ARTICLES Archives - Page 263 of 314

Nature’s Way

Throughout my design career, I have repeatedly expressed to clients that their gardens are dynamic, constantly changing and only to a very minimal degree under anyone's control. You can plant, water, fertilize, cultivate and prune - "and if you're lucky," I say, "you'll enjoy the fruits of your labors in the form of a visual feast." But that's only if you're lucky, I continue, because no matter what we do to nurture gardens, they are always subject to the whims of Mother Nature. From the smallest annual to the most statuesque tree, no garden is immune. Even though I've always had this talk with clients, however, I've always held the mild belief that it's possible in some ways to stay a step ahead of her by being vigilant and active. I learned the other day at first hand that she

The Company You Keep

If you ask a roomful of watershapers about the toughest of the basic business challenges they face, there's little doubt in my mind that a large percentage of them would say that finding, hiring and keeping good employees is near the top of the list. That always-tough task is complicated by the fact that the vast majority of watershapers need to rely on others to get a project done. Yes, there are a few of you out there who work entirely on your own with the aid of subcontractors, but watershaping is generally a group effort involving combinations of in-house salespeople, office managers and field workers as well as designers, engineers, project managers and all sorts of