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sarahmakes6

Have you used the Landscaping Forum?

sarahmakes6
18 years ago

It would be very helpful to me to post a few questions on the Landscaping Forum. However, I remember awhile back there were people getting absolutely flamed for asking questions that were considered a waste of the forum's time due to their simplicity and/or amateur nature.

Do any of you have experience over there? Recommend or not?

Thanks.

Comments (18)

  • Mizzou_KX
    18 years ago

    Enter at your own risk.

  • sarahmakes6
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hmph. That's what I was afraid of.

    Care to elaborate?

  • punamytsike
    18 years ago

    Darcy,
    There was a post (LD) while back by Shag, where she nicely explained how to get more out of LD forum. I really like her and she gives great advice. Yes, you can not be easily offended but if you follow her advice, you should get replyes at least from her and they are very much worth it. Of course most of the professionals should be busy by now, so everything might take some time.

    Here is a link that might be useful: How to post questions

  • allison0704
    18 years ago

    I heard everyone that post in the Landscaping Forum are a bunch of mean hoes! LOL

  • allison0704
    18 years ago

    I just read punamytsike's link to "How to post questions." I don't think they are going to like my addition to the thread. Who is this Shag person?! I like using ex. pts.!!! lol (I hope she has a sense of humor and doesn't get me sent to Disney!)

  • allison0704
    18 years ago

    Well, I decided to go read about Shag. See if she had a website to visit and see just how glorious her garden must/might be. Found this instead:

    "Update as of 4.19.05:
    I am removing my online portfolio from this site as a protest about the swarms of people who have lately been coming to the Landscape Design Forum basically asking for free designs rather than paying a professional landscape architect of landscape designer in their own neck of the woods. I feel the Landscape Design Forum has changed for the worse -- and strangely, it coincides with the IVillage takeover of Garden Web. That irritates and annoys me. It seems there is no longer a forum/place for the professionals to discuss issues of relevance to them -- with their peers. I know the "Professionals" exists, but that forum just doesn't seem to cut it -at least not for me. Maybe it will change. In the meantime, I am going to be a bit less "out there" on Garden Web and go back to being more faithful to my blog. Cheerio, ta-ta, pip-pip and all that rot. Please call me: Maureen"

    To serious???!!!! (Extra !!!'s for Maureen!!!!!) I thought the forum was here to ask questions and receive answers that might help solve any problem you were having. She makes it sound like only "professionals" should use the landscape forum

  • Mizzou_KX
    18 years ago

    Really there are some nice people over there. Shag that Puna mentioned and what's her name .... I think it's Ya Ya is pretty nice too. She made me think of some things that hadn't entered my mind. She does some neat work. Some of the others though ........ well....... Actually several of them are in to landscape design so much deeper than the average guy that it's sometimes hard to get on the same wavelength.

    But, give it a try. If you get in too deep, just holler and we'll be right there.

  • Mizzou_KX
    18 years ago

    ..... on the other hand, you could just ask right here. Shoot we can be snotty and uppity, start food fights, trash your ideas, tell you to hire a landscape architect (or NOT), tell you you should have built the house in another state because it doesn't f l o w w w w with the surroundings and make you FEEL like you're on another forum. We already are well-versed in forum follies so you wouldn't have to get acquainted with another bunch of people.

    I mean, darn, after that pink paint fiasco we still let you hang around here so why'd you want to fly off somewhere else. If we can build your house, surely we can throw a few bushes in the yard.

    And you'd get all that for free. Just sign right here and we'll start to work.

  • sarahmakes6
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Well, hey. With an offer like that, I just might stick around. But don't mention the Pink Fiasco... makes me shudder still.

    I still have a dirt yard and it's making me crazy. Spring is upon us and I'm dying to dig around out there but no can do until we get the retaining wall in (scheduled for June) and some similar work in the back. I finally gave in to the spring thing and bought gorgeous flowering baskets for my porch. Two at the top of the steps, two at the bottom and 2 hanging baskets. I was proudly showing them to my 11.5 yo DD and said, "Don't those look gorgeous?" I hate it when kids are honest. She said to me, "Well, Mom, they look pretty dumb with a yard full of dirt!" Stinker.

  • allison0704
    18 years ago

    So....exactly where did you bury her?!

  • energy_rater_la
    18 years ago

    Come on Alison, the compost pile!!

    Ok here is a quasi/semi landscaping question.
    I am making a rooting bed to root cuttings.
    I was told by my brother in law who has many
    many plants to mix 3 parts sand, with 1 part
    vermiculite & 1 part peat moss.
    What I have is perlite and not vermiculite.
    Can I use the perlite with the same results?
    Or will I not have enough water retention?
    Suggestions (other than posting in gardening
    section!)???

    Not a big rush, the rooting bed is being used
    as a sand box by my nephew for the next few days.

    Have a great Mother's Day everyone...

  • _sophiewheeler
    18 years ago

    Energy_Rater_La, playsand is too soft for rooting. You want the coarse builders sand. If you don't have any of that left over from projects, you can purchase it at a big box home improvement store. Plain old coarse sand with no perlite or vermiculite is just fine with a misting bed. Misters are really easy to find and greatly increase your strike rate as does rooting powder. YOu can usually find misters at big box stores either in the plumbing section, or in the "outdoor living" as a whole setup to keep a patio cool.

