Vas Sladek

Dec 07

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Lessons from a low-profile bed

By Vas Sladek | gardening, Plants | No Comments

Low & high profile

One of my favourite planted beds stands outside the fence so it’s low-profile but, because it faces a busy street, it’s also high-profile. I call it low-profile because people living in the complex don’t see it much.

It’s a simple bed planted with rescues but we can draw several important lessons from it.

No discrimination

This is my favourite theme in garden and landscape maintenance: don’t discriminate! Check one hundred percent of your place or garden. Don’t ignore low-profile corners or fence lines. Even beds on the other side of the fence.

I went in recently and cleaned it up fairly quickly. First raking and then weeding and cultivating. Using tools is much faster and more efficient; I only pick big weeds with my fingers. Always use tools.

Cultivation gives you a nice fluffy look and this neglected bed deserved it. Often the excuse is access because the gate requires a key. Or does it? I stuck my snips in the door and opened it easily. No excuses!

Plant rescues

This bed is also planted with rescued plants which makes me very happy. Instead of dumping perfectly good plants into green waste I put them here. And they’ve doubled in size. Mostly we have Mahonias and Nandinas with one sedge (Carex). All of them were unwanted rescues and they’re doing fine years later. Even without irrigation.

In the beginning we installed new soil because there is a buried beam. It was sticking out and looked awful so we buried it with soil. Now that I look closely at the picture above, I can see the beam. Soil and mulch break down over time so don’t forget to top up your planted beds. At least the beam is partially hidden.

After soil came the rescues which, incidentally, cover up the ground and limit weeds by shading and outcompeting them. Bare beds are a disaster waiting for weeds to move in. If you have bare beds, plant something.

And if you have extra plants, share them or sell them.

Conclusion

Don’t forget to check every corner of your garden; don’t just focus on the front of your house. And if you have extra plants, green waste should be your last option. You can share your plants, give them away to friends or strangers or sell them online. I’ve done both with success.

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Dec 02

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Do we need to cut down majestic old trees for the holidays?

By Vas Sladek | Arborist Insights, Forests, Trees | No Comments

Holidays

Just last week my daughter wanted a Christmas tree so she got one at Walmart for something like C$50. It looks fine and it should be good for several more years; and we don’t have to worry about fire hazards and post-holiday shredding. Then today I opened up my newspaper.

Jennifer Cole’s article (The Globe and Mail, December 2, 2024, A11) headline says it all, “We don’t need to cut down majestic old trees for the holidays.” And I agree. It’s been a long tradition in many European cities and the Vatican to cut down old trees and dress them up for the holidays in a high profile city square location. I’m sure it looks awesome but the world is changing.

I believe that an eighty-year-old tree should stay in the forest. Let it provide habitat and sustenance for birds and animals while it sequesters carbon in its tissues. It seems wasteful to cut down an old tree for a bit of holiday fun. I will always vote for the trees. What about you? Leave me a comment.

Yes and no

As the climate changes we need to keep our trees healthy and plant new ones. But people love their traditions so they fight and write petitions. You are either a tree hugger or you love traditions and cutting down one old tree is no big deal for you. But I agree with Cole that cutting down old trees for the holidays is hardly necessary.

In Vancouver, the giant tree in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery is a 76-foot artificial cone. No one complaints, writes Cole. I suspect it’s because this is a cheaper option over the costly installation and removal of a real tree. Cole writes that the Edmonton Downtown Association said that paying for a large real tree didn’t make sense any more.

Happy holidays!

Whatever you do at home with your Christmas tree, I hope you enjoy your holidays. If your city square installs a huge real tree then go enjoy it. And if it upsets you, sign a petition.

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Oct 21

0

When landscape professionals volunteer

By Vas Sladek | Education, Events, Planting | No Comments

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Volunteering post-COVID

I love volunteering when it involves tree and shrub planting but when I volunteered recently in Pitt Meadows, it was my first time since before the pandemic. After the pandemic I’ve been super busy working as my housing costs shot up and my teenagers started growing and driving.

So I was all excited when I found time to join a group of volunteers from the Lower Mainland Green Team in Hoffman Park, right in Pitt Meadows, just off Harris Road. I had driven past the small park many times but this was my first visit there.

Well-organized!

I must say that the event was extremely well organized. The plants were all nicely laid out, tools and gloves were available and the check-in was smooth: digital and on paper! Timbits and coffee also helped. The only weird part was the introductions with personal pronouns; this is the new, post-COVID world, and my discomfort clearly highlights my advancing age.

I gave my name and city and left it at that. I’m clearly a dude but if you somehow can’t tell, I won’t be offended.

After introductions came planting demo by Ashton, a beautiful blond who ran the show, and her experience showed. I would possibly include a note on backfilling tree planting holes so that air pockets are eliminated but we don’t have to worry. All of the plants are native and I’m confident they will do well in the park.

