. Remember that all the benefits that the carbon, organic matter, and organic fertilizers bring to the soil are missing in synthetic fertilizers.

If you would like further information how organic fertilizers protect the environment and keep your lawn, plants, shrubs, and trees healthy, contact Jim Verner at California Organic Fertilizers, Inc., jim@organicag.com, 559/286-5646. 

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Landscape Water Volume & Cost: A Guess at Best

In Richard Restuccia’s post last year, Inspect What You Expect, he touched on the importance of seeing results as an instigator of change. Rob Maday, founder of LandscapeResource.com, is of the same thinking and takes the measure what you manage philosophy to the next level with water consumption, by encouraging consumers to understand the difference in water consumption for landscape versus other uses. Rob agreed to share his thoughts and advice as a guest blogger in his post below. Make sure to also visit his webpage to check out the Water Calculator tool he developed, which takes your zip code and tells you all kinds of useful information regarding water usage.  This is not some crazy technical website, it is very practical and I think is an amazing resource.  I like his holistic approach to water management because he focuses on exactly what your climate says about being water wise.

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Here’s a worrisome thought:  The vast majority of homeowners have no idea what proportion of potable water flowing into their property is used inside versus outside the home.  That means millions of households with landscapes pay a water bill each month with the limited understanding that in summer months they pay more and winter months a touch less.  Without knowledge of the distinction between water used in the landscape and water used inside (bathrooms, kitchens, laundry, etc.), it is impossible to clearly communicate the gravity of the Western states water crisis.

When gas prices reach upwards of $4.00/gallon, people take note and adjust their lifestyles accordingly.  But how will we ever make the giant strides necessary to preserve a dwindling resource when there is no clear dollar sign affixed to irrigation water in our water bills?

Current water conservation efforts are all well intentioned and are actually effecting change…but not to the degree needed.  I posit that until all households have a water metering setup that can differentiate between the two uses, the most powerful instigator of change, money, cannot effectively work to the water conservation movement’s advantage.

Without any wide-reaching proposals on the horizon for such legislation, we are left with a number of ways to “estimate” how much water our landscapes drink.  Beyond the general percentages that are tossed around (30-40% of water bill goes to landscape) I’ll highlight three of the most popular methods of estimating water usage and costs:

For the rest of the article, read on here.

Out of the countless ways a conventional landscape can become more “green” and sustainable, we’ve compiled a list of 3 suggestions with the best ROI for property managers.

1. Install a Smart Irrigation Controller (Rebates available in most municipalities)

At a time when cutting edge technology is so prevalent in our daily lives, it makes no sense that your irrigation controller is from the Stone Age. At a minimum, your irrigation controller should be connected to a rain sensor that will shut down any programming if a set amount of precipitation collects in a small basin. Also, your controller should have a “seasonal adjust” feature that allows you to quickly reduce your set watering times by a percentage, making adjustments to your program quick and painless. If you have a larger property, upgrading to a smart controller that accesses weather data, ETo, soil moisture, and other conditions will no doubt save you water, money, and keep your plants healthier.

2. Conduct Quarterly Irrigation System Check-Ups

Odds are if sprinklers pop up or start dripping in the early morning hours, you and your landscape maintenance crew rarely see the system in action. If anything, you see evidence the system ran as you drive past and see the sidewalk and driveway wet. So take 20-30 minutes during daylight to turn on each sprinkler valve to check each head and emitter for proper functioning and alignment. There should be little to no overspray onto pavement, no geysers erupting from drip tubing, and absolutely no puddling. If you see puddling, you are applying too much water too quickly. To remedy, reduce watering times to cycle-soak intervals, replace sprinkler heads with rotary nozzles, and/or install a thick layer of tree trimmings to absorb and retain the moisture. Conduct these irrigation check-ups on quarterly intervals as a poorly maintained irrigation system will eliminate the savings of even the most state-of-the-art irrigation controller.

3. Minimize the Size and Impact of Lawn

For more of this article, please visit the original article at www.propertymanager.com

The purpose of reducing the level of compaction is to increase the amount of pore space in the soil structure.  An increased amount of pore space elevates the amount of water and oxygen available to the plant and other beneficial microorganisms.