    I think what most landscaping professionals object to in the LF is the lack of homework the poster has done, as well as the lack of ideas of what they want. That's a deadly combination. If you don't know much about gardening, then educate yourself, and if you're not interested, then definately hire a professional to create something for you. It's imposible to help someone who doesn't have any direction or expresses no likes or dislikes, or even any information about the site itself. It's like asking an architect to design your home and he's never met you, doesn't know how many are in your family, whether or not you're into formal gatherings or informal ones, or even what the site looks like. You'd never expect even a hint of what type of house you'd get, because you didn't provide enough information to begin with. It's the same with landscaping. Landscaping is creating the architecture of the exterior of your home. To be helpful, a professional needs to know a lot of things about the site and your family. And, if you don't know enough to be able to give that information, then you don't know enough to be asking for free advice from someone who gets paid to design in the real world. It's a real busman's holiday for landscapers to come into a forum and give advice, and most do it because they love plants and love good designs. Making it hard for them and getting crabby about the responses you get isn't very gracious. No one is saying to bow down and kiss toes, just do your homework and post all of the relevant information in the beginning, and you're more likely to receive a useful response. Asking a question like "What kind of shade plants should I buy in zone 5?" isn't a very useful landscape question. It's more properly a Northern Gardening question and a question of personal preference/taste. Asking, "What type of transition from sun to shade has been successful for you in a formal design?" is a Landscaping question, and can prompt a useful discussion.

    Asking the right questions, in any context, is the key to getting the right answers.

  • sarahmakes6
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Hi HollySprings,
    I'm glad you chimed in. I can totally understand everything you said and have no argument with any of it.

    It sure would be nice if there was a Landscaping For Dummies Forum, however.

  • energy_rater_la
    18 years ago

    I didn't purchase play sand because I would have
    had to add gravel to it. Instead I purchased a
    builders grade in the masonary section that had
    some small gravel added to it.
    I may check into the misters, but will see how it
    goes without it for now. I generally start my
    day by watering my plants, and end it the same
    way. It is a great way (for me) to start & finish
    my day, lots of peace in gardening!
    I lurk on the La & Miss gardening forums, but seldom
    post. A lot of the abbreviations I don't get, and
    don't spend the time to figure out.
    My gardening has come about by a trial and error basis.
    Not everything survives & thrives, but most of
    it does. I am told I have a green thumb, but have my
    doubts about that! However my success rate is steadily
    increasing.
    Prior to the purchase of my house and 2.5 acres all of
    my gardening was confined to pots & containers, in
    addition to the house plants. There just isn't a lot
    of room to plant in a french quater courtyard!
    I get a LOT of enjoyment from my yard, and at times
    of stress it is a real livesaver.
    I do buy some plants, but mostly share them among friends,
    & clients. The gift plants ( and the ones I 'liberate' )
    seem to be the healthiest.
    If I didn't have to work for a living, I would garden
    year round.
    When I purchased my land it had been used for pasture
    and there was nothing ...nothing growing except grass.
    For me the first and longest project was to establish
    what would later become the focal points of my yard
    and plant with that goal in mind.
    Now I have some trees and large shrubs to make focal points
    and the challenge is to determine what means to achieve this. This is also one of the fun parts!
    The only considerations I have is limited shade areas,
    (most plants need to be full sun tolerant)and the
    'dog paths' that my dogs have created.
    They are really amusing in that they run the whole yard,
    but have certain paths they follow around & under the
    house, to the field with the horses, the other field with
    the cows, and the wooded part that isn't clear for the
    hunting outings. No run ins with skunks yet this year
    ( but they will ) but they chased the biggest armadillo
    I have ever seen under one of the cars in the yard a
    few weeks ago!
    Anyhow thanks so much for the input.
    I agree it is all about asking the right questions.

  • kimmers71
    18 years ago

    I visited the Lawn and Landscape forums recently and on one of them, a poster really got blasted.

    Not sure what you're exactly looking for but give as much information as possible.

    I posted a question on one of the forums (must have been real important now that I can't remember what my question was) but I did receive one response and it was enough for me.

    There is a landscape forum specifically for professionals but the "Landscape forum" is open to all.

    I had an area landscape company (they do beautiful work) draw a preliminary plan last year (the roof was going on at that time). His fee was $300 for a finalized plan and then it was reimbursed if any plants, structures, etc. were purchased there.

  • okwriter
    18 years ago

    Mizzou,
    You talking about Ya Ya as in the Ya Ya from Arkansas? She posts at the KT and I've met her ~ a real hoot and a nice gal and very, very fun. She'd fit right in here... maybe we should just kidnap her?!

  • Mizzou_KX
    18 years ago

    I may have the name wrong (thought is was Ya Ya). Maybe there's more than one Ya Ya. The one I'm thinkin' about is a Landscape designer (maybe architect) from St. Louis. Had some cool pics of some things she did.

    Course I'm relying on my memory here from a while back. Shoot, I don't 'member what I did yesterday.

  • allison0704
    18 years ago

    Some of them are helpful. Some of them not. Check out their photo gallery. Nice pictures.

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