Planting!

There is something beautiful about installing new native plants in a public park. I found a corner and went to it, planting mainly vine maples (Acer circinatum) and Red-osier dogwoods (Cornus sericea). Then there was salal (Gaultheria shallon) and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum).

After planting we top-dressed the planting area with new soil and then it was time to pull out ivy and blackberry from the park. This is where I quietly excused myself, not to avoid labour but to drive to White Rock where I garden for rich people.

Benefits

Volunteering is amazing! It feels good to give your time for a community project. The experience can improve your resume, improve your network, and teach you about native British Columbia plants. Even I learned something new: I didn’t know the scientific name of bracken fern and one plant was completely new: Tellima grandiflora (Fringecup). This is one of those herbaceous perennials which works the soil nicely.

The best volunteer project for a landscape pro and ISA certified arborist

Do it, if you can

There are many of these projects planned in the Lower Mainland so sign up and have some fun. I will stop by Hoffman Park next spring to see how the plants are doing. Maybe I will turn it into another blog post. I highly recommend this experience.

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Oct 19

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Goodbye lawn!

By Vas Sladek | Company News | No Comments

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Whoa!

I have a residential client in New Westminster whose property borders a popular municipal park. When I blow the boulevard down slope I often nudge the debris into the park and quickly walk away. But when I did that last weekend, I was in for a shock!

Right in front of me was a new native planting complete with signs and irrigation hoses. Which means that soon the debris I blow in there from the boulevard will be less visible.

Rewilding

Now, I make good coin every year from lawn care, just like Proper Landscaping, but I don’t mind seeing a chunk of municipal lawn go missing. People generally hang out lower down in the park, not this close to the road, so it’s fine.

The City of New Westminster sign explains that the long grass you see was left like that on purpose to provide habitat for insects and birds. Plus, less mowing means less pollution and the new planting will increase biodiversity. Sounds good to me.

Test your plant identification skills

Obviously, I had to finish up my client’s place before it got dark and when I did, I took a quick walk down to see the native plants. This is a great way to test your plant identification skills and learn botanical names.

I will now show you several pictures so you can test yourself. Common names are a great start but do try to learn the botanical names as well. So scroll through the pictures and see how many you know. I will give you the list at the end.

See the natives

Meet the natives

Crataegus douglasii Hawthorn (note the stiff thorns)

Betula papyrifera Paper birch

Thuja plicata Western Red Cedar

Acer circinatum Vine maple

Acer macrophyllum Big Leaf maple

Abies grandis Grand fir

Picea sitchensis Sitka spruce

Alnus rubra Red Alder (very difficult to identify from the photo)

Well?

Well how did you do? Was it easy? I didn’t recognize the paper birch but the rest was easy. If you struggled then keep working on it. You can also volunteer to do native plantings like this which is a great way to learn plants and give back to your community.

Overall, this is a nice project. We’ll have native plants growing in a corner that wasn’t much used by park visitors anyway. I just hope the lawn care technician didn’t get fired.

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Oct 14

0

Satisfied Mrs. Brown!

By Vas Sladek | landscape maintenance, Pruning | No Comments

Pruning flow

Fall is a great time to start cedar hedge pruning. I suspect you’ve seen Proper Landscaping crews out doing it. And two weeks ago I was getting into a great flow. My blades were sharp, my ladder was close by, it was sunny and there were plenty of targets. I was literally cruising until Mrs. Brown came out from unit 69, steamed about her hedge obscuring the patio hedge. She wanted the hedge shaved hard, even if it looked brown. It would grow back, allegedly. Uh-ha.

Now, to shave a cedar hedge hard you have to make several passes from bottom to the top; kind of like peeling layers off. You can’t rush this. But Mrs. Brown was in a rush, now wearing a jacket and straining to hear me over the small Stihl engine.

I tried to get her to go back inside because it wasn’t safe for her to be so close. She wouldn’t go. Instead I saw her fingers flying close to my blades as she bossed me around. I had to bite my lip.

Then, like sunshine emerging from dark clouds, she stopped me dead to tell me she was very happy with my work! Jesus. Seconds earlier I almost picked her up and carried her inside her unit. Now she stood there, wet from the rain and she was super happy.

Still no flow

Fifteen minutes later the old lady interrupted my flow again so she could hand me a thank you card. I told her she shouldn’t have but she said it was just a card. She couldn’t afford to tip me on fixed income, allegedly.

Deliver good service

It’s nice to feel appreciated at work but I had to really concentrate, listen and be patient. Hedging cedars are struggling in the Lower Mainland. It seems like every week someone is posting pictures of brown cedar hedges. It’s now recommended to switch to other species like yews (Taxus) which handle the summer heat better.