Mediterranean Mounds:  In many instances, the cost and effort of amending a severely compacted soil (especially true clay-like soils) may be too great.  In these situations, consider importing well draining soils to be placed on top of the existing soil.  These soil mounds, commonly referred to as Mediterranean mounds, should be a minimum of 18” tall.  Before installing, break up the existing soil to the extent possible, then place the new layer of soil.  By breaking up the existing soil, you increase the opportunities for plants and microorganisms to reach beyond the new soil down into the existing, compacted soil.  Over time, the roots and microorganisms will likely reduce overall levels of compaction.

Suggestion:  Your mounds will likely vary in height for aesthetic and grade-related reasons.  So to make best use of the new soil depths, place larger shrubs in areas with deeper soil and your shallow rooted creepers and crawlers on the shallower soils.

Incorporation of Compost and other Organic Materials:  The best way to improve compacted soils is to incorporate aged compost, manure, or other organic materials into the soil.  In this sense, incorporation to a 1) sufficient depth, and 2) fully-blended state is paramount.  Ideally, cultivate the soil and incorporate the compost to a depth of 6-8”, or deeper if practical.  A good rule of thumb is to consider a 4-6” depth a minimum and anything beyond a bonus to the plants.  Also, ensure the compost and/or other organic material is blended to a homogenous state with the existing soil to prevent uneven settling, root growth abnormalities, and uneven percolation of water.

Suggestion:  Add an even, 1” layer of compost over the area to improve then incorporate by means of double-digging, roto-tilling, or discing.

Install Thick Layer of Mulch:   If the last suggestion is the best, the following suggestion is by far the easiest.  Simply adding a 4-6” layer of tree chippings or mulch will, in time (many months to years), break down and add to the vitality of the soil.  The added organic materials, working in tandem with microorganisms, work their way down the soil profile in a awe-inspiring process  Take note:  Adding typical walk-on bark, commonly found as redwood bark chips in plastic bags at garden centers, is not preferred.  This bark takes much longer to decompose and further lengthens the amount of time required to improve the soil.

Aerating:  Many times landscapers and gardeners find themselves struggling to green turf but no amount of fertilizer or water seems to remedy.  The re-occurring root of this problem is a compacted soil.  This happens because the moisture and nutrients are unable to penetrate into the soil where they can be absorbed and processed.  To solve this issue, aerate the lawn.  Aerating is most commonly done by means of a mechanical “corer” or “aerator”.  This machine removes small, cylindrical tubes of soil at even intervals.  The cored soil is deposited onto the turf where it is allowed to decompose naturally.  These voids allow water, oxygen, and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the soil and encourage growth.  For smaller areas, non-mechanical turf corers are available.

Soil Inoculum:  Unseen to the naked eye are armies of microorganisms that reside and work in healthy soils.  All of their work is unseen yet it is critical to the health of all soil.  In compacted soil, these microorganisms are often absent or in such small numbers that they are over-worked and fighting a losing battle.  Soil inoculum comes in wide variety of applications but our favorites are a spray type.  To apply, one basically mixes a potent concoction of microorganisms and water then sprays over compacted soils.  This provides an immediate boost in soil activity and health.  Microorganisms, mostly fungi, permeate the soil and work to create a network that connects roots to nutrients.  These fungi provide the basic elements for the health of soil biology.

Looking Ahead:  What Can Be Done to Avoid Soil Compaction

New Construction Projects:  During construction projects, the focus of the general contractor is compacting the soil to 90-95% relative compaction.  In other words, their aim is to compact the subsoil into a concrete-like base to ensure stability for the structures.  Although entirely understandable and appropriate for the built structure, these normal construction activities will no doubt spread the high levels of compaction to areas well beyond the building limits.  As a landscaper or homeowner, consider relaying the following suggestions to your general contractor before and during a construction project.  The construction schedule normally trumps other concerns but a creative and thoughtful contractor will want to accommodate your requests when he understands the full picture.

1)  Utilize light-weight skid steer machinery around building perimeter when possible.  The less weight placed on the soil the better.
2)  Keep site activity to a minimum when the soil is moist.
3)  Confine construction activities to specific areas with the use of temporary construction fencing.
4)  When and if heavy equipment are needed on site, utilize the machinery to till/disc the soil they have compacted before leaving the site.
5)  Attempt to confine building material storage / lay-down areas to locations that will be eventually paved such as walks, patios, driveways, etc.
6)  Re-focus traffic patterns in areas less prone to compaction.

7)  If forced to work on soil in damp or wet conditions (it happens all the time), roll out old carpet sections or jute netting to keep the area as clean and mud-free during working hours.  After hours, roll up and allow the soil to dry.  Using mulch is great for a short-term fix (day or two) but for longer stretches it isn’t preferred because the mulch will retain the moisture for long periods.

