I got an unusual request from a client recently, that certainly was unique. It seems that my client had visited Yosemite recently with friends. Sitting under the emerald sky of the giant Sequoias, they debated the tree and its benefits and whether or not it could grow in a place like the high desert. They talked about how majestic the trees are and how many life times they have lived and how many lives they have benefited. My clients certainly have the space for the massive trees on their Mojave River-side property. So they decided to test it and brought back a Do-it-yourself Giant Sequoia Tree Kit.

Naturally, as their landscape manager and advisor, the job was handed down to me. At first, I was a little peeved. I was thinking, I mean, really? Couldn’t we just BUY a tree partly grown? Don’t they know the odds of getting the little seeds to sprout and grow under the best conditions, never mind putting them into the ground near the river where  God knows what has the opportunity to have it’s way with them?

I was relating my distress at the thought of trying to bring up mighty Sequoias from a seed, to a friend. She did not see my problem. “Aren’t they huge, beautiful, green trees?” “Won’t it take a lot of skill to germinate and raise the trees?” “Don’t Sequoias live thousands of years?”

I dutifully answered “yes” to each of her questions. “The way I see it,” she said, your client has a tremendous amount of confidence and respect for your skills.”  “ And to top it off,  at an average life span of 3000 years, I’d say it’s job security, Honey!”

I had to laugh at that. And the thought of  practically being immortal by planting giant sequoia trees, who live for thousands of years is definitely worth the hassle.

Get Immortality, plant a tree!

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.

 ~Nelson Henderson

I dont know what a tree is worth to you, but I do know that trees are quite valuable in the landscape and with the benefits they provide.

Lay a blanket under a tree and have a picnic with your grandkids. Attach a hammock to two trees and take a lazy summer afternoon nap. Mount a bird house in a tree and watch the wildlife gather and harvest your bounty. Watch your 10 year old exclaim ”I can climb the highest Dad!” as he climbs the tree higher than ever before. Sit in a rocker under the broad branches of an evergreen and rock your newborn to sleep.

Trees provide lots more benefits than just shade and  oxygen. They invite us into nature to live life outdoors. If you want to measure the monetary benefits of a tree you already have or one you are planning and don’t know the best location to put it, have I got an app for you!  Davy Tree Service has developed an app for smart phones that will do just that, measure a tree’s value in air quality improvements, CO2 production, Electricity savings from it’s shade and storm water absorbtion. Get your free app  with your smart phone at value.m.davey.com

I found out lots. Mainly what I didn’t know that I didn’t know!   Richard Matoian, executive director from the American Pistachio Growers Association, spoke on the state of the industry today and the improved outlook for American growers.  American exports of pistachios have increased to about 65% of our total crop is now being shipped overseas versus about 35% just a few years ago. China has increased their import of American pistachios from 1 million lbs to 80 million lbs from 1993 to 2011!  Virtually all the pistachios for sale in our local markets is American grown, most from here in California.

The best things I learned about pistachios is how nutritious  and healthy they are!  I guess by now we all know that nuts in general provide healthy oils and may even reduce the risk of heart disease. Pistachios are included in that group.  Did you know that for instance that 2 ounces  of  pistachios have  12 grams of protein, more than the 10.5 grams in 2 ounces of cooked halibut? Or that 2 ounces  of  pistachios have 570 mg of potassium versus a better known source of potassium, a large banana that tops out at only 487 mg? How about 2 ounces of pistachios have 6 grams of fiber versus 2 ounces of cooked broccoli has 1.9 grams?

I learned that pistachios really pack a punch of nutrition and I promise to take them more seriously in my diet and use them in my meal planning. I suggest that  you do too!

Their  5 things are:

1. Be decisive. Know what you want.

My Take:  Nice to have a pretty picture in your head or magazine clippings, but it is not really about the things, plants, color. It is all about the end result and what it will add to your life. That’s the goal, not the “look”. There are many ways to get a “look” and each will have different functionality. It is about how you will use the space and how it fits into the life you already have or want to have. Put the perfect day in your home or garden down on paper and it will soon become clear to you the amenities that are necessary to have a succesful project. If there are two or more decision makers, you should come to agreement on the core features you want. Your contractor should facilitate and refine this process after you come up with the bare bones requirements.

2. Do your research both on project amenities and contractor.

   My Take: This is the part where you educate yourself on the different aspects of your landscape project and the skills and talents needed to complete it.  Do you need concrete, walls, a pool? What plants will work best here and give the effect you are looking for. Lots of people think they can manage several subcontractors for masonry, pool, landscaping and it will all come out ok, but here is where the most important thing you can do comes in. Professional planning.  Most often, even with the best of intentions, projects go awry because important elements were skipped by one contractor in a hurry or trying to cut a few costs, that would save hundreds or thousands for the homeowner later. A landscape design and project manager overseeing the work and keeping things true to the overall vision  will pay off big dividends. Don’t even THINK about going forward with a project without checking out your contractor to see if they are licensed and insured. Check them out here: www.cslb.ca.gov 

3. Know your budget

My Take: This is the hardest for homeowners to do. Rarely, do they have the experience to come up with a realistic budget. Most people rarely  professionaly landscape their home more than once or twice in their lifetimes. They are not familiar with the overhead costs of being in business, like licensing, equipment costs, worker’s compensation insurance, travel to the job, delivery fees, job set up and all those “little” things you don’t see that add up and add to the cost of doing the job. Keep in mind the job is more than just the cost of materials and X dollars an hour for the workers. So keep in mind, the project might  cost more than you think. Set a budget of what you can spend and work back from that to scale your project to your budget. Think about phasing the work if your budget is not adequate. Set a budget in any case.

4. Be realistic with your time frame

   My take: I dont know how many times I have gotten a call from someone who has lived with a non-existent or trashy landscape for YEARS and out of the blue they want to completely transform their yard for their spouse’s 40th birthday. Oh, yeah, its on Saturday (and this is Tuesday). I mean, they knew they were turning 40 for a WHOLE year didnt they?  Come on! This is actually not an exaggeration and has happened to me a couple of times. More often the event  is a couple of weeks later and they need you to run right over and give them a price NOW. (notice no plan) And when one of the guys they call says he can do it in their time frame, they invariably don’t get what they wanted or expected and call me months or even years later to re-do it. Sad but true.  Expect it to take longer than you think. Expect that there might be issues that cause delay such as weather, availability of materials and such. If you expect delays, and you are prepared for that, then it is not so upsetting. If you expect delays, and there are none, you are gonna be a happy camper.

5. Dont micro-manage.

  My take: This is really important. Not because contractors don’t like the homeowner bugging them, but you shouldn’t have to micro- manage. Ya know why? Because everything should be in writing. There should be no surprises. You should know what you are getting, how much it will cost and how long it should take. You should know what kind of plants, rocks, boulders, benches, etc are going in and where. And you will, if you have a PLAN and a CONTRACT. You should be so comfortable with your contractor, that you give them a key to your house if necessary. THAT’S how comfortable you should be with who you hire. No micro-managing needed.

January 2012 Newsletter

Check it out here: November 2011 Newsletter

Click  here: Newsletter October 2011

Get the skinny on algae control in your pond, your fall checklist, renovating your lawn and the value of healthy trees.

See it here: September 2011 Newsletter