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Neat and Clean
Perception is reality:  Regardless of whether that's right or wrong, you are judged by appearances.  And there's no escaping those judgments because it's basic human nature.   If your own appearances mean ugly-looking vehicles, sloppy-looking employees, shabby offices and job sites that look like disaster areas, you will inevitably be judged with that image by the clients who have hired you and by anyone else exposed to those appearances.  Personally, I'd rather have them focus on the quality of my work rather than on superficialities such as these, but
Maples in the Garden
If I could point to one plant that will consistently stand out in just about any garden, it would have to be the maple.  Virtually no Asian-style garden would be complete without one, and they fit beautifully into gardens of many other styles as well. I particularly like pairing maples with watershapes because of their tendency to soften the edges of typical hardscapes and the way they are reflected by the water.  When placed well, a specimen or single maple can indeed be a key
Maximizing Exposures
I take a lot of pictures of my work - so many, in fact, that friends and colleagues often tease me about it. Chief among those antagonists are my Genesis 3 compatriots, Brian Van Bower and Skip Phillips, who have a running joke about how I always have a slide show ready, whether it's two in the morning in my home or off in some location far removed from classrooms or offices. And it's true:  Because I shoot 35-mm slides of every aspect of every one of my projects, I usually
Meditative Spaces
Last month, we covered a side-yard project that fulfilled one family's dream of gaining a kitchen garden.  This functional design worked well for what had basically been a small, unused space - but it's by no means the only use for such spaces. Small spaces can lend themselves to a number of different possibilities.  Discussing the clients' lifestyle or wish list might uncover something they really want or can identify ideas they haven't yet considered as possible uses for the space. Case in point:  I had a client who wanted to create three
Communicate and Coordinate
Last month, I began a discussion of things that those of us in the watershaping trades can do to improve our collective profile with the public - not to mention enhance our collective self-image. Education, of course, is a huge factor.  And so is the level of professional courtesy with which we treat both clients and prospects.  But those two points, discussed in detail last time, have less to do with the way we approach the practicalities of our businesses than is the case with another point that bears discussion:  that is, project management and how we
The Jet Set
If you've been following this column for the past several issues, you already know a good bit about the magnificent (and magnificently difficult) project I completed late last year in the Malibu Colony.  Many times in those columns, I mentioned (mostly in passing) a system of four deck-level laminar jets we planned on installing. As was the case with just about everything else on this project, incorporating the system of jets into the courtyard environment turned out to be far more complicated and challenging than we ever thought it would be.  When all was said and done, however, we all agreed that meeting this particular challenge was
Considering Small Spaces
Whenever I receive a call for an initial meeting about a potential project, I always envision - before the client ever opens his or her mouth - that I will be adorning a multi-acre estate with a classic garden that will someday be written about in books and examined by landscape students throughout the world for generations to come.  Doubtless, this call will be about the project that will bring me both fame and fortune! Now back to reality. Although there are plenty of large-scale landscape projects to be had, the smaller projects are much more plentiful.  And they are often, as I have found,
We Can Do Better
During a presentation to a recent conference for the swimming pool and spa industry, I tossed this nugget to the audience:  "By a show of hands, how many of you in this room believe that most people think highly of our industry?  Please be honest." It was a mixed group of more than 160 people representing manufacturers, distributors, manufacturer's representatives, retailers, service/maintenance firms and, in the majority, pool and spa builders.  Even with all of these different segments of the industry in the room, not a single hand went up. As one who often
Changes Hit the Deck
It's impossible to know why some people change their minds the way they do or to predict exactly when it might happen, but in working with opinionated clients who demand the extraordinary, it's a fact that accommodating their changes in direction can come to define and redefine a project more than once as you move from start to finish. In many ways, our ability as watershapers to adapt and adjust midstream is at the heart of what we do - and no one says it's easy! The Malibu Colony project I've been writing about in several recent columns is absolutely
A Natural Assist
Let's continue the examination of soils we began last time, shifting our focus this time to fertilizers and the ways they can be used to tailor soil to the specific needs of the plants you and/or your clients have chosen. Fertilizing is important, because placing a plant in the ground and providing it with ample sunlight and adequate water in the proper location is only part of the battle.  True, plants may thrive under those ambient conditions, but treat them to even minimal amounts of fertilizer and those same plants will show their gratitude with a beautiful display of foliage, blooms, fruit and other wonderful things. Fertilizers provide nutrients for plants that the soil and water alone cannot supply, and they come in hundreds of variations designed to