That’s why I wasn’t happy about Mrs. Brown asking me to go hard on her cedar hedge. I tend to do the opposite, go nice and easy on the sides; only the tops get shaved harder for a nice straight top.

Also note how homeowners carry their landscape PTSD with them. This was my first encounter with Mrs. Brown but I wasn’t the first landscaper she had met. People remember when they don’t get the service they want. Then they switch to companies like Proper Landscaping where their wishes are satisfied.

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Sep 29

0

Sharp blades for success!

By Vas Sladek | Lawn Care | No Comments

Earlier this month I opened my issue of Turf & Rec (August/September, 2024) and learned about a study which found that dull mower blades cost the operator 22% more in fuel over sharp blades. That’s crazy. And it got me thinking about my side-hustle operation. My used Honda mower definitely had dull blades on and my spare set wasn’t sharpened yet. So I panicked and drove to my Coquitlam dealer where I bought a brand new set. Now my fuel use should plummet!

Sharp blades also give my old Honda a break; dull blades stress the engine and shorten the life of my already second-hand machine. Use sharp blades!

Beyond fuel

Now, fuel savings from sharp blades was news to me but it’s not just about fuel usage. Sharp blades allow you to cut the grass nicely, making a straight cut across the grass blades. See the picture below.

Using dull blades uses more fuel and it shreds the grass tissues. The shredding increases the cut area so the blades can lose more water and dry out faster. And if your lawn looks brownish after mowing, it could be from the shredding. You’re seeing the brown shredded tissues on top.

Sharp blades also give you a neater, uniform cut that looks good. If your lawn looks uneven, it might be from using dull blades.

Sharpening

I have yet to sharpen my own dull blades. I usually get them done by a mechanic I know or I buy new sets. Which is why I usually drool when I cut the grass at one of my client’s places in Coquitlam. He has a bench grinder at the back of his house. I really want to get one so I’m writing to Santa this year.

Whatever you do, make sure you use sharp blades. Your machine and grass blades will thank you for it; and your lawn will look awesome.

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Sep 28

0

Don’t give up on your shrubs!

By Vas Sladek | Pruning | No Comments

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Easy! Easy!

Every day we follow a work plan in the landscape and one day last week this was also the case. I had to prune hollies and laurels next to a kids’ playground. That was my target and I got it done without injuring any kids. The professional that I am, I even overcame the distraction of two beautiful Russian-speaking mommies nearby.

Now, just because you have a solid plan, doesn’t mean you can’t take care of small blemishes on the go. I’m talking about weeds as you rake up your clippings and very low rhododendron branches.

Sad-looking Aucuba

Then I noticed a sad-looking Aucuba japonica shrub nearby. There was some green growth on it but what you really noticed were dead stems towering over the greenery.

Now, my foreman mentioned that he had a shovel and would take the shrub out to put it out of its misery. Dude, not so fast; we need plants! Plants make the landscape pop and they compete with weeds. Removing the shrub would just open up more dead space for weeds to colonize. There is a better way. What would you do?

Pruning

Pruning out the dead stems is one obvious action we can take. Carefully prune out the dead stems and let the shrub recover. It knows what to do so let it grow. But it should be done carefully. We lost some greenery during pruning because some of the live tissue was pushing from the bottom of the dead stems.

Don’t rush your pruning cuts. It’s easy to slip with your hand saw and take out live tissues. Unfortunately, I forgot to take an after picture but trust me, it looked fine. Now the shrub has a chance to thrive and that’s how I like it. If the whole thing die this winter, then we’ll dig it up. Until then, we’re good.

Remember to give your shrubs a chance to shine with proper pruning. Don’t reach for your shovel right away like a savage.

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Mar 30

0

The latest book from Margaret Renkl

By Vas Sladek | Books, Nature | No Comments

Bad start

Renkl and I got off to a bad start after she destroyed backpack blowers in her writing. When I read her work I dismissed her as cranky southern USA witch. My landscaping work relies on blowers, especially in the fall. But more on blowers later: yes, you guessed it, she mentions them in her latest book, “The Comfort of Crows“.

I listened to this book on Audible while working in the landscape and it runs for 7 hours and 47 minutes. One bonus was hearing Re n kl’s southern voice for the first time.

I stand corrected

I stand corrected. Renkl is a good writer worth following, especially if you like nature; and I found out that we even have some things in common. Who knew? Renkl doesn’t like foraging in the woods and I share her reluctance to try new berries, fruits and mushrooms without proper identification. I’ve read “Into the wild” so I know what can happen when you eat the wrong thing.

The Comfort of Crows

Renkl writes about what happened in her backyard in one year. She covers plants and animals and also people. You will learn new things if you listen or read carefully. She knows how to pay attention.

