COLLECT (HARVEST) RAINWATER

People in general tend to use more water outdoors, but if you collect rainwater then you can use that water to irrigate your garden, thus reducing your water bill.

A full rainwater system consists of several parts.

• The retrieval system
• The collection system
• All the required parts

Fortunately, homes already have a rainwater retrieval system in place, which is the roof, gutters and downspouts. Tying into this system is easy and affordable.

If you buy a rainwater collection system make sure that it is free of dust, leaves, bird droppings or bugs which may be washed into the system from your roofs. Keeping your storage tank free of debris is critical if you want to maximize water pressure and ensure that the system lasts a long time. You can cover the system with a simple mesh screen (one that has small holes) which is good for filtering out debris. Be sure that the screens are accessible to make the cleaning and maintenance of the system easier.

"Anything that you can do to collect rainwater is always a good thing and not to mention that what ever you spend on your system is a huge savings that you will get back as you find yourself spending less money on your water bill."

USE RECYCLED / BUY RECYCLED

You can take old yogurt container and old jars and turn them into pots to grow herbs or small shrubs.

The picture to the left is a vase made with the following...

• Old milk jar
• Hemp string
• Hot glue gun
• Craft paint in your favorite color
• Any variety of flowers that suit your fancy

Use the hot glue gun to wrap the jar with the hemp string. If you don't like the color of the string then you can paint the string (after you have glued it on the jar). Fill the jar with water and put your favorite flower in it. If your jar has a wider opening then you can put some fertilizer and herb seeds. Once the herbs grow you can use then for cooking.

The US Federal Trade Commission explains terms you will see when shopping for recycled products.

• If a label says "Recycled," the package must also tell you exactly how much of the product is recycled unless the product contains 100 percent recycled materials.
• "Recycled" products are made from materials that have been recovered from discarded items. These items are then (1) melted down; (2) pulverized, crushed, or ground up; or (3) rebuilt, reconditioned, or remanufactured. Items such as glass, metal, newspaper, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans typically fit into (1) or (2). Items such as used auto parts, printer cartridges, and some appliances fit into category (3). Products in the (3) category must state that their recycled content came from rebuilt, reconditioned, or remanufactured parts if it is not obvious that it contains used parts.
• "Post-consumer" material comes from previously used consumer or business products, such as plastic bottles, glass containers, aluminum cans, and newspapers. Therefore, if you buy copy paper that ways "50% post-consumer material," you know that half of the content is from recycled substances.
• "Pre-consumer" material is manufacturing waste. A plastic bottle manufacturer, for example, may collect and recycle the pieces of plastic trimmed off during manufacturing and recycle them into making other bottles.
• Product labels that claim the item or packaging uses less material or has less waste is only meaningful if exact information is provided. For example, "uses 35 percent less waste than our previous package" tells you much more than "35 percent less waste."
• Claims on product labels that say "environmentally friendly," "eco-safe," or similar statements are too vague to be meaningful. You need specific information on how or why the product is good for the environment and how to evaluate the claims.
• When you do buy products, make sure you buy those that are in containers or packaging that you can recycle in your area. A product label may say "recyclable," but if the item is not collected in your area or you have no way to recycle it, then it is not "recyclable" for you.

Other ways to green your life...

• Buy earth friendly garden products.
• Use earth friendly cleaning products, recycled toilet paper, napkins etc.
• Buy fruits and vegetables from farms or farmers markets and organic foods.
• Buy body, face and hair products that are organic (vegan friendly).
• Buy office paper made with recycled content.
• Buy organic cotton clothes and bed sheets.
• If you are going to buy promotional business products why not buy green.
  

A GOOD INSTALL VS. A BAD INSTALL

One thing that I have issues with is seeing designs that just were not installed correctly. I myself have had situations where I wonder hey can this contractor read construction drawings. I'll show you what I mean. If you look this picture you will see that the pilaster was not installed correctly. You can see the seams and the corners were not cut right.

This was my first project and my first experience working with a contractor. Turns out that the contractor clearly did not know what he was doing. My mistake in this case what not making periodical site visits to not only ensure that the design was being installed correctly but also per plan.


The picture (below left) was a great project in Huntington Beach where I got to express my true creativity. In this case the contractor clearly knew how to read plans and install correctly.





