Landscaping Archives - Page 11 of 13 - Proper Landscaping Inc.

Dec 04

0

Pterocarya stenoptera (Chinese Wingnut Tree)

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Company News, Education, Landscaping, Plant Species Information | No Comments

The Chinese wingnut tree is a 40-70 foot deciduous tree from the walnut family: Juglandaceae. I first encountered this tree species by the City of Coquitlam animal shelter off Mariner Way. What immediately struck me were the seed clusters, green strings of winged seeds suspended below the branches. Then there was the scientific name which required a lot of memory work.
This is a fast-growing tree which tolerates drought. It has no fall color; the winged seeds turn brown and fall. The two specimens I know well are both used for shade. Since the trees have aggressive roots they are not well suited for lawns or gardens.

Winged Seeds

Seed Clusters

Nov 27

0

Right Plant, Right Place….

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Company News, Education, Landscaping, Plant Species Information, Tips | No Comments

Take a look at the planting by the sidewalk. The client had asked me to take down the four tall Calamagrostis grasses, thereby eliminating its ornamental flower heads.
It turns out the client went shopping and bought the grasses without realizing their mature height. Oooops. The grasses obscured the boxwoods (Buxus)- they should be placed behind the Buxus; they also interfered with driveway sight lines and invited complaints from the neighbor. Clearly, this was a case of wrong plant in a wrong place.

Design step: what would you replace the grasses with? Feel free to submit your ideas in the comments space.

Two potential replacements for spring 2016.

Green/lime Mondo grass Ophiopogon japonicus

unnamed

Blue oat grass Helictotrichon sempervirens

helictotrichon sempervirens -sapphire-

Nov 13

0

Client versus Customer

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Company News, Education, Landscaping, Plant Species Information | No Comments

A few weeks ago, I got called to a Coquitlam home about a tree pruning job. Perfect! I love this kind of work, as long as it does not involve climbing the tree. But this turned out to be a horrible project. The Acer palmatum in front of the house had already been severely topped once in the past and the owner wanted it crushed again, even more severely. I mean massive topping cuts on all major limbs. Then the lady asked for a senior’s discount! I mentioned crown reduction as an alternative to topping, and listed some of the major problems with the practice of topping trees. It did not help. This was my order: massive tree topping with a discount.

Now what? Take the cash and run?

Since ISA membership requires all arborists to sign a code of conduct, the decision was easy to make. Destroying a tree also feels bad. I politely declined the job and literally days later found rhododendron reduction work without any senior discounts. Somebody completed the Acer palmatum job (see picture below) but it was not as severe as first indicated. Complete removal would have been a better option.

This then brings us to the difference between a client and a customer. We want lots of good clients, people we can educate and charge fair prices. Customers are all about pricing and insist they know what they want even when there are better alternatives leading to better outcomes.

In an Arborist News story, several years back, an arborist knocks on the door and a lady opens the door. The tree professional then tells her he got a call about a tree in the back. The owner looks at him and tells him that “hired help” uses the side gate, not the main entrance. The arborist looks at her and politely tells her that he needs new clients, not more customers, turns around and leaves!

photo 1 (2)

Finished job!? I was asked to go another 3 feet lower

Nov 06

0

Basic Lawn Care Tips

By Vas | Company News, Landscaping, Lawn Care | No Comments

A) Only mow over grass!

Running over fixed objects is dangerous for the operator, passerby and leads to costly repairs. In the example below, the mower blade was destroyed. But don’t forget about the mower shaft holding the blade. It costs hundreds to replace. The mower will likely work fine for a while with a new blade and then….not so much. Remember, get to know your mowing area well, clear away any obvious debris and avoid hitting fixed objects.

IMG-20110602-01154

An unforgiving fixed object

About to be retired mower blade

B) You CAN line-trim backwards!

There are cases where line-trimming backwards is the way to go: close to cars, windows, tree-wells and bikini girls. The two examples below clearly illustrate how trimming backwards can save you time. The messed up tree well has to be carefully raked out; blowing would dislodge most of the new bark mulch. The clean tree well was line trimmed backwards, eliminating extra clean-ups.

A clean tree well, line-edged backwards

Line-edged freestyle, clean-up required

Oct 23

0

Atsushi in Kyoto

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Company News, Education, Interviews, Landscaping, Plant Species Information | No Comments

tokyo_and_kyoto_highlights I met Atsushi, a 20-something Japanese guy, at a Burnaby landscape company and we did a few weekend sessions together. He went through years one and two of the apprenticeship program which I thought was a great idea. Then, he surprised me (and his boss!) with his decision to move back to Japan. Specifically, to ancient Kyoto to work for a great company. Kyoto is a must-see place with its many temples and shrines. The fall colors are so spectacular, my in-laws visit there every fall! And rumor has it that Kyoto gardening companies are a bit high on themselves because they operate in such a spectacular setting.

I took the liberty of asking Atsushi a few questions.

V: What are the biggest differences between your Burnaby landscape company and your new one in Kyoto?

A: We don’t use hedge trimmers and prune with hand pruners instead. We also don’t use blowers. We climb trees even if they are over 10 meters high. We prune and take care of our trees; we don’t call tree service companies for help.

V: What does your typical day look like? Hours, breaks, etc.

A: I work 8hrs. 10 min breaks at 10am and 3 pm. 45min lunch break.

V: Who are your clients?