Existing Gardens:  Time, neglect, and many other factors can contribute to compaction.  Consider the following suggestions to prevent soil compaction in the future:

1)  Keep foot traffic off wet or moist soils.
2)  Keep a thick bed of mulch over planter areas.
3)  If your site accommodates heavy foot traffic, consider formalizing the paths and installing a material that better tolerates constant use.

4)  Aerate turf areas at regular intervals.

5)   Annually add compost or mulch to planter beds.

What is Soil Compaction?

Simply put, soil compaction refers to the deterioration of structure through the loss of open voids, also known as pore space, between soil particles.  These pores are critical to the health of a plant because they store and transport water and air to plant roots and other soil microorganisms.  Without proper pore space, water and air movement through the soil is restricted.  As a result, you have plants with a reduced capacity to thrive and increased quantities of stormwater run-off.

What Causes Soil Compaction?

As one might suspect, soil compaction often occurs under the weight of heavy equipment, intense foot traffic, over-saturation of soils, and light foot traffic on moist soils. In addition, soil may compact because of improper landscape maintenance.  Two common places this occurs is on lawns and planter beds.  Lawns will easily compact when mowed when still moist, are not cored/aerated at regular intervals, or if organic material isn’t allowed to decompose naturally over the lawn.  Similarly, if planter beds are left un-mulched for long, chemical and natural processes will slowly harden and compact the soil (especially when watered with overhead spray irrigation) to the point of compaction.

Do I have Compacted Soils?

For you to ask this question, you likely have some plants that look like they are struggling but you can’t seem to nail down the problem.  Here are a few easy tests to help you identify if soil compaction is the issue:

-Visual Test:  Do you dread digging holes in the garden?  Do you require an adze and way too much sweat?  Do you see lingering puddles or water run-off from the bare soil surface?  Do your plants look down-trodden and no amount of water (little to lots) solves the problem?  If so, odds are good that you have a compacted soil.  If you aren’t convinced or want to know how serious of a problem it is, conduct the following Dig Test.

-Dig Test:  Excavate a 12” x 12” x 12” hole and fill with water.  Wait for water to infiltrate through the soil.  Wait 1-2 hours, then fill again.  Take note of the time at filling and record how long it takes the water to infiltrate.  Results:  If your second infiltration takes over 45 minutes (and you don’t have a very clayey soil to begin with), you likely have a soil compaction problem.

-Contact a Landscaper:  Most experienced landscapers carry around a soil compaction tester in their trucks.  These probes measure soil compaction quite easily and really only require your body weight.

Turns out I have Compacted Soils!  Now What?

Article:  Soil Compaction Remedies.

Making national headlines and threatening to complicate President Obama’s re-election campaign, Solyndra’s bankruptcy filing and collapse has become a sore spot for some, and a rallying cause for others. As part of the government’s response to the recession, the Obama administration awarded significant green-energy loan guarantees to the up-and-coming solar producer. Solyndra used these funds to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility that would accommodate an expected boost in demand. Unfortunately, the demand never arrived.

Shortly after building commissioning with a humming factory, the product began to back up in the warehouse. Silicon prices continued to drop and the end of Solyndra came even before the landscape surrounding the facility was able to fully mature.

With the company name hovering over the surrounding landscape, the irony of the situation is obvious: a hard-working, un-maintained landscape continues to succeed and inspire while a half-billion dollar loan couldn’t sustain the business model.

The landscape, designed by the Guzzardo Partnership, Inc.*, takes enormous care to balance the site aesthetics while managing the site water in a responsible way.

Fronting the entire property along I-880 is a large bio-swale that slows, cleanses, and infiltrates storm water. The movement of the bioswale is gracefully reinforced in the dry season with masses of dynamic Juncus, Calamagrostis, and Muhlenbergia that continually bob and sway in the windy location.

Long, continuous stretches of gabion walls, infilled with round river cobbles, take up a modest grade change between the facility and landscape in a way that works to visually ground the massive building.

Masses of like plant species work to accentuate the sinuous nature of the landscape. Key species include many natives such as Ceanothus, Leymus, Salvia, Carex, and other mediterranean plants such as Perovskia and Festuca.

Further reinforcing the bioswale is a modest water feature flowing out of a concrete wall that visually interrupts the bioswale. Three stainless steel outlets drop water into more river cobble and lend to the effect of movement and flow towards a low-detention spot on the site. Large boulders mimic the concrete wall’s interruption with their own bioswale crossings and divide the space into discrete sections.