And she’s right about blowers: there is no reason for homeowners to own one. You can rake and sweep things in your garden. And the technology is getting better. Soon we’ll have quiet blowers with power that don’t idle or pollute. Just hold on Mrs. Renkl.

Stolen summary

Now, I’m not a professional reviewer, obviously. I read a green book and tell you how it was. So allow me to borrow a professional reviewer’s quote: pay attention! That’s Renkl’s message. We can’t individually do much about global warming and the disappearance of plant and animal species. But we can pay attention to what happens in our backyard.

If you enjoy reading about nature, you will like Renkl’s new book. I enjoyed the audiobook.

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Mar 27

0

Mistake revisited!

By Vas Sladek | Mistakes, Pruning | No Comments

Oops!

Today, when I dropped off my wife at her friend’s place, I couldn’t help myself. I opened up the back gate and checked on her rhododendrons, making steps in the snow like a criminal. Three seasons ago the lady had asked me to prune her rhododendrons. No problem. They were getting out of hand.

I reduced three of her rhododendrons gently and they came back nicely. They are covered in buds, set for next year’s bloom time. I can’t complain because everything worked out well.

Giant spider

Unfortunately, there was a fourth rhododendron where there weren’t any obvious cuts to make. It was a huge, spider-like specimen. Here’s where I made two mistakes. One mistake was reducing this shrub too hard. I should have accepted a spider-like look and left it at that. Alas, I went harder.

Now, the cuts I made were good. Rhododendron shrub reduction relies on dormant buds hiding under the bark. After pruning they push out and develop into new growth. However, you need patience. Your rhododendron should come back with time. I have seen some branches without any buds on them; and I’ve seen some branches covered in brown, desiccated buds.

Mistake number two was not warning the owner about the size reduction. She was used to seeing this specimen cover a huge portion of the bed. When she came home that was no longer the case and she wasn’t happy about it.

I found this out from her husband months later. Right after pruning she thanked me and paid me well. She was too polite to tell me how she really felt. Now every time I visit her neighbourhood, I peak in to see if the rhododendron is recovering.

Sadly, this one specimen is slow, just when I need it to perk up. See my picture below from today, January 12, 2024. Still, it looks better than last year.

It’s slowly coming back. The two bare branches on the left will have to go.

Lessons

We can learn a few lessons from this blog post. Things will go wrong, whatever you do but it’s important to let the client know about the after look. This especially applies to trees and shrubs. I failed to tell my client because I wasn’t completely sure what would happen.

While the client’s disappointment bothers me-haunts me, even!- it’s a good lesson for me and others. I learned from it and moved on.

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Mar 20

0

How micro-management affects your landscape crew

By Vas Sladek | Management, Training | No Comments

A nice example

Micro-management sucks in all industries but my example comes straight from the landscape. And I’ll be honest, I’ve had my own run-ins with the micro-manager who will not be identified in any way. Not even a fake name. I don’t need extra headaches.

Now, picture two landscapers sent to a high-profile entrance area to kill some time. This isn’t unusual; sometimes you have to get ahead of the crew so they have clippings to pick up. I had no idea what they were told to do.

Triggered by a weed

I know it will sound crazy but my trigger was a weed. Once I arrived at the entrance I could see evidence of raking and cultivation but the weeds remained. That’s backwards, one hundred percent. Weeds come first, then cultivation.

Grab the weed before you rake and cultivate. Trust me.

I brought this up with the micro-manager and the workers. I needed to know what was happening. They were told not to weed, just rake. And this shows the effects of micro-management.

Bitched out

Because the workers are constantly corrected harshly, they’re afraid to deviate from the script. When the manager says rake, they rake. Period. Seeing a large weeds doesn’t bother them because it’s not written in the script. They could get yelled at for not raking.

This, then, is the problem with micro-management: the workers have zero autonomy and don’t think for themselves. And they don’t take initiative.

If you look at the big picture, you have a company trying to provide world-class service with well-trained staff. This isn’t about one micro-manager. At all.

How I do it

Now, I publish lots of stuff all year and lots of it is the opposite of humble, but I rarely blow my own horn. In this case I would have sent the workers to the entrance with clear instructions to beautify it for thirty minutes. This allows them to do it their way, inside a set time parameter. Then I would go do my own work, trusting them enough to do their own.

I would also insist on using a wheelbarrow with tarps and tools. I shake my head every time a worker drags a full tarp down the block. I’m slowly realizing that I have a lot of triggers!

Also, remember that it’s 2024. People are more sensitive and workplace relationships are evolving. Raising your voice, for example, is no longer acceptable, unless you’re in imminent danger.

I took the workers aside and told them I didn’t care about what they were told. When they see big weeds by the entrance they have to remove them. That’s it. They have to ignore the micro-managers script and use their own heads. Always.

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