A: Residential, temples

V: Are young people entering the trade in Japan?

A: Yes, there are many young people in the trade.

V: What is the average monthly salary?

A: The average is lower than in Vancouver.

V: Are jobs available?

A: It depends on the company.

V: What is your biggest challenge right now?

A: To work in a completely different environment.

V: What is it like living and working in ancient Kyoto?

A: It’s only been two months so I don’t know yet.. but I’m very happy to be able to work in Kyoto.

Sep 25

0

Newspaper as Mulch? Really?

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Education, Landscaping, Mulch | No Comments

Earlier this summer my buddy, who runs a small landscaping company, called me up and asked me to help him install new soil at a strata site. Sure. It sounded easy. Then he surprised me on site by having me put down newspapers first; both main pages and inserts. I consider the newspaper inserts a minor distraction for all male workers because, inevitably, I would get distracted by ladies underwear sales and bra pictures. Now back to science.

I understood the main idea- weed suppression- but I wondered what my hero, Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott (see July 24, 2015 blog) had to say about it. According to Linda (1), newspaper mulching has been used successfully in agriculture but what about strata complexes on the Westwood Plateau? There isn’t much research but we know that:

newspapers can look ugly when exposed
they can become pest havens
they can become hydrophobic when they become dry and water simply runs off instead of percolating through
wood chips are more effective at preventing weed growth
winds can dislodge the newspapers, especially on the Westwood Plateau
if used on wet, poorly drained soils, they can create anaerobic conditions where an impermeable barrier is formed to water and gas exchanges
additional labor is required compared to straight wood chip application

Summary: Newspaper mulches can be effective in gardens where the soil is continuously worked and irrigation is applied. On less maintained sites you might want to use free or cheap wood chips.

(1) The Myth of Paper-based Sheet Mulch, Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Washington State University Extension, www.puyallup.wsu.du

More information: www.theinformedgardener.com

Good quality, weed-free soil is a must, same for good Contractor wheelbarrows

Before picture with newspaper showing

After picture

Sep 20

0

Mundy Park World Record Weed Pull

By Vas | Education, Events, Landscaping | No Comments

Here is your chance to participate in a world record weed pull attempt, help take out invasive weed species in a local park and improve your resume! Mundy Park is a great place to walk and run. My running club, Phoenix Running Club, holds weekly runs in the park.

12039633_10153617278025883_7363430933047853191_n

I will be there on Sunday October 4. Can YOU come?

Sep 04

0

Get Inspired!

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Education, Events, Landscaping | No Comments

The Inspiration Garden run by the City of Coquitlam is a fun place to visit for all home gardeners and green professionals. I often bike by and stop to brush up on my plant identification skills. And I visit one of my favorite tree species, a specimen of Albizia julibrissin. Its flower fragrance has to be experienced. I can not describe it. It is blooming right now….

There are Ask the Gardener sessions on Thursdays from 6 and 8pm; the iGarden is staffed on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

If you find yourself in Coquitlam or have some spare time on Saturdays, stop by for a visit. It is located in Town Centre Park, on the corner of Guildford Way and Pipeline Road. Bring your questions, walk through the garden and test your plant knowledge. Or just sit down and relax.

Living wall, a developing trend

unnamed (15)
Wisteria floribunda (Japanese wisteria)

unnamed (16)

Aug 28

0

Fight Invasive Plants with One Simple Step

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Landscaping | No Comments

At a Starbucks recently, I ran into a friend who fights invasive plants with a municipal department. After covering the usual enemies -see below-, she shared with me her number one frustration. Homeowners who dump their pots into wild municipal zones. Yes, the local garden stores sell the plants and they’re fine nicely contained in your home garden. Once they’re dumped into open spaces they spread and displace native vegetation, affecting local ecology and soils. Municipalities then spend tax money fighting this problem. Discard your unwanted pots and plants with your Proper landscaper or at your local transfer station. It may even be free for residents.

Lamium in the woods, five meters from the road

Discarded pot full of bulbs and who knows what else……

Two other common invasive plants.

Hedera helix

Vinca minor

Aug 21

0

Annual Cuts

By Vas | Arborist Insights, Education, Landscaping, Seasonal | One Comment

Every year I look for new experiences, both in my personal life and at work. This year I got a chance to work on annual cuts for the first time. This involves line-trimming meadow like fields and buffer zones using heavy-duty line. It can take days, and it will not be done for another year. Large areas are covered by Deere ride-on mowers.

Sometimes it feels like harvest time and the view can be great depending on your exact location. If you are working close to people, stop and let them pass.

Annual cut detail shot

Not a bad place to spend a day….

Stop to let people and pets go by…..

Heavy duty line

If time permits, harvest ripe blackberries (Rubus discolor) before pushing back the thorny invasive canes. There are other hazards! The tall growth can hide all sorts of objects and small animals. I recommend using a full face shield but they are awkward and expensive. Goggles, ear protection and pants are mandatory. Use a hat, sun screen and bring water.

Best Advice: if you are not using a full face shield, CLOSE YOUR MOUTH! Little voles usually run away from the noise but I did not expect to decapitate two garter snakes in the space of three minutes. And I hate snakes. Harsh previous experience has thought me to look out for improperly discarded doggy bags; the contents defy description after six months of sitting in a meadow. Then there is garbage and rocks which can become nasty projectiles.
It feels great once the work is safely completed.

Landscaping