Leading into the parking lot and entry of the building, a pedestrian begins to understand that something about the facility is off a bit “off” as they encounter the first of a series of wonderful examples of unintended consequences when landscapes are not maintained: Trailing Myoporum reaches over a sidewalk and suggests how large it really wants to grow. A poured, concrete wall serves the same purpose of the gabion walls and is artfully planted with a row of Deer grass atop and purple lantana below offering wonderful color and textural contrast through the seasons.

The transition from the parking lot to building has been accentuated and highlighted with a continuous swale that forces the user to cross over raised, grated walkways, and acknowledge the importance, path, and role of water in the landscape.

Sparing little expense to provide a campus-like feel for the employees and visitors, stone site walls further curtain the parking from sitting areas and interior courtyards. Linear slate stone is deftly contrasted with delicate vertical plantings of deer grass and undulating Ginkgo trees.

Further site investigation reveals additional examples of how the removal of users and maintenance personnel provide opportunities for plants to reach their genetic destiny and fill out without being pruned or otherwise manicured. Lantana and grasses begin to swallow site furnishings and groups of plantings are allowed to enter their seasonal rest periods without being hacked back to hide their browns and yellows.

The eeriness of experiencing such a landscape without anybody around is palpable. With chairs available but empty, parking lot vacant, and factory silent, the building sits idly by as the landscape continues to grow and evolve. Without a doubt, this site will offer the next tenant a world-class facility and surrounding landscape to grow, and hopefully sustain, a new business model.

It can be argued, admittedly quite convincingly, that this facility and landscape was bankrolled by the already indebted American taxpayer and was a poor investment.  However, by looking for the “green” lining, it is clear this project will act as a lasting model for future industrial developments to reference when looking for ways to integrate sustainable techniques into the landscape.

*Guzzardo Partnership, Inc. declined to elaborate on the details of the project with Landscape Resource when contacted.

Your landscape can help to save water, clean our creeks, and replenish groundwater, all while creating habitat and beauty.  The concept is simple, the implementation fun, and the result is a unique landscape feature.

Instead of letting your rainwater run-off your property in underground pipes, disperse it through gently sloping stone and gravel swales planted with beautiful native plants.  The concept is not new.  For years, landscapers have been building the same features but called them “rock plant filters”.  But of late, this same building technique has a new, catchier name:  “Bio-Swale”.

Bio-swales can be built just about anywhere and the idea is simple:  Slow down run-off, spread it out, and let it soak in.  Often times, homeowners feel they don’t have enough “room” to build such a feature.  But even typical suburban homes have more than enough space to make a big difference.

Typical section of bio-swale

The plants in and around the swales trap and retain sediment, absorb dissolved fertilizers and excess nutrients as well as provide a place for microbial activity in their roots.  Beneficial microbes living on and near roots can capture and breakdown pollutants to keep them out of our creeks, lakes, rivers, groundwater, and the ocean.  Native plants are especially prized for providing habitat to native birds and insects, but other plants can be used effectively as well.

By keeping as much water on your site as possible, we can help reverse the effects of overloaded creeks:  disrupted habitat, flooding, erosion and pollution.  Just think of the positive impact of 80,000 home landscapes in our community could make if we all adapted some of these simple concepts.

Case Study: Santa Barbara Zoo

A long, gently sloping bio-swale with several larger pools was created with the intention of cleaning the water used to wash out animal pens before it reached an adjacent estuary.  With each flush of water, a large amount of animal waste enters the swale and slowly travels from pool to pool.  The swale is heavily planted along the entire length to maximize plant and water interaction.  This installation has been so successful that by the time the water reaches the last pool, it is clean enough to attract a wide range of wildlife (from amphibians to waterfowl).

Case Study: Seaside Gardens

Seaside Gardens, in Carpinteria, sits less than a quarter mile from Carpinteria Salt Marsh Preserve.  A drainage course, collecting water from acres of off-site nurseries, runs above ground through the garden center prior to entering a piping system that deposits run-off directly into the marsh.  Acknowledging an opportunity to improve the quality of the salt marsh, Seaside Gardens installed a series of bio-swales and constructed ponds in order to clean the water of pollutants and sediment from adjacent properties.