"It is always wise when hiring a landscape designer or landscape contractor to ask to see a portfolio. If the landscape designer or landscape contractor fails or hesitates to show a portfolio then I would be highly suspicious."

HOW MUCH WILL THE LANDSCAPE DESIGNER CHARGE?

The following factors will affect the price of the landscape designer:

• Size of project
• Amount of work involved
• Site conditions

There are 3 main types of design services

• Consulting - which includes plant & or other materials shopping. This is where the designer will assist you in shopping for the materials but not designing them. This is great if you have a yard that is already done and you need patches filled in or just need general guidance with out a full set of drawings. The designer may even assist with placing the materials but not installing them. The fee for this service should be hourly.
• Full Conceptual Garden Design - After the initial consultation and site analysis, your designer will prepare concept plans and related conceptual graphics to show different design options, along with all proposed materials to be used and a visit to the nursery and building materials shop to look at all the appropriate materials for your project. Design is ever changing and being able to have options, critique and voice your opinion is a must since this is ultimately your dream garden. Once the concept design has been approved then your designer will create final conceptual drawings. These drawings conceptually show the location of all the materials to be used, reused or remain.
• Install Supervision - is a process in which the designer will meet with the contractors that are bidding to explain the design and to ensure that the intent in understood. The designer will also spot all the plant materials to make sure that the right quality plant is purchased, make periodical site visits to ensure that the design is being installed correctly and per plan.

Professional landscape designers have spent a lot of time gathering information and learning their craft. They are good at what they do and can help reduce your water bill while increasing your property value. Just imagine what it would be like to have that dream garden you so desire that was designed accurately and installed professionally.

HOW DO I HIRE A LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR?

A contractor should never tell you how much it will cost to install a design unless he has a set of construction drawings to bid from. Otherwise what ever figure he gives you will always be wrong. I generally tell my clients that I could recommend you to some contractors I know or you can choose to find your own. Your designer should know of contractors that he or she has worked with. Just Ask! If you choose to find our own contractor than I recommend visiting the California Landscape Contractors Association website where you can find contractors based on where you live.

Other contractor facts from the CLCA website

• State law requires anyone who contracts to do landscape work to be licensed by the Contractors State License Board, if the total price of the job (including labor and materials) is $500 or more. Licensed contractors are regulated by laws designed to protect the public, are bonded, and must complete four years of journey- or higher-level experience in the same trade to apply for a license. Unlicensed persons, typically, are not bonded and may not have liability or workers' compensation insurance. If you hire an unlicensed person, you may be financially responsible if injuries, fire, or other property damage results.
• It's a good idea to obtain more than one bid so that the prices and work offered can be compared. Request all bids in writing. Remember that the lowest price may not always be the best. The contractor may have made a mistake or may not have included all the work quoted by competitors. Be certain that each bid lists all the preparatory and finish work that the contractor has suggested, as well as the amounts and types of soil amendments, and brand of sprinkler equipment.
• A landscape contractor is required to have a license bond posted with the Contractors State License Board. However, this bond does not ensure that your job will be completed.
  It's a good idea to ask your contractor to provide you with a "payment and performance" bond that covers the full price of your job. Although nothing can totally ensure your job will be completed, a payment and performance bond provides a financial guarantee against mechanics' liens (which can be filed against your property by subcontractors or material suppliers should your contractor fail to pay them). A payment and performance bond also provides a source of funds for completing the job in the event your contractor does not do so. The bond should be for the full amount of your job, as the bonding company is only liable up to the amount of the bond. A payment and performance bond will usually add one to five percent to the total contract price, but it can be well worth the cost, particularly on large projects. A contractor must be financially solvent and have a proven track record to obtain a payment and performance bond. A contractor who is new to the business or who has a small operation may have difficulty in obtaining such a bond. If your contractor is unable to provide you with a payment and performance bond, or if you want to use an additional method of security, you might consider using a joint control company. A joint control company is an escrow company that specializes in construction. Instead of paying the contractor directly, you pay the joint control company, which in turn pays the contractor(s), material suppliers, etc. A good company will inspect the project before making payments and provide a guarantee against valid mechanics' liens. In looking for a joint control company, check with your lender or contractor for recommendations.
  

HOW DO I HIRE A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER?

There is no one website that lists all the landscape designers in the U.S. so your only option is to Yahoo or Google search for "landscape designer" in your city. One thing you could do is drive by your neighborhood and ask your neighbors who designed their landscape. Sometimes contractors will know some landscape designers that they have worked with in the past or may currently be working with. Nurseries may also have some info. JUST ASK! Be sure to interview at least 2-3 landscape designers.

Once you have scheduled the meetings do the following...

1. Make a list of what you are looking for in your garden. Color full plants, a place to sit and relax..... Look at books, magazine even online for ideas. Better yet go on a drive by of your neighborhood and take pictures of what you like. These are all things that will help the designer get a view into your thoughts.
2. When you meet the designer for the first time don't expect the whole shebang. Yes the designer will give you ideas but they won't give you the entire pie. Just a slice is most likely all you will get (your autograph will get you the rest of the pie). This is were you need to be very blunt with the designer in terms of what you need/want. Give them your list and things to show what you like. Be open minded to the fact that what you want may not work in the space you have.
   
3. By now you should have met with 2-3 designer and have 2-3 contracts in your hand. READ THEM CAREFULLY! Read the part about what they are going to do for you. It should be clear from measuring the site to creating concept plans (how many concepts? In color or in 3d?). Are they giving you a planting plan and a hardscape plan or just one combined plan? This section usually called scope of work should be clear as to what the designer will do for you and if it is not then ask for clarification. There is no true method on whom to pick. But consulting friends and family never hurts. Sometimes the prices are so similar that you may just have to go with your gut on how you felt with each designer.
   

"A landscape designer will and should always make you sign a contract and collect a deposit before starting any work."

Once you have hired the designer (signed the contract and paid a deposit) then the following steps will take place...

1. Site analysis, measuring site and taking site photos.
2. The landscape designer at this point will prepare a conceptual landscape plan based on the site analysis and your needs and budget.
3. Meeting with the client to go over the conceptual landscape plan.
4. At this stage the landscape designer will prepare construction documents, which will be very accurate so that the contractor can bid from them.
5. Final meeting with the client to present construction documents and give as many required copies as needed to the client and collect final payment (a landscape designer will and should always collect final payment upon delivery of final drawings).
6. The landscape designer will meet with the contractor to go over the design and make sure that the intent in understood. Most designers will have a network of contractors that they work with and will refer some of them to you. Just Ask!
7. Once the plant material arrives on site the landscape designer should be there to place the plants (fee for this service should be included in the contract).
8. The landscape designer should make periodical visits to the job site to ensure that the design is not only being installed correctly but also installed per plan (fee for this service should be included in the contract).

If you live in Orange County California you should definitely check out The Orange County Landscape Design Network, which is a network of landscape designers, landscape contractors and landscape maintenance professionals. There you can find a reputable and reliable person to suit your needs.

If you have to hire someone that has license in landscape architecture then you should check out the American Society of Landscape Architects website for a list of licensed landscape architecture businesses. In most cases you will not need to hire a listened landscape architect unless you are building a structure that is more than 3 feet high.

When I used to work for a landscape architecture firm we almost never took projects that were someones front or backyard because the firm had to much overhead and small scale projects like someone house was not profitable enough, so it is best to hire the landscape designer/architect who has little overhead and thus can afford to be cheaper. This is usually someone who has very few or no staff other than oneself.

"The myth that a landscape architect is always more expensive than a landscape designer is just that a myth."

Remember that the rates of a landscape designer and/or landscape architect is dependent on overhead. A landscape architect or designer with a firm that is a one man firm will always be cheaper than a firm with multiple employees.

IS A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER THE SAME AS A LANDSCAPE CONTRACOTR?

NO! A landscape designer does the design work and produces the construction drawings while a contractor installs the designers work. There are some landscape designers that are also landscape contractors, meaning that they do the construction documents as the designer and the installation as the contractor.

WHY HIRE A LANDSCAPE DESIGNER?

If you think that you can handle doing the design work on your own then by all means go ahead but 10 times out of 10 most people who try it on their own realize that it is just more work and very complex.

A landscape designer will either have a degree in landscape architecture or horticulture, either way he or she will have an extensive knowledge of what a landscape design entails. He or she will save you from making a costly mistake. The landscape designer can take your visions and turn them into a construction drawing package that a licensed contractor can easily build from which eventually will result in a beautiful front or back yard that can not only be earth friendly but gives you the wow factor without denting your wallet.

WHAT DOES A LANDSDCAPE DESIGN ENTAIL?

A landscape design if done correctly should follow the following steps.....

note: this does not include meeting(s) with clients.

site analysis

• Which way is north?
• Which areas get the most sun/shade?
• What is the soil condition like?
• Are there any materials that are to remain (protect in place) and if so what are they?
• Is there an irrigation system and if so is it functioning correctly?
• Is there existing lighting?
• General analysis of the site in relation to the neighbors and neighborhood.
• Understand agency guidelines - HOA guidelines and/or city guidelines. These agencies may have specific guidelines on materials that you can/cannot use and other design restrictions.

site measurements & photography

• Thoroughly and accurately measure the site by first having a point of beginning, which generally is a corner of the architecture. From that point you can measure the house and existing landscape elements such as walkways, pilasters, header boards etc.
• Take many photos of the site from up close and far away. Enough so that you can easily revisit the site just by the photos.

creating a digital or hand drawn site plan

• There are two ways of transposing your measurements into a site plan. Hand drawn & digital (the best digital drafting program is AutoCAD). If you are drawing by hand make sure that you have all of the proper tools (ex. drafting paper, scale, triangles etc.)Regardless of how you draw your plans, be sure that your measurements are accurate otherwise your site plan will not be correct thus causing problems during designing and eventually installation.

going to a nursery to look at plants and going to a building materials place to look at paving materials

• This is where your designer will show you what materials that he or she is proposing for your garden.
• Your designer will already know from past experience where the materials are located, how much they will cost and what is best for your type of garden.
  

creating a conceptual landscape plan (color or b&w) with an image board and support graphics

• This is a basic drawing that shows a concept for the site. This concept may be a series of circles or actual symbols to denote the plant material or maybe just bubbles. The hardscape elements may be roughly shown or drawn to actual scale. This drawing could be in color or black and white. This is not a drawing that you could give to a contractor to build from. It is merely a concept.
• Prepare an image board (any size) showing hardscape and planting materials to be used. Sometimes you need to see the material in 3d to get a better sense of what it is.
• You can also prepare sections and perspectives to show a 3d view of your proposed concept.

sheet setup - what type of sheets will you have (usually 3 or more of the following)?

• Cover sheet
• Demolition plan
• Grading & drainage plan
• Grading & drainage details
• Hardscape plan
• Hardscape details
• Irrigation plan
• Irrigation details
• Planting plan
• Planting details
• Lighting plan
• Lighting details
• Specifications
• Each of the above listed plans should have it's own sheet, be on either 24x36 or 30x42 sheet size depending on what will fit best, be drawn to scale (usually for residential projects designers will use 1/8" or 1/4" scale), show where north is, have all appropriate legends, notes & callouts, have the site plan clearly on each sheet and have contact information regarding the designer, client and site address.

design

• Once you have setup your base sheets then you can move onto designing.
• Whatever you design make sure that it is not cookie cutter, functions well, meets the needs and budget of the client, takes into account your site analysis results and is earth friendly. So many times I have seen designs that use the same old plants over and over, which in most cases is not even a water saving plant or California friendly. Use common sense when you design. Better yet hire a professional landscape designer who not only understands what a design entails but in all cases will get the job done more quickly and efficiently.

jurisdiction submittal

• You may (50/50) need to submit your drawings to the following jurisdictions - HOA or the city in which you live. If you have to submit then you may receive comments from either agency, which may require changes to the drawings.

plant placement and site visits

• Don't just assume that the contractor will install your design "per plan". You have to make periodical visits to the job site to ensure that your design is being installed correctly. When the plant material arrives you have to be there on site to spot each plant. In some cases you may tweak your design in the field.

Designing a small sized yard will take a professional landscape designer 30-40 hours to do accurately. It will take the average homeowner 70-80 hours to do. That is 80 hours of money that you will end up spending out of pocket OR you can just only pay for 40 hours of work by simply hiring a professional landscape designer.