ARTICLES Archives - Page 141 of 312

New York’s Heart

I first visited New York City back in 1978, stopping to visit my sister (who lived there at the time) when I was on my way to Europe for a grand backpacking adventure. I had just a few days to look around, and she ran me ragged through museums and stores and up and down the Empire State Building. One hectic afternoon, we stopped by Rockefeller Center, where I was transfixed by

Tackling the New Year

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for more than 50 years, was once a decent athlete and have always been a sports fan. I’m avid about local traditions and culture and have peeked in on at least parts of broadcasts of Tournament of Roses Parades on New Year’s Day since the late 1950s. On January 1, 2013, however, I did something I never thought I’d do: At the invitation of

#2: Vanishing Edge

Of all the design innovations that have spread through the general watershaping community in the past 20 years or so, I can’t think of any that has captured consumer imaginations as dramatically as have vanishing-edge designs. They rose from minimal presence in the late 1980s to become the most recognizable and popular of all

Landscapes Go Green

Today’s consumers are more environmentally savvy than ever before, so it’s good that there are plenty of like-minded landscape designers and watershapers out there – “green-oriented” professionals who are more than interested in working with homeowners to create outdoor environments that are

Gearing Up

As 2012 comes to a close, I’ve slooked back on the year just past and I’m amazed by everything that’s happened with the WaterShapes franchise. The newsletter has gotten better with each succeeding edition, and the watershapes.com web site has grown literally every day since

Emotional Foundations

In most projects, great work requires the watershaper’s personal understanding of who the clients really are, deep down. That doesn’t mean we have to become our clients’ best friends or marry into their families. Rather, creating watershapes at the highest level involves a different kind of relationship, one in which a

Ripples #58

Compiled and Written by Lenny Giteck The Top 10 Ripples Stories of 2012 Ripples finds it hard to believe that another year has come and gone — and especially that we’re already about to usher in 2013. (Wasn’t it only yesterday we were

Striking a Chord

When I first walked the four acres of wooded ravines of what would later be christened “The Garden of Wind and Pine” at the heart of the Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Ark., I was both delighted and daunted by the experience. The delight came in the site’s sublime natural beauty, which reminded me of tromping through the woods as a child – an activity I enjoy to this day. As for my sense of unease, I

Imported Genius

I lived about 20 miles from the heart of downtown Los Angeles when I was growing up, but it was a place I visited only rarely. I recall a school field trip to historic Olvera Street, and my father once took me to his office in a downtown

Reindeer-Proof Holidays

The arrival of Dasher and Blitzen is just around the corner, and it’s a certainty that once they’ve landed on your rooftop (with such a clatter, I’m sure), they’ll cast hungry eyes on the plants arranged in the gardens below. Remember: Santa will be