Although the bio-swales and ponds performed splendidly during the first rains of the wet season, it soon became quite clear how successful the improvements had been.  After the swales dried, a large amount of sediment had completely covered the rock and cobble lined swale.

Because of conventional drainage practices off-site (drainage pipes, concrete v-ditches, and impervious surfaces), run-off picked up such velocity that it began to carry large amounts of sediment.  If the slowing mechanisms of the swales and ponds had not been in place, all that sediment would have been dumped directly into the marsh along with all the other pollutants that would not have had the opportunity to be filtered out.

Constructed pond cleansing and absorbing a recent storm's gift.

On-site bio-swale

Silt-laden bio-swale.

A newly constructed dry-creek feature will come to life with winter rains and provide critical habitat for animals and beneficial insects.

Hours after a heavy rain, this bio-swale is animated by a steady flow of water.

By doing so, you open yourself up to California landscape ideas and design concepts that may be foreign to you but have an undeniable appeal.  And more often that not, you’ll see many things you like but you may have a hard time pinpointing what it is about a specific garden that makes it “work”.  So, as a bit of a landscape design guide, we have provided 10 compelling images from recent garden tours and explain what design lessons can be learned from each.

1.  Embrace Color

A successful garden is an amalgamation of form, texture, and color.  The plants, hardscape, and other landscape elements you select must work as a cohesive unit to bring tangible meaning to a space.  Many mistakes are made when color is not fully embraced but rather tinkered with.  So make your statement loud and clear.  Simplify your color palette and use with gusto for maximum effect.  For a great color landscape design tool, visit Adobe’s kuler website.

2.  Take the Indoors Out

You live in California!  Do you know how many people throughout the country, if not the world, would love to be in your shoes?  Take maximum advantage of our fine mediterranean climate and extend your living space outdoors.  Treat outdoor rooms just as you would indoor rooms:  consider the floor material, wall color, furniture, and accent pieces.  The attraction of outdoor living is the pure pleasure of being surrounded by life, movement, and all of the sensory sensations a garden offers.

3.  Think Vertically and Horizontally

The form of a line can be used in the landscape in a multitude of ways.  Lines, when oriented and applied properly, can lengthen or heighten the feel of a space (amongst many other things).  Whether lines are integrated into the ground plane, plant structure, or wall plane, use the line to your advantage.

4.  Think Massive

The power of mass plantings is undeniable in both large and small applications.  Not only is there a wow-factor that is obvious, mass plantings generally require far less maintenance than diverse plant groupings.  Fight the urge to experiment with a multitude of plants.  Choose a few and stick to them for maximum effect.

5.  Don’t be so harsh

Often times contemporary architecture can be cold and abrupt as vertical planes meet horizontal planes without any transition.  This effect can be striking in some applications, but more often than not, it falls far short of the designers intended vision.  Utilize the vast array of plant textures and forms to soften these transitions.  The addition of plant material to these harsh, geometric locations instantly adds warmth and life.

6.  Re-purpose with Purpose

So many items in our daily lives are perfect candidates for integration into our gardens.  If you think out of the box when looking at these items, you’ll find there are multitudes of opportunities to create clever statements, save money, and have a little fun.

7.  Have fun with geometry

You likely didn’t understand why one needed geometry while studying in high school, but you may find a use for it now in your garden.  Bold, geometric shapes and patterns often define contemporary gardens. Many plants are naturally geometric or can be easily be pruned to basic shapes.  (Note:  This does not imply that topiary is  appropriate for your contemporary landscape)

8:  Grow it on the wall

Huge advancements in the past 5 years have made growing vertical gardens an economical option for most gardeners.  Wall gardens can screen unsightly views or act as focal points on an otherwise uninteresting wall.  You no longer have to painstakingly train and nurture espaliered plants to cover your walls; simply plant it and hang it.

9. Terra cotta and glazed ceramics no more

Container plantings are the finishing touches in any garden.  They provide ideal growing conditions for finicky plants, draw attention to unique plant characteristics, and can add exclamations to the design intent.  The vast majority of pots used for this purpose are those seen at your local big box garden store and are actually fairly pricey.  But there are countless ways you can utilize different materials that act as a suitable container, create a little surprise or mystery, and hopefully save you some cash.

10.  Think Beyond Garden Gnomes

Why is it that when someone says “garden sculpture” we think gnomes, Greco-Roman statues, and lawn flamingos?  Attempt to shed this stigma and have some real fun with garden sculpture in the garden.  A well-placed piece may add just the right bit of energy needed to